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Back to Zócalo's Connecting California

Zócalo's Connecting California

Redding and willing

The “Bethel effect” – named after a local church – is transforming the city of Redding in a way that even non-Christians can appreciate.

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KCRW placeholderBy Joe Mathews • Apr 4, 2019 • 5m Listen

Nearly in 1 in 10 residents of the city the northern California city of Redding belong to Bethel Church. That’s pretty impressive. But Zocalo Public Square commentator Joe Mathews says that Bethel’s impact on the city is even greater than its membership would suggest. Mathews says the non-denominational church doesn’t follow the modern rules of civic engagement, which is supposed to be strategic, carefully planned and targeted at a particular issue or problem. Instead, Bethel’s engagement with Redding is big and broad, touching almost every aspect of civic life.

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    Joe Mathews

    Host, "Zocalo's Connecting California"

    NewsCaliforniaLos Angeles
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