A Case Study of an Urban Church: Community Development in Action in the African American Community

Abstract

Abstract This qualitative study was designed to examine how one church assists its neighborhood in engaging in community development with a goal of helping other ministries to do this type of work. The scholarly literature suggested that the church is uniquely situated to address human needs due to proximity to community problems and the trust that has been built with the population. Seven participants who are a part of the XYZ church were selected to be a part of this study. XYZ church has a track record of doing community development in the African American community that has lasted for over forty years. The founding pastor had a vision to help the community address issues of violence and poverty. Under the leadership of the current pastor, the church has developed ZYX center that serves numerous community problems, making it an ideal study site. I conducted a case study analysis of this special church. I conducted seven interviews, visited the church and observed its leaders in action, and reviewed documents from and about the church and its efforts. I analyzed the data and found several prominent themes involving visionary leadership, listening to the community and sharing the vision with others. Using these data, I crafted a proposed solution that may help other churches emulate this successful church. The proposed solution involved XYZ church becoming a resource center for other congregations seeking to do community development work. The resource center would host conferences, produce written and digital information and allow for direct coaching to occur. As a United Methodist Church, XYZ church will rely on the networks within the denomination to promote the resource center. Keywords: community development, African American United Methodist Church,

resource center