White Prince George's churches seek diversity to survive

From The Washington Post

It was 2009 when members of Our Saviour's Lutheran Church in Temple Hills began to wonder if the church's aging, white population would lead to its demise.

In southern Prince George's County, churches with a traditionally white membership say they are increasing efforts to attract more blacks and other minority members to offset declining congregations that mirror long-term changes in the county's demographics.

Our Saviour's Lutheran, built during the Lutheran church boom in the Washington, D.C., suburbs during the 1950s and '60s, grew to a mostly white population of 300 members until the 1970s, when the county experienced its largest population increase, thanks to baby boomers.

But as more blacks began moving in and whites moved out of the community throughout the '80s, Hakes said, the church began losing as many as 20 members per year. The church now has 35 members, mostly white, with average Sunday service attendance of 20 to 25 people.

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/29/AR2010092903939.html