DeForest Soaries : Churches helped blacks ' political , cultural , spiritual progress . Belief in God , regular prayer , worship attendance and belief in life after death are some of the core beliefs of a large majority of African-Americans . They found , in the Bible , a means to cope with dire conditions , he writes . More than place of a worship , Soaries wrote . They fulfilled themselves there . He says black churches instrumental in helping people grow and change .
DeForest Soaries : Churches helped blacks ' political , cultural , spiritual progress . They found , in the Bible , a means to cope with dire conditions , he writes . More than place of a worship , Soaries wrote . They fulfilled themselves there . He says black churches instrumental in helping people grow and change .