We examined the responsiveness of churches and synagogues to the aging of their
members. Employing a sample of 212 churches and synagogues, we described the
availability of church-based aging programs, factors related to their development,
linkages between churches and community agencies, and the clergy's perception of
unmet needs among older persons. Overall, churches that offered more church-based aging programs were those that envisioned their role as encompassing the
social needs of members. The percentage of older persons in the congregation was
unrelated to the number of programs for the aging. We discuss the implications for
education and program planning.
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