Archive
Rev. Cecil L. Murray: A Call to Ministry
Rev. Cecil L. Murray led First African Methodist Episcopal (FAME) Church in Los Angeles for 27 years. In this video, Pastor Murray reflects on his calling to the ministry, from his childhood …
The Murray Method of Church Leadership
In his 27-year tenure at the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, Rev. Cecil L. Murray transformed a small congregation into a megachurch that brought jobs, housing and corporate investment …
A Cultural Tipping Point: Reflections of David Brooks’ Two Mountains
We are at a cultural tipping point. Hyper-individualism, postmodern rhetoric that relativizes every truth and narcissistic political posturing exhaust us. More people are dying annually of drug overdoses than in the Vietnam …
The Economist: Loskota on Religious Freedom at the Border
Activist on the left are using religious freedom–a value often championed by American conservatives–to defend their actions in court. The case of Scott Warren, who was being charged for helping undocumented immigrants …
Deseret News: Richard Flory on the Instagrammable Bible and Kanye’s Christianity
Young Christian entrepreneurs are bringing an Instagram aesthetic to the Bible. Alabaster Co. produces books of the Bible with large, artistic images. The Deseret News asked Richard Flory, CRCC’s Senior Director of …
The Guardian: Flory on the Rise of Pentecostalism in America
Today’s Pentecostalism in America is not what it used to be. As Australian Pentecostal groups – such as Hillsong, C3, and A21 – are rapidly growing across America, they are also transforming …
Deseret News: Flory on Declining Church Attendance
Today, nearly 1/4 of Americans do not affiliate with a faith group, and church leaders across the country are growing concerned on how to combat declining church attendance rates. Deseret News interviewed CRCC’s Senior Director …
Arab News: Miller on Remembering the Armenian Genocide
April 24, 1915 marked the beginning of the brutal Armenian Genocide where up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire. Now over a century later, the Turkish government continues …
The Monthly: Flory on the Popularity of Hillsong’s Christine Caine
Megachurch Hillsong has recently been attracting a growing number of worshippers, and Christine Caine has emerged as a rising star among America’s evangelical circuit, selling out theaters and megachurches across the country. …
Sunni and Shia Islam
Orientation/Classification: Islam Adherents Consider Themselves: Muslim House of Worship: A place for Muslims to gather for Salat (ritual prayer) is called a masjid (place of prostration) or mosque. In the U.S., many …
Nation of Islam (NOI)
Orientation/Classification: Islam/Political-Religious Movement Adherents Consider Themselves: Muslim House of Worship: Mosque or Temple Religious Leader: Leader is called a minister and often the term “honorable” is used alongside his name. Population: The …
Islamic Traditions in the African-American Community Introduction
Islam in the African-American community is as old as the United States itself. Islam came to the United States on slave ships, and the first Qurans (the Islamic holy book) to be …
Black Interdenominational
To be interdenominational, a church or organization subscribes to no particular Christian denomination, but incorporates religious rituals and expressions stemming from several denominations. This is similar to being nondenominational, and some use …
Black Episcopalians
People of African descent have a long heritage in the Episcopal Church. Over the past 130 years there have been 38 Black bishops consecrated in the Episcopal Church. These bishops hail from …
Report Summary
This report provides information about the largest religious traditions and denominations in Black communities, providing a basic understanding of how these denominations operate, how the leadership structure is organized and how their …
Catholicism
Orientation/Classification: Catholic Adherents Consider Themselves: Catholic/Christian House of Worship: Church/Parish/Cathedral First Point of Contact: Priest, Sister, Bishop or lay leader Women are not ordained in the Catholic Church. Population: Approximately 800 of …
African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church
POPULATION There are roughly 7,000 AME congregations globally and an estimated 2.5 – 3.5 million members. GOVERNANCE The AME Church is organized in a hierarchical structure, in which each district is presided …
National Baptist Convention
Orientation/Classification: Protestant/Baptist Adherents Consider Themselves: Christian House of Worship: Church Religious Leader: Pastor, Minister, Deacon Population: 31,000 congregations and 7.5 to 9 million members OTHER (GENDER, DRESS, ETC.) The convention does not …
Church of God in Christ (COGIC)
Orientation/Classification: Pentecostal-Holiness / Protestant Adherents Consider Themselves: Christians House of Worship: Church Religious Leader: Chaplain, pastor, bishop, ordained elder, apostles. COGIC does not ordain women as elder or bishop. Women do serve …
Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church
POPULATION In 2006, there were an estimated 850,000 members in 3,500 churches. GOVERNANCE Like the AME Church and AMEZ Church, the CME Church is hierarchical, with each district presided over by a …