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"I'm not aware of any other city where the parachurch ministries are working so closely on so many different things and where the relational bridges between parachurch ministries and area churches and businesses are as strong as they are here," says Kathy Dudley, founder of the Dallas Leadership Foundation (DLF), which links local churches with parachurch groups.

Several Dallas ministries, including CDM, connect through the channels of organizations like DLF and the Foundation for Community Empowerment. And collaboration, many say, is the key to their vibrancy. For example, the African American Pastors Coalition, an alliance of 70 ministers representing various congregations, teamed up to build Unity Estates—a subdivision of 300 mixed-income homes priced between $75,000 and $125,000—to provide affordable housing for Dallas families.

When asked what he thinks of all this parachurch activity, James says it's commendable. But he also admits to feeling "frustrated and overwhelmed."

"We're doing a lot of good work in Dallas, but parachurch organizations cannot lift this load by themselves," he says.

By "this load," he means the social ailments of the poor. For example, the city's public schools are in disarray, and the public health-care system does not cover many of the people who need it. "Dallas is probably one of the most churched cities in the world," James says. "The people who set public policy and the people who vote are members of churches."

But there is little word from the city's many church members to inform the public policy decisions that could transform this community, he says. He wishes that more Christians in Dallas would begin to allow their "privatized version of the gospel" to engage with the larger community.

Until that happens, ministries like CDM will have to depend on the help of individuals (whose $25, $50, and $100 donations constitute most of CDM's budget) and businesses to continue advancing "fairness, equity, social justice, evangelism, the gospel, the kingdom of God."

Agnieszka Tennant is an associate editor of CT.

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Also appearing on our site today:

Sunday ColorsDallas churches continue to challenge the racial divide.

Other stories in our May issue's Dallas cover package include:

The New Capital of EvangelicalismMove over, Wheaton and Colorado Springs—Dallas, Texas, has more megachurches, megaseminaries and mega-Christian activity than any other American city. (May 10, 2002)

Big City, Big MinistryHow did a top-25 list of ministries become a cover story on Dallas? (May 10, 2002)

Southwestern's PredicamentCan the biggest protestant seminary in the world be both Southern Baptist and broadly evangelical? (May 14, 2002)

Parachurch Ministries referenced in the article include:

• Central Dallas Ministries
  
  
• Voice of Hope Ministries
  
  
• Union Gospel Mission
  
  
• Mission Metroplex

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May 21 2002, Vol. 46, No. 6