Racial integration in U.S. churches is lacking, but some Biolans say it is a result of differences in personal preferences and not solely because of racism.

Almost 50 years after Martin Luther King Jr. said he was appalled that the church was still the most segregated place in America, many U.S. churches remain segregated. According to a 2007 study done by Rice University sociologist Michael Emerson, only about eight percent of U.S. churches are racially integrated, and normally 80 percent of any one congregation is made up entirely of one race.

“The society we live in is fundamentally racist,” Biola sociology professor Nancy Yuen said.

Racial integration is ignored

Several students admitted that their churches are either composed entirely of one race or that their churches have a small minority presence. Racial integration is lacking in the church, they said, not because Christians are racist, but because it is easy to become indifferent.

“We don’t think about it,” senior Melissa Jordan said.

Jordan said it is especially easy to stay in the comfort zone of a home church and to not branch out to other culturally different churches because the worship does not look the same.

Members help determine level of integration

“I think the reason why a majority of churches are not racially diverse is because people flock to things they are familiar with,” senior Manna Hancock said. “They want to be with people that worship the same way as them.”

Hancock and freshman Bethany Linnenkohl also said that few racially integrated churches exist partly because very few people are willing to compromise their own personal preferences.

In an interview with CNN, Paul Sheppard, former pastor of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Mountain View, Calif., said it is difficult to lead a racially integrated church. He recounted a time when members of his congregation, who were predominantly black, came to him concerned that a small group of white members were going to take over the congregation. Sheppard went on to say that members of the church clashed over issues about the worship music, how to address the pastor and who should be in church leadership.

Multiple factors impact racial make-up of a church

Some students, like Linnenkohl, said they believe the racial make-up of a church is based on the pastor, the type of teaching, the music and the area in which the church is located. Other students said people are drawn to churches according to what their personal preferences are, whether they prefer gospel music to contemporary music, or whether they like a fiery preacher versus a more subdued teacher.

“I think we go to different churches because of how comfortable we feel at a church,” Linnenkohl said. “I think it’s been ingrained into us because it’s just been that way for years, and it depends on what church our parents raised us in. We choose churches based on comfort.”

Culture deeply influences churches

Seniors Samantha Weng and Kelly Kim said they believe the small percentage of racially integrated churches is a result of a cultural issue. The seniors said that culture is a large part of a church’s make-up, especially for Asians. Both Korean students, Weng and Kim said they have attended churches where the entire congregation is Korean or the majority of its members are Korean.

Freshman Amber Wentz, who described herself as white, said that her home church in Cheney, Wash. is predominantly white, but the congregation also includes some Hispanics and Pacific Islanders.

Multi-Ethnic Programs attempts to embrace different cultures

In an effort to expose students to different cultural forms of worship, the Biola department of Multi-Ethnic Programs states on its website that it is committed to helping students grow holistically and to developing a diverse community of believers. The department offers a racial reconciliation chapel series where students have the opportunity to be exposed to worship experiences that promote diversity. Through the chapel series, students are able to take part in various styles of worship and are able to learn about the traditions of believers from different ethnicities.

Though many Biolans recognize that racial integration within the church is low, they have hope that the number of mixed congregations in the U.S. is growing.

“I think that it is sad that churches aren’t more integrated,” Linnenkohl said. “But I also think that times are changing.”