I hear from progressive Christians all the time who tell me they cannot find a congregation where they fit in and feel comfortable. As one reader said, “I believe we are created to be in relationship, and my spirit desires a progressive worshipping community, but I haven’t found one yet.”
I’ve received hundreds of similar emails. These people are not imagining a dearth of liberal-minded congregations. The data clearly show that progressive (and even moderate) American churches are scarce — and becoming more so every year.
For example, in his excellent new book The Vanishing Church, Ryan Burge says: “American religion has become an ‘all or none’ proposition — conservative evangelical or none at all. This leaves tens of millions of theological and political moderates with no place to find community and spiritual edification or to work collectively to solve societal problems.”
Based on extensive data, Burge says religion in America “is increasingly coded as right-wing.”
In short, Burge claims there is a growing (and accurate) perception “that there’s only one way to be a white Christian in the United States: the conservative way.”
It hasn’t always been like this. Most American churches used to be theologically and politically diverse, including evangelicals.
“Most American churches used to be theologically and politically diverse, including evangelicals.”
For example, when I first landed in a Southern Baptist church as a teenager in 1972, 59% of white evangelicals identified as Democrats, 32% as Republicans, ad 9% as independents. Back then, even in the Southern Baptist Convention, theological and political progressives were accepted — or at least tolerated.
That’s obviously no longer the case. Given the rightward shift in American religion over the past few decades (in almost every denomination), today’s progressive believers have a hard time finding like-minded congregations in any tradition — evangelical, Catholic or Mainline.
Four religious buckets
In broad strokes, most American religion can be broken down into one of the following four buckets:
- Evangelicals
- American Catholics
- Mainline Protestants
- The “nones”
A brief review of each of the four buckets follows. Given their small percentage of the U.S. population, I am not including non-Christian religions in this overview.
Evangelicals. More than ever before, the white evangelical church in America is both theologically and politically conservative. As Burge notes, “A movement that used to be fairly diverse politically and theologically has become what it is often caricatured as in the mainstream media — a whole lot of theologically conservative Republicans.”
“If you are a progressive Christian, the evangelical church is not a viable option for you.”
However, shifting far-right has not hurt evangelicals, at least numerically. The overall share of adults who are evangelicals today is the same as it was back in 1972. But unlike 1972, today’s evangelicals are, according to Burge, “almost completely unified behind the Republican Party.”
In short, if you are a progressive Christian (theologically and/or politically), the evangelical church is not a viable option for you.
American Catholics. In The Vanishing Church, Burge says: “The future of white Catholicism is increasingly conservative, with priests and parishioners alike moving further to the right.”
For example, only 2% of newly ordained Catholic priests self-identify as progressive, while 84% self-identify as conservative. As Burge notes, “The priesthood is now largely a monolith in both theology and political ideology.”
The days of theological and political diversity in the American Catholic Church are rapidly coming to an end. Instead, in the words of Burge, “Catholicism is going the way of evangelicalism — to the right.”
“Catholicism is going the way of evangelicalism — to the right.”
For many progressives, the Catholic Church is becoming less and less viable as a spiritual home.
Mainline Protestants. Two important points need to be made about the Mainline church.
First, most American Mainline congregations are theologically and politically moderate rather than liberal. As Ryan Burge notes, “The median member of a United Methodist Church is a moderate Republican.”
Highly progressive Mainline churches do exist. But they are a tiny minority. The vast majority of Mainline congregations are center or center-right.
Second, the Mainline church is rapidly disappearing. For example, in the late 1950s, 50% of all Americans were associated with Mainline churches. Today, only 8% of Americans belong to Mainline congregations. Given the average age of Mainline members (dramatically higher than the general population), their massive decline will only accelerate.
According to Burge’s research, the Mainline church in America is “quickly headed for extinction.”
Given the above realities, progressive people looking for a church home in the Mainline tradition face major hurdles.
The “nones.” Americans with no religious affiliation used to be a footnote in American religious statistics. For many years, they represented less than 5% of the population. Today, at about 30% of the population, the “nones” are the largest “religious” group in America.
Contrary to popular opinion, the majority of nones are not atheists or agnostics. Most believe in God and many consider themselves spiritual.
“Contrary to popular opinion, the majority of nones are not atheists or agnostics.”
However, they are not interested in institutional religion. Instead, many of them self-identify as “spiritual but not religious.” A large majority of nones hold liberal social and political views. Which is a major reason they left organized religion in the first place. As Burge notes, “The nones have continued to grow because Democrats and political liberals feel cast off by the increasing conservatism of American religion.”
In summary, the vast majority of evangelicals are far-right in their theology and politics. Catholics are rapidly shifting far-right. Mainliners, more middle of the road than liberal, are disappearing from the American scene. And nones, while progressive, don’t go to church.
Unfortunately, when it comes to religion, Americans increasingly face a binary choice. We can be conservative and religious. Or we can be progressive and nonreligious. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground.
So what’s a progressive Christian — who still wants to belong to a faith community — supposed to do?
How Mainline churches can help progressive believers
I don’t have easy solutions for this dilemma. None exist. But I do have a few suggestions for Mainline churches that would like to meet the needs of progressive believers. Four of them, in no particular order, follow.
Start new progressive churches. Evangelical churches and denominations start new congregations all the time. Some of them don’t survive. But plenty of them do. And new church starts usually reach far more people than existing congregations.
Many communities have conservative evangelical, conservative Catholic and moderate Mainline options. But only a few of them have an overtly progressive option. I realize progressive believers are a minority niche. But they exist in almost every community. If a new, viable, progressive option was created in their town, a good number of these liberal-minded spiritual people would be interested.
New church starts don’t have to be typical congregations with dedicated buildings, expensive staffs and numerous programs. They could be as simple as a modest house church with (well-trained) volunteer lay leaders.
I recently read about a new left-leaning congregation that meets in a pub. New progressive communities of faith can be started by denominational entities and/or mission-minded congregations. If the Mainline church is going to avoid extinction, new progressive communities of faith must be created.
Foster an environment that welcomes progressives. Even centrist Mainline churches can create strategies to help progressives feel welcome.
“Let people know your congregation is a safe place to ask challenging questions about God and faith.”
For example, let people know your congregation is a safe place to ask challenging questions about God and faith. Remind your members doubt is a normal part of authentic faith. Be kind to folks who no longer hold traditional beliefs. Let LBGTQ people know they are valued members of the family. Respect Scripture but also remind people of its humanity. Acknowledge while Christian believers have different opinions about the details, the gospel has social implications.
Even your liturgy can help progressives feel more welcome. For example, when you baptize people, focus less on the washing away of sins and more on welcoming a new member into the family. When you celebrate Communion, focus less on the shed blood of Jesus and more on the people of God celebrating at the Table of God. Consider (at least occasionally) using modern affirmations of faith that are less overtly doctrinal than the historic creeds. And as much as possible, use inclusive language.
The possibilities are endless. You don’t have to hang rainbow flags on your property or preach left-wing partisan politics to reach and keep progressives. But you do need to create an overall atmosphere that respects their values and beliefs.
Consider claiming an intentional progressive identity. As already noted, most Mainline churches are middle-of-the-road entities. And we need those kinds of congregations. But at least some of them should consider claiming a more intentional progressive identity. I know this is possible because I’ve done it before.
Years ago, I went to an old, rapidly declining moderate Mainline church in an overwhelmingly evangelical and Republican town. After a lot of thought, prayer and dialogue, we decided to boldly offer our community a progressive alternative of “Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors.”
Of course, in Middle Tennessee, “progressive” means something different than it does in San Francisco, Portland or Seattle. But in our ultraconservative evangelical community, we offered a clearly distinctive alternative. People weary of Religious Right fundamentalism flocked to our doors.
Over the next 10 years, the church experienced significant revitalization and dramatic growth. I’m not saying that will be your experience. But even if it’s not, embracing an intentional progressive identity will help meet the spiritual needs of a group of people who are being ignored by the vast majority of American churches.
Create progressive pockets. Most moderate Mainline churches, for many reasons, will not and should not shift leftward. As Burge argues in his new book, there’s great value in having diverse (theologically, politically, economically and educationally) congregations. But even center and center-right congregations can create venues that will meet the needs of its more progressive members.
For example, I recently taught a series of Sunday school lessons at a middle-of-the-road Mainline congregation. Although the class has a formal name, it’s affectionally known as “the liberal class.” It provides friendship and community for left-leaning members of that centrist congregation.
“Even though they are a minority in their church, they feel valued, respected and connected.”
Even though they are a minority in their church, they feel valued, respected and connected. Having their own special place to be true to themselves allows them to participate in a church that is more conservative than they are.
The same thing can be done with social justice ministries. For example, one or more groups can be created for liberal-minded members dedicated to progressive social justice issues like environmental stewardship, affordable housing or LGBTQ rights.
Most progressive Christians don’t need everyone in their congregation to think like them. But they need at least one progressive pocket that allows them to live out their deeply felt beliefs and values.
It’s personal
This article represents more than my professional interest in the American church. The topic of progressive Christianity feels deeply personal to me. Some of you know that as a young man I left the evangelical church and connected with a more progressive denomination. You also may know I’m now more nontraditional in my faith than I am orthodox. But I still have a strong affinity for progressive Christianity and continue to affirm most of its core characteristics.
However, since retirement, I’ve been unable to find a suitable congregational match. I still experience significant Christian community, including numerous friendships with people of faith and a retired progressive clergy group that functions in many ways like a house church. But sometimes I miss connecting with a formal congregation.
I’m sure part of that feeling is nostalgia. I spent 50 years as an active church member and have many good memories (and some bad) from that association. Part of it is a desire to be more connected to my community. As a pastor of large membership churches, I always was deeply immersed in my community.
Retirement obviously diminished those work-related connections. And part of it is a heartfelt longing to belong to an open-minded progressive community of faith. However, given my location in a deeply conservative, evangelical, Republican red town, I’m not sure that will ever happen again. But recently, I’ve been putting my toe back into the pond.
I’m currently checking out a modestly progressive congregation in my community. It’s not a perfect match. However, that says more about me than the church. Although I’m still a person of (nontraditional) faith, I’ve ventured far beyond historic orthodoxy. So finding an ideal congregational match, especially in the South, is virtually impossible.
But I’m hopeful the match will be “good enough” to feel reasonably comfortable. And a “good enough” church is the best any congregation can ever be. Perfect ones don’t exist.
Martin Thielen
Martin Thielen, a retired minister (Southern Baptist Convention and United Methodist Church), former megachurch pastor and bestselling author, is the founder and author of www.DoubtersParish.com.