Church-based programs for caregivers of black elders have emerged from both demographic and cultural factors. To investigate the effectiveness of a training program for caregivers of noninstitutionalized elders, 95 Washington, D.C. adults (99% black, 87% female), who were providing caregiving assistance to an older adult, completed a 12-hour training program. The program was adapted from "As Parents Grow Older: A Manual for Program Replication" (Silverman, et. al., 1981). Subjects also participated in mutual help group meetings. Participants were drawn from eight church sites, with three neighboring churches participating at one site. Two comparison sites received training after the post-test interviews. All subjects and 49 care recipients completed pre- and post-test interviews assessing caregiver behaviors and attitudes. An analysis of the results showed that, in general, persons who completed the training program did not increase the scope of their caregiving activities or improve their attitudes over time. However, given the pretraining nature of the population (low stress, positive attitudes) this finding was expected. The mutual help groups appeared to be the most successful part of the project. Enthusiasm, commitment, and the ability of the church leaders to organize and motivate church members were important factors in predicting the success of the groups. The three-church cluster was most successful in initiating multiple projects. Future research should focus on the characteristics and organizational frameworks of mutual help groups, and linkages between informal caregivers and formal service providers. (BL)