“Just let go of the word Christianity for god’s sake!”

Dear Readers,

There have been many people over the years who encourage us to drop “Christianity” from our name. Here are my two cents on why I am not ok with that.

Progressive Christianity is a unique and beautiful movement. It is a vital landing space for hundreds of thousands of humans around the world. Though small, it is growing. And there continues to be a very large percentage of people in this world that consider themselves Christian. At some point many of those will question what they are being told in church. Many will find that the theology presented in their church does not match their understanding of science and/or their values. And they will, perhaps, consider leaving their church. But many will not if their isn’t a better alternative. People who have Christianity in their heritage, their culture, and their traditions are often not ready to straight up leave Christianity all together.

While many will be comfortable jumping into the large umbrella of “Spirituality,” many will not. Because “Spirituality” doesn’t have a church, it doesn’t have a community, it doesn’t have specific creeds, vows, rituals, or theology. It is all over the board- it can be anything. For the people that aren’t comfortable with that, progressive Christianity can be a life line.

And the truth is, progressive Christianity is thriving. It is still breathing, speaking, and evolving. I for one, am not ready to pull the plug on this highly ethical, challenging, expansive, spiritual Christian path. Religion can still serve the people to provide direction, comfort, and a connection to the Infinite Mystery.

For that reason, I am pushing for ProgressiveChristianity.org to stay strong and proud. I would not like to see us change our name at this time or become some larger vague spiritual or interfaith umbrella organization. I think we should continue to focus on the evolving theology of Christianity that is informed by history, research, science, and new discoveries because that is what Christianity needs most in order to continue to thrive. I would like to see us continue to offer resources for progressive Christian communities and ways for people to connect with other like minded people. Offering a safe space where people can find and create community is a vital contribution to this world.

We are the leading progressive Christian organization in the world. And I am proud of the work we have done.

Thank you for your support, we can’t do this without you!

Sincerely,

Deshna Ubeda, Director