Naomi Schaefer Riley profiles a New Orleans pastor who believes people should live within walking distance of their churches. Excerpt:

The approach marks a distinct change from the megachurch model that has dominated evangelicalism for the past couple of decades. Instead of encouraging parishioners to drive many miles to find the church with the most exciting music or preaching or the best coffee shop or child care—attractions that help build megachurches—Rev. Cannata wants people to put down religious roots where they live. Redeemer’s current membership of about 200 consists predominantly of worshipers in their 20s or 30s, a demographic that these days is notoriously difficult to get inside church doors. The members include tech entrepreneurs, charter-school teachers and nonprofit managers—not much in common, except that they almost uniformly say that they appreciate the idea of having a neighborhood religious institution.

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The notion of a neighborhood church isn’t exactly new to a city, like New Orleans, that once had thriving Catholic parishes knitting together entire communities. The church no longer presses people to keep to their own geographical parishes, but some evangelicals seem to have picked up where Catholics left off. When worshipers come from across town to attend Redeemer, Rev. Cannata doesn’t turn them away, but he does make a point of asking if they have looked for a church closer to home.