Priestly and Prophetic Influences on Black Church Social Services

This study examines the relationship between priestly and prophetic functions and social services sponsored by the Black Church. Faith Factor 2000 Project data for seven African American denominations are used to study the role of the contemporary Black Church in addressing economic and social problems that affect the African American community. Results from bivariate and negative binomial analyses show varied denominational support of social services. The majority of sponsored programs are economic in nature or youth-oriented, rather than political or civic. Furthermore, financially stable churches with better educated, paid clergy positively influence social service sponsorship. And while variables associated with a prophetic function have a greater influence on social services, variables that reflect a more priestly function, specifically whether churches sponsor religious programs, are also important in motivating churches to provide such services. These findings add to the literature on the nuanced nature of the dialectical model used to describe the Black Church.