James K. Wellman, chair of the UW's Comparative Religion Program, did extensive research on regional churches for his new book Evangelical vs. Liberal: The Clash of Christian Cultures in the Pacific Northwest. One of his most interesting discoveries, he writes, is that while many liberal or "mainline" churches face declining attendance, the evangelical churches are thriving.

Also see:

• The Seattle Times: "'Evangelical vs. Liberal': The fight for the soul of the Pacific Northwest"
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "Articles of Faith: Our liberal churches need to get on the move"