University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 5-2011 Unto the Least of These: The Pentecostal Church and Social Ministry Stacey U Tucker [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Other Sociology Commons, and the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Tucker, Stacey U, "Unto the Least of These: The Pentecostal Church and Social Ministry. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2011. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/1034 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Stacey U Tucker entitled "Unto the Least of These: The Pentecostal Church and Social Ministry." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Sociology. Asafa Jalata, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Stephanie A. Bohon, Harry F. Dahms, Mark D. Hulsether Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) UNTO THE LEAST OF THESE: THE PENTECOSTAL CHURCH AND SOCIAL MINISTRY A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Stacey U. Tucker May 2011 Copyright © 2011 by Stacey U. Tucker All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my husband, Nathaniel Tucker, Jr., who has supported and uplifted me throughout this academic endeavor, to my parents, Richard and Linda Ussery, who have believed in me and encouraged me all throughout my life, to my daughter, Layla, who came along in the midst of my work and brightened my life, and to my daughter, Lilly, who will come into the world shortly after the completion of this project. iii Acknowledgements I wish to thank all those who have assisted in my completion of the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Sociology. I would especially like to thank Dr. Asafa Jalata, my advisor, for his guidance and support throughout my doctoral career. I would like to thank Dr. Stephanie Bohon for her words of advice and her willingness to work with me for the past several years, and Dr. Harry Dahms for his instruction and investment of time. My appreciation goes again to Dr. Jalata, Dr. Bohon, and Dr. Dahms, and also to Dr. Mark Hulsether for serving on my dissertation committee. I would also like to thank Dr. Robert Graham for mentoring me during my college years and for continuing to support me as I pursued advanced degrees. A special thanks goes to my mother, Linda Ussery, my best friend, Holli Dunbar Kitchen, and my friends, Amber Ferguson and Megen Saez, for their technical assistance on this project. Thanks to Dr. Regina Benedict and Dr. Sarah Whiteford who kept me sane during this experience with our lunchtime chats. I would also like to thank my husband, Nate, for being my companion along this journey. iv Abstract This project explores the relationship of Pentecostal churches in the United States to social ministry. Taken from the results of multivariate logistic regression and likelihood ratio tests utilizing the National Congregations Study (Mark Chaves, Director), a nationally representative sample of US congregations, I found that Pentecostal congregations are statistically less likely to participate in social ministry than non-Pentecostal Christian congregations. Through chi- square analyses, I also found Pentecostal churches to be less likely than non- Pentecostal Conservative congregations to participate in social ministry. Through a series of interviews and observations of five Pentecostal Assemblies of God churches in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, assessments were made on Pentecostal identity and Pentecostal perceived involvement in the community of Atlanta. Recommendations for further research are provided. v TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 Purpose and Overview of Study ........................................................................... 4 Practical and Theoretical Significance ................................................................. 6 Outline of Study .................................................................................................. 10 CHAPTER 2 CONGREGATIONS AND SOCIAL MINISTRY ................................. 13 CHAPTER 3 PENTECOSTALISM .......................................................................... 27 On Being Pentecostal: Issues of Identity ............................................................ 27 Pentecostal Social Relations .............................................................................. 32 The Pentecostal Church Abroad ........................................................................ 43 Pentecostalism in Theory ................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 60 Quantitative Method: Secondary Analysis of NCS Data ................................... 62 Variables ......................................................................................................... 63 Data Analysis ................................................................................................... 72 Qualitative Methods: Key Informant Interviews and Participant Observation 73 Revisiting Pentecostalism Conceptually ......................................................... 75 My Role as Researcher ....................................................................................76 Data Collection ................................................................................................ 77 Units of Analysis: Churches (Observations), Church Leaders and Parishioners (Interviews) ............................................................................... 80 Data Analysis .................................................................................................. 83 CHAPTER 5 PENTECOSTAL CONGREGATIONS AND SOCIAL MINISTRY .... 85 CHAPTER 6 PENTECOSTALISM, CONSERVATIVISM, AND SOCIAL MINISTRY ............................................................................................................ 107 CHAPTER 7 PENTECOSTAL IDENTITY AND COMMUNITY ........................... 122 CHAPTER 8 CONCLUSION ................................................................................. 143 Implications ...................................................................................................... 146 Future Research ................................................................................................ 149 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................... 151 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................... 168 Appendix 1 ......................................................................................................... 169 Appendix 2 ........................................................................................................ 171 vi Appendix 3 ........................................................................................................ 172 Appendix 4 ........................................................................................................ 173 Appendix 5 ........................................................................................................ 175 VITA ...................................................................................................................... 177 vii LIST OF TABLES Table 4.1 Analysis Variables – Dependent ................................................................. 65 Table 4.2 Analysis Variables – Independent .............................................................. 66 Table 4.3 Analysis Variables – Control ....................................................................... 67 Table 5.1 Descriptive Statistics ..................................................................................... 89 Table 5.2 Odds Ratios of Participating in Social Ministry in the Last 12 Months 91 Table 5.3 Effect of Pentecostalism on Total Number of Ministries (OLS regression coefficients shown; standard errors in parentheses) ................................................ 93 Table 5.4 Descriptive Statistics of Pentecostal Practices .......................................... 97 Table 5.5 Odds Ratios of Participating in Social Ministry in the Last 12 Months 99 Table 5.6 Effect of Pentecost Worship Practices on Total Number of Social Service Programs (OLS regression coefficients shown; standard errors in parentheses) .................................................................................................................. 101 Table 5.7 Odds Ratios of Participating in Social Ministry in the Last 12 Months ........................................................................................................................................