Carl Livingston sees the troubles facing African American churches in Seattle as a test.

Livingston told KUOW’s Kim Malcolm that as the city has grown more expensive, congregations are surviving in part by cutting costs and seeking innovative ways to find income.

“They’re also having to open up to diversity,” he said. “It’s a test to see if we really believe in the diversity that we’ve advocated on behalf of the larger community.”

Livingston teaches political science at Seattle Central College. He also has preached at churches in Seattle’s Central Area and is pastor at Kingdom Christian Center in Federal Way.

That’s one of the cities where African-Americans who used to live in Seattle have moved, forced out by rising housing costs.