Sentence:  More than creatures of metropolitan forces , the <WSD>churches</WSD> have taken the lead in counteracting the interdependence of metropolitan life , crystallizing and perpetuating the stratification of peoples , giving form to the struggle for social homogeneity in a world of heterogeneous peoples . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship