Church study finds diversity, lack of discord boost growth | ajc.com

Church study finds diversity, lack of discord boost growth | ajc.com: "A major study on church growth discovered that thriving congregations tended to be multiracial, embraced vibrant worship services and avoided major conflict.

The 'FACTs on Growth' report, based on a 2005 survey of 900 congregations and online at fact.hartsem.edu /products/index.html, is the culmination of a five-year study that attempts to answer why some congregations grow and others decline.

The findings, recently released by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, challenge the conventional wisdom that only conservative suburban congregations are growing."