1. Ethnicity and Race in the Christian Population of the United States

2. This presentation seeks to show, through statistical and factual analyses, the intricacies of race and ethnicity in the Christian population of the United States. Racial diversity varies broadly across denominational and regional lines. Lutheran, Evangelical, and Episcopal traditions have the highest percentage of white believers, while African Methodist, National Baptist Convention, and Church of God in Christ traditions are almost entirely composed of black believers.

3. The Catholic Church Southern Baptist United Methodist
Four Largest Denominations in the American Christianity:
The Catholic Church
Southern Baptist
United Methodist
Church of God in Christ

5. Foundational Statistics:
Evangelical Christians = 76% white
Mainline Protestants = 86% white
Black Protestants = 94% black
Catholics = 34% Hispanic

6. Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, and Orthodox Christian traditions are predominantly white.
Catholic & Unaffiliated traditions, however, are relatively much more likely to be multiracial.

7. Percent African-American by Religious Tradition (2012)
Roman Catholic
White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist
Black Protestant
White liberal or moderate
Non-Christian
TOTAL 0%
37.5% 27
49.8% 306
0.7% 2
53.3% 144
42.0% 37
38.8% 516
More than 0% but less than 5%
38.9% 28
22.4% 138
0.0% 0
31.1% 84
33.0% 29
21.0% 279
5% to less than 50%
22.2% 16
26.5% 163
12.6% 34
9.1% 8
16.6% 221
50% or more
1.4% 1
1.3% 8
99.3% 282
3.0% 8
15.9% 14
23.6% 313
100.0% 72
100.0% 615
100.0% 284
100.0% 270
100.0% 88
1329

8. Percent White by Religious Tradition (2012)
Roman Catholic
White conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist
Black Protestant
White liberal or moderate
Non-Christian
TOTAL
Less than 20%
23.3% 17
14.2% 87
98.6% 280
0.7% 2
25.8% 23
30.8% 409
20% to less than 80%
15.0% 92
13.0% 35
16.9% 15
12.1% 161
80% to less than 99%
31.5% 23
33.1% 203
0.0% 0
34.4% 93
29.2% 26
26.0% 345
99% or more
21.9% 16
37.7% 231
51.9% 140
28.1% 25
31.2% 414
Missing 1
100.0% 73
100.0% 613
100.0% 284
100.0% 270
100.0% 89
1329

9. Racial composition of American Evangelicals

10. Racial composition of Historically Black Church in United States

11. Racial composition of Catholics in United States (The Catholic church exhibits (relatively) the most diversity:

12. There are also differing economic trends between religious traditions:
Evangelicals’ income levels are more likely to be higher than those of Black Pentecostals.
Black Pentecostal traditions have a much wider income disparity within their religious tradition, with the largest population of believers making $30,000 or less.
The population of the Catholic tradition displays a more equitable distribution of socio-economic levels

13. Socio-economic distribution of Evangelicals in United States

14. Socio-economic distribution of Historically Black Church in United States

15. Black American Christians were reported to have the highest view of religion’s importance in their lives

16. Black American Christians were also reported to be the population with the strongest belief in God

17. Interestingly, however, white American Christians were reported to have the most absolute stance on right and wrong

18. Increasing Diversity in American Christianity
Number of multiracial church communities has nearly doubled in the past decade.
12.5% percent of Protestant churches and 27.1% of other Christian churches (Catholic/Orthodox) are multiracial.
However, 38.9% of churches reported having no black members in their congregation
The vast majority of multiracial churches in the United States are concentrated on the West Coast.

20. Growth of the “Unaffiliated” Group
The number of unaffiliated believers is increasing as the number of Christians is decreasing. This is happening in all of the ethnic groups represented in Christianity.
Whites continue to be more likely than both blacks and Hispanics to identify as religiously unaffiliated; 24% of whites say they have no religion, compared with 20% of Hispanics and 18% of blacks.
Pew Research Forum rates black Christians as having the highest view of religion’s significance in their life.

21. The number of unaffiliated believers is increasing as the number of Christians is decreasing

22. Pew Research Center studies show that the Christian population in the United States is decreasing in relation to other religions. However, the fastest-growing group in the country is the Unaffiliated Group (including Agnostics and Atheists)

23. Sources: Pew Research Forum – America’s Changing Religious Landscape
Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies
U.S. Religion Census 2010
Hartford Institute for Religious Research
Pew Research Forum – Religious Landscape Study
Association of Religion Data Archives
FactTank
US Census Bureau
Centers for Disease Control
Multiple news sites, research journals, and articles