Urban Outfitters

This chapter discusses in more detail the extent to which the congregational culture at Downtown Church is predicated on a sense of fashion and connects with those who are comfortable with cultural consumption. The core of Downtown Church is a “matrix of authenticity” triangulated by middle-class consumption of city spaces, urban nightlife and entertainment, and the visible presence of racial and ethnic minorities thought to characterize the diversity that marks a city. The emphasis on a particular type of congregant, and the image of what makes a church authentically urban, combine to form a “designer church.” The gendered nature of many of these expectations is clear and appears in several church-sponsored events. Another example of this aspect of the congregation’s culture is a dress code for those involved in being a public presence for the church (such as the greeters); the code itself is not focused on modesty or more conservative notions of propriety, but rather emphasizes contemporary fashion.

The City Imagined

The concluding chapter reviews the three major concepts discussed in the book—racialized urban imaginary, managed diversity, racial utility—and how they relate to the analysis of the congregation and to each other. Drawing on examples from across the chapters, the conclusion shows that a set of images about what is authentically urban, and that urban-ness is connected to African Americans as well as consumer culture, inform the actions of the church leadership and the church members. In order to realize their imaginary, church leaders hope to foster a diverse congregation, but they want to manage the diversity so that they do not become seen as a “black church” or threaten the leaders’ authority in the congregation. The utility of using racial identity to accomplish these goals is a common organizational practice. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the prospects for multiracial congregations and American religion.

City Outreach

Although Downtown Church is still a fairly new congregation, it has developed two significant outreach ministries. The church sponsors a team in a community basketball league— made up of congregation members and some external “ringers” who are terrific players but not regular church members. And it sponsors a “before-school” support program at a public high school in a low-income, crime-ridden neighborhood in the city. Both of these programs are similar to efforts made by many congregations, but they also reveal how the church leadership struggles to handle issues of race and inequality beyond its own walls. Here, “racial utility” becomes apparent, as the pastoral leadership often uses black members to help it establish credibility, either with others in the city basketball league or with the public school system. At the same time, many of the church members involved with the programs recognize that even as they are being used for their race, they are in turn using the status of the white leadership to gain entrance into situations they might not have been able to achieve on their own.

“Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

In what has been a story of congregational tensions, some conflict, and uncertainties about the church’s direction, it remains the case that people are attending Downtown Church and many are quite invested in it and hope for its success. This chapter asks why that is by exploring the dynamics of religious commitment and what congregants get out of their belonging. For many there are personal benefits, such as enjoying the well-produced worship services. Other benefits, such as spiritual growth, or making friends within the congregation, were also mentioned. For others, the church represents a community that may be a good thing for the city—an interracial church that can help mend the city’s racial divides. The chapter also finds some differences in the language of commitment between white and black congregants. Black congregants often spoke of being at the church as a “calling” and often used the idea of family to describe church relationships.

“Swirl Babies”

This chapter shifts attention from the church’s outreach efforts to another dimension of its internal workings—how it handles romantic relationships among church members. In particular, tensions have arisen over interracial romantic relationships. Many in the congregation perceive the pastoral staff as discouraging such relationships, if not always explicitly. One result is a regular meeting of couples involved in these relationships in settings outside the church, and hiding their relationships from other church members and the staff. The ambivalence about interracial romance becomes a good setting in which to understand the congregation’s overall ambivalence about dealing with issues of race and racial inequality forthrightly.

City Jesus

This chapter presents a fuller history of Downtown Church and its organizational structure. Intertwined with this is a more in-depth exploration of the congregation’s goals, its marketing plans and target members, and the implicit conception used by the leadership to understand “the city.” The extent to which these are aligned with popular culture and a culture of affluent consumption is presented and analyzed. Along with cultural consumption, the association between the city and ethno-racial and cultural diversity is also explored—specifically, the efforts by church leaders to distinguish themselves as a downtown church and not an inner-city church in their efforts to become an authentic member of the Chicago urban scene.

Race, Church, City

The introduction first introduces Downtown Church, and presents some of the history of white Evangelical Protestantism and its efforts to engage urban America. Connected to this association with cities is the difficult relationship white Evangelical Protestantism has had with race. Recent efforts by some evangelical leaders have resulted in the Evangelical Racial Change Movement, an attempt at integration of church congregations and racial reconciliation. Downtown Church, while striving to be diverse, has not directly engaged this movement. An in-depth explanation of the methods used in this study to understand the Downtown Church congregation is discussed. The chapter concludes with a presentation and definition of the three main analytic concepts in the book: racialized urban imaginary, managed diversity, and racial utility.

The Diversity List

Another part of the urban imaginary is the assumption that cities are full of diverse people. Racial diversity is, for many, part of the urban culture to be consumed—a new and valued experience. And racial and cultural diversity is a feature of Downtown Church valued by many of the congregants. This diversity, however, also has potential downsides, at least for the church leadership. They do not want Downtown Church perceived as a “black church,” nor do they want diversity to actually threaten the authority of the all-white leadership teams. Thus, “managed diversity,” as a set of organizational practices, becomes a practical response.