Organizing around faith: The roots and organizational dimensions of African-American faith-based community development corporations.

摘要

This study explores the characteristics and dynamics of an increasingly common, but little understood organizational vehicle for service delivery to impoverished communities with which public administrators must increasingly partner: African-American faith-based community development corporations (CDC). Using qualitative as well as quantitative methods, the research examines the leadership of African-American faith-based CDCs, the services they deliver, their internal structure and organizational dynamics, their relationships with the external environment, and denominational influences. An overriding question is how these characteristics are shaped by the unique historical, cultural and political roles of the black church in the African-American community. This research explores two questions: (1) Do African-American faith-based community development corporations share a common leadership, mission, services and organizational structure? (2) In what ways are the African-American church tradition related to services, leadership, denominational influences, resource acquisition and organizational structure? How are these influences perceived in the larger community development field?; Our argument is that the inheritance from the black church includes three important traditions, a tradition of spiritual/missionary or charismatic leadership, a pragmatic tradition of service in and to the community, and a political commitment to justice ideals in the face of racism. The basic features and dynamics of African-American faith-based community development corporations, the dilemmas they face as well as the opportunities they present, can be fully understood only in the context of these traditions.; The ideal type of bureaucracy as described by Weber was the departure for the organizational characteristics examined in the case studies and included in the survey. Leadership, too, was explored in relationship to charismatic leadership and institution building but examined within the historical context of the African-American faith tradition and the African-American faith-based CDC.; Research results confirm the unique application of the mission in the operation and management of African-American faith-based CDCs, and suggest that the charismatic tradition of the African-American church is a strong influence in services, and, provides access to valuable networks and resources. Furthermore, Weber's concept of charisma as an institution building mechanism is discernible in the influence of African-American leadership, especially the pastor, on the mission and operation of the African-American faith-based community development corporations. The resulting organizational typology helps practitioners in public administration as well as those engaged in public policy debate and formation look toward models that predict success for new organizations developing in response to the White House Faith and Community Initiative.