Dr. Mark Mulder is professor of sociology, adjunct professor of congregational and ministry studies, and director of the urban studies minor and at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He teaches classes on church and society, diversity and inequality, and urban sociology. Mark is the author of Congregations, Neighborhoods, Places, Shades of White Flight: Evangelical Congregations and Urban Departure, and co-author of Latino Protestants in America: Diverse and Growing. His research centers on the intersection of cities and congregations. In this episode of RePlacing Church, Mark joins me to discuss:
- The shift in church culture and theology towards place
- Historic and present-day barriers that perpetuate systemic inequity
- Why churches should take inventory of their assets and explore how they can be utilized for their neighborhood
- The “halo effect” of church impact on communities
- The importance of ethnography, being attuned to your context, and a posture of humility
- Historical example of white flight on Chicago's South side
- Church adaptation in the tide of changing demographics
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Episode Song Credits: “Another Wrong to Right” and “You Won't Walk Alone” by Mercir. “Closed” by Zadok Wartes. Used with Permission. Production Assistance by Nate Tubbs.
