Commission on Evangelization

Working as 'Unequal Groups'

Using the map from the Religious Congregations & Membership in the United States: 2000, Father Frank noted that, in the central South and especially in the rural areas where Glenmary works, Catholics are a minority. Consequently, the interaction between the Baptist church and the Catholic church is "unequal groups." Even in everyday life, interactions between unequal groups are a test.

Both speakers challenged the Commission on Evangelization to describe examples of when they had experienced a successful interaction between ”unequal groups.” Participants mentioned that Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity and Crop Walks work well as common projects because the goal is not dependent on ”church” size. The critical factor is the willingness of church members to participate.

Another ecxample: For a Christmas play, a smaller church had a member who was willing to direct and a stage area. They asked a church who had a larger number of children to work with them. These churches each had a critical element of the project that the other lacked.

The reasons for the success of these joint projects can provide guidelines for future successful projects.

For more on Catholics in the central South, see this PowerPoint presentation on the resource section of the Glenmary Research Center: Catholics in the American South: A 'Foreign,' Minority Religious Community. Presented by Kenneth M. Sanchagrin at the U.S. Catholic Mission Association, Oct. 26, 2002.

To return to 'Why Should Catholics and Baptists Evangelize Together?'

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