US EditionBrooklyn’s Black Church Choirs Persist Amid Attendance Decline, Gentrification
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AUG 7 – Black church choirs in Brooklyn have declined in size due to gentrification and changing religious habits but remain vital to worship, with attendance dropping 15% since 2019, Pew Research found.
- On July 31, 2025, Berean Baptist Church in Crown Heights continued choir performances amid neighborhood change, reflecting persistent traditions in Brooklyn, New York.
- Research indicates Black Protestants' attendance fell from 61% to 46% between 2019 and 2023, amid gentrification that saw nearly 19,000 Black residents leave Crown Heights.
- Founded in 1847, Concord Baptist Church of Christ's choir shrank from about 50 voices pre-pandemic to 30 today, McMillan said.
- Efforts emerged as St. Teresa of Avila church in Crown Heights, the first U.S. church to hold Mass in Creole, will close by year’s end, with Mike Delouis fighting to preserve its history.
- Research shows Black Protestants attended Zoom services more than other denominations during the pandemic and remain slow to return in person, Jessica Howard, congregant at Concord Baptist Church of Christ, said she hopes to become a choir director.
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33 Articles
Associated Press News+29 Reposted by 29 other sources
Brooklyn’s Black church choirs persist amid attendance decline, gentrification
NEW YORK (RNS) — On Sunday mornings in Brooklyn, nicknamed the borough of churches, the muffled sounds of choir singers, hand‑claps and Hammond organs can be heard from the sidewalks.
·United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources33
Leaning Left13Leaning Right3Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution48% Left
Bias Distribution
- 48% of the sources lean Left
48% Left
L 48%
C 41%
11%
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