Had a chance to listen to Ambrose University College sociology prof Dr Joel Thiessen present a paper ("Christianity in Multicultural Canada") to the Evangelical Missiological Society annual meeting in Edmonton, Feb 24, 2012.
He gave me a name for a phenomenon that we notice quite often with immigrant, "ethnic" churches -- "institutional completeness." Here is Thiessen's explanation:
Christian immigrants develop what sociologists call “institutional completeness” whereby most, if not all of their psychological, social, and spiritual needs are fulfilled through their local congregation and/or ethnic group (Bramadat and Seljak 2008; Breton 1964: 194; Ebaugh and Chafetz 2000). For instance, their social networks are concentrated with those they know in their church and practical needs such as language skills, finding a job, or prayer are met through fellow congregants. In other words, their religious community is their cultural and social community.[1] In contrast to many other Canadian Christians, immigrants, especially visible minorities, rely on institutional completeness to provide them with stability in life via a strong Christian ethnic subculture in the face of significant personal transition and upheaval and possible prejudice and discrimination upon immigrating to Canada.
[1] This is also true of Christians in general, particularly conservative Christians who seek to remain “pure” apart from the “corrupt” and secular world around. However, this is uniquely true for most Christian immigrants in Canada today.