This study is a work in practical theology that seeks to answer two questions: 1) In what ways and to what extent do historically black collegiate gospel choirs function as communities of black Christian faith development and public expression on predominantly white university campuses in the greater Boston area? 2) Do the communal practices of these gospel choirs, and the ways that the participants make sense of those practices, provide theoretical and practical resources for constructing of a practical theology of evangelism for black churches within postmodern U.S. culture?

My preliminary thesis is that black churches’ faithfulness to the mission of God in and for the world necessitates that black churches give birth to communities of faith that will embody the distinctively black witness to the Christian gospel in ways that are indigenous to the uniquely black experience of emerging postmodern social contexts. I will argue that collegiate gospel choirs offer fruitful insights into the ways that black Christian faith can be embodied within North American postmodern culture.

The study has two parts. First, I will investigate how these choirs, which were birthed out of the black Christian worship tradition, have adapted to and continue to thrive within non-church contexts that are comprised of religiously and racial-ethnically diverse student populations.

Second, I will make normative judgments as to whether my research suggests alternative possibilities for embodying black Christian faith that black churches may find useful as they attempt to adapt to changing times while remaining faithful to their identity and mission. Finally, the study will build upon those normative judgments to offer a constructive practical theology of evangelism that includes concrete strategic proposals for inviting and incorporating persons into Christian community that effectively adapt the best of the black Christian church tradition to the 21st century U.S. context.