Belonging and belief: Why evangelical churches draw many migrants in the US
Many migrants find community in evangelical churches in the U.S. – part of wider shifts in the country’s religious landscape.
Evangelical churches in the United States have seen a significant increase in attendance from migrants, with 12% of U.S. evangelicals born outside the country. The Pew Research Center's 2024 study suggests this figure may be an underestimate due to undocumented migrants avoiding surveys due to potential deportation. This trend is particularly notable in communities like Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, where a Congolese asylum-seeker, Kim, emphasized the importance of faith in her life, believing Democrats to be "not people of God" and aligning with traditional values.
While popular media often portrays evangelicals as a homogeneous, predominantly white group, the reality is more diverse, with three out of ten U.S. evangelicals not being white. A growing percentage of these evangelicals are migrants, regardless of their legal status. As an anthropologist of religion, the author has observed how faith shapes the lives of these migrants in the United States, often providing a sense of belonging and empowerment in the face of challenges such as loneliness, legal precariousness, and workplace exploitation.
In a 2022 book, "In the Hands of God," the author spent a year attending evangelical churches catering to Brazilian migrants in Washington, D.C. She interviewed over 80 churchgoers and surveyed dozens more, hearing stories of how belief and belonging helped migrants overcome difficulties like exploitation at work. Many of these migrants found solace and empowerment through their churches' close-knit communities and evangelical Christianity's emphasis on fostering an intimate relationship with God.
In Brazil, a significant number of migrants convert to evangelical Christianity upon arriving in the United States, often finding a renewed sense of faith and belonging. This shift in religious beliefs among immigrants has influenced the religious makeup of the migrant population in the U.S., contributing to a growing diversity within evangelical churches.
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