Saturday, 15 January 2005 - 12:00 PM

This presentation is part of: Poster Session II

From Community Networks to Organizational Development:

Purpose: Over the past two decades, interest in faith-based organizations (FBOs) has increased tremendously (Netting, 1982; Cnaan, Wineburg, & Boddie; 1999; Cnaan et al). However, very few studies have examined faith-based social service delivery provided by immigrant communities. While immigrant congregations are generally considered more reliant upon informal networks than formal institutions to provide social services, some FBOs exist to offer a wide array of formal services (Slesserev-Jamir, 2003). Based on an in-depth analysis of the St. Louis Christian Chinese Community Service Center (SLCCCSC), this study explores the development of a FBO from informal networks to a formal institution.

Methods: This case study was conducted through intensive participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and review of center documents. The researchers spent more than 200 hours observing and participating in a variety of activities including meetings, agency services and Chinese churches? Sunday services. Data were also obtained through systematic interviews with board members, the staff and clients of the SLCCCSC, and pastors.

Results: Social capital theory (Putnam, 2001) and role theory (Blau, 1991) are applied to examine the transformation of this FBO from informal networks to a formal institution. This work also challenges the view that the first generation immigrants are less likely to be involved in provision of social services due to their engagement in formative tasks (Cnaan, 1997). The SLCCCSC was initiated by a group of first generation immigrants. Consisting of pastors, businessmen, and professionals, this group has several important characteristics: (1) high levels of cultural homogeneity; (2) advanced education; (3) ability to access diverse community resources; and affiliation with multiple social networks within Chinese and non-Chinese circles. To establish this formal service structure, SLCCCSC board members created new social roles to expand their networking opportunities. This strategy allowed the organization to absorb people who have resources and similar philosophies about social ministry/social service into a formal network. The linking of these informal networks allowed for the development of the Chinese community?s service capacity and the subsequent formation of a service agency. However the challenge of expanding programming and staffing and diversifying funding quickly emerged.

Implications: Although formal services cannot completely replace informal services, the agency established by the former are more predictable, accessible, and capable of integration with other public and private services with the proper staffing and financial resources. For immigrant communities, the development of faith-based social service institutions is a new and understudied area of practice and research. This study provides useful recommendations for practitioners about how to build upon informal networks to establish a faith-based institution and how to expand networking within and beyond a specific immigrant community. The findings further suggest that small faith-based, ethnically/culturally-oriented institutions are viable partners for private and public social service agencies in increasingly diverse communities.

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