The Charlotte Observer’s take on a white pastor who leads a racially diverse megachurch in North Carolina included a quote from Interim Academic Dean Scott Thumma, an expert on megachurches.

The article, “‘The only white kid in the black Gospel Choir’ presides over more diverse Elevation,” profiles Steven Furtick, 37, who has worked to increase racial and cultural diversity in his nine-campus church. About 40 percent of the church’s members are minorities.

According to Thumma: “Megachurches are able to present themselves as contemporary, with a connection to modern pop culture. And that allows for an attraction across races.”

Research by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research was also cited in this article about tax benefits for clergy with housing allowances.