The Intersectionality of Religion and Social Welfare: Historical Development of Richmond’s Nonprofit Health and Human Services

Abstract

Studying the intersectionality of religion and social welfare in Richmond, Virginia requires going back to the beginning of the Virginia colony. In the crucible of the colony, the religious and social welfare functions of a parish community were one and the same. However, after the Revolutionary War it was just a matter of time before the entire system was disassembled. The process of disentanglement of church and state created an identity crisis in Virginia. In the late 1700s, the emergence of charitable efforts began with leading men of Richmond who tried to address the temporary needs of travelers, followed by groups of women who discovered new roles they could play through charitable works. The new "system" became a potpourri of societies, congregations, associations, and county units attempting to provide for the social welfare of the populous. The intersectionality of religion and social welfare continued as a diverse landscape of small and large organizations and congregations performing the social welfare functions in Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth emerged. Today, to attempt to separate the church from the state in this conglomerate of agencies is neither possible nor desirable. However, understanding its' historical complexity is essential if one is to engage in contemporary practice within Richmond's health and human service system.

Maintaining the Connection: Strategic Approaches to Keeping the Link between Initiating Congregations and Their Social Service Off-Spring

“…Here I was able to decipher the patterns by which that linkage could be undermined. This analysis therefore was consistent with the concerns noted by Harris and Cnaan, as well as in many a history of the provision of social services initiated from congregational settings, for example as touched on in the article in this volume by Netting and O'Connor [16]. As such this research suggests that the factor at risk of submergence is losing the emotional "Ownership" by a congregation of their social service activities.…”

Alternative Agencies and Feminist Organizations: Building on the Legacy of Felice DavidsonPerlmutter

“…Table 1 provides a comparative overview of characteristics identified in the works of Powell, Perlmutter, and Martin. It would be impossible in a paper of this length to fully explore all the different types of alternative agencies. One could argue that many faith-based agencies founded by wellmeaning people who addressed unmet needs are alternatives (see for example Netting & O'Connor, 2016) and that religious congregations often serve as incubators for alternative services (Kinney & Carver, 2007). Similarly, those agencies developed to advocate for specific population groups such as immigrant youth are alternative (see for example Ferrera, 2017), andJenkin's (1980) classic article on ethnic agencies focused on alternatives.…”