Research reveals new trends among Black Protestants
Jason Shelton. (Photo by Justin Clemons, University of Texas, Arlington)
When Jason E. Shelton brought his grandmother from Cleveland, Ohio, to his Texas church four years ago, he had to prepare her for the experience.
“I had to warn my grandma, ‘This isn’t the service you’re used to back home. It’s not going to feel Methodist when you walk in. But the spirit of the tradition is here.’”
Shelton’s church, The Village United Methodist Church in the Dallas suburbs, is an offshoot of a more traditional United Methodist church. It was planned as a community that would share a “modern” approach. While that may unsettle some, it appears to be working there.
