An Investigation of the Perceptions of Clergy and Laity on Race-Based Organizational Segregation in the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
type: CreativeWork
description: Problem The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States maintains a racially segregated organization in a society that has intentionally dismantled segregation in most of its organizations. The church needs to evaluate its current conference organization in light of this reality. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of Seventh-day Adventist clergy and members in two conferences in the Southern Union concerning race-based organizational segregation in the church. Method This study used a mixed method and was descriptive in design. Four focus groups were conducted to explore the dimensions of the research problem. This step was followed by the development of a quantitative survey, which was administered to clergy and members of a White (“state”) conference and the other a Black (“regional”) Conference of the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Conclusions The study found that members of various ethnic backgrounds and ages in the church are open to the idea of changing the race-based organizational structure in the Adventist Church. Whether they are employed by the church or not, respondents are not comfortable with the current system. They strongly see God calling the church to integration, and they believe that the success of the church’s outreach to the culture demands such a change. They are concerned about how leadership positions would be equitably distributed in an integrated church, but those surveyed see the benefits outweighing these concerns. Respondents indicated minimal support for the idea that separate conferences are necessary for the effective prosecution of the church’s mission. They also seemed to feel that segregation does affect the church’s witness but are unsure of the level of strength of that influence. The respondents indicated that leadership issues rather than worship style may be the primary cause of Caucasians leaving churches where they have become the minority. Respondents perceived a real econ…
abstract: Problem The Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States maintains a racially segregated organization in a society that has intentionally dismantled segregation in most of its organizations. The church needs to evaluate its current conference organization in light of this reality. The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions of Seventh-day Adventist clergy and members in two conferences in the Southern Union concerning race-based organizational segregation in the church. Method This study used a mixed method and was descriptive in design. Four focus groups were conducted to explore the dimensions of the research problem. This step was followed by the development of a quantitative survey, which was administered to clergy and members of a White (“state”) conference and the other a Black (“regional”) Conference of the Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Conclusions The study found that members of various ethnic backgrounds and ages in the church are open to the idea of changing the race-based organizational structure in the Adventist Church. Whether they are employed by the church or not, respondents are not comfortable with the current system. They strongly see God calling the church to integration, and they believe that the success of the church’s outreach to the culture demands such a change. They are concerned about how leadership positions would be equitably distributed in an integrated church, but those surveyed see the benefits outweighing these concerns. Respondents indicated minimal support for the idea that separate conferences are necessary for the effective prosecution of the church’s mission. They also seemed to feel that segregation does affect the church’s witness but are unsure of the level of strength of that influence. The respondents indicated that leadership issues rather than worship style may be the primary cause of Caucasians leaving churches where they have become the minority. Respondents perceived a real econ…
author: Penno, David K.
keywords: Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists., Christian Denominations and Sects, Organizational Behavior and Theory
date published: 2009-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:53:07Z
provider: Andrews University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Andrews University