The Black Church

Abstract

Abstract Few, if any, racial or ethnic groups in the United States are more identified with religion and churches than Blacks. The Black church occupies a unique perch in the religious landscape and history of the United States. Blacks historically had to set up their own cultural institutions because of society’s racist policies and practices. The historical and current-day significance of Black churches in urban America is undisputable. The future of Black churches, however, is open to debate and represents a cause of alarm for these institutions and the communities where they are situated due to a series of significant cross-currents.