This study looks at persistence and change in the Protestant establishment in light of recent social developments that may indicate a shift in traditional patterns of religious group affiliation. Changes in the overall religious landscape may signal a decline in the influence of mainline Protestantism. Social and economic advances made by members of diverse ethnic, racial, and religious groups have led some analysts to conclude that WASPs no longer constitute the dominant religio-ethnic grouping among those occupying positions of influence. These issues will be analyzed in terms of a modified fair shares theory of the Protestant establishment. A longitudinal analysis of the religious affiliation of American elites combined with a study of persistence and change in the religious culture of a traditionally Protestant dominated community will address issues related to the maintenance of traditional religious hegemonies.