Churches used to help hold society together, a place for people of different social classes and political beliefs to get to know each other. But it isn't that way so much any more, to the detriment of our democracy and our national unity. So says social scientist Ryan Burge, who urges churches to recover their role in social cohesion.
(RNS) The 6.6 million-member United Methodist Church is predominantly white. But its racially diverse congregations are faring better than white churches at a time when the denomination as a whole is experiencing declining attendance.