The ecumenical outreach coalition: A case study of converging interests and network formation for church and community cooperation

This study examines the formation of a particular ecumenical coalition of churches that emerged in response to decaying neighborhood conditions. An "Open Systems Role-Set Theory" is applied to a qualitative case study of interchurch cooperation. This model examines the process through which this new organization resulted in changes in leaders' social networks, which led to changes in strategies for community outreach. Although this study focused specifically on an ecumenical alliance of religious congregations, leadership networks and coalitions generate cooperation and/or competition between agencies throughout the independent sector. One basic theme that emerges from this study suggests that the makeup of, and political dynamics within, leaders' role sets drive the process through which organizational decisions are made and resources are allocated.