Dilemmas of language in immigrant congregations: The tie that binds or thetower of babel?

Language usage poses a series of dilemmas for immigrant religious congregat ions. In both ethnic and multi-ethnic congregations, the use of native lang uages in services and activities provides ethnic solidarity and multi-cultu ral sensitivity while, simultaneously, creating tensions among language gro ups and between generations of immigrants. The data in this paper come from ethnographic case studies of thirteen immigrant congregations in Houston, Texas, and eight focus groups with religious leaders, two aspects of the br oader RENIR (Religion, Ethnicity, New Immigrant Research)project. In additi on to outlining four dilemmas that accompany language usage, we discuss som e of the reasons for and consequences of specific choices made in these con gregations.