Join the Ranks

The dominant voice of Christianity in America is evangelicalism. And that voice generally claims that there can be no other faithful voice. In fact, cries of “heresy!” are common when the supremacy of their religious beliefs is challenged. Fear of eternal damnation in hell will often keep people in the fold. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have questions…

And many Christians do indeed question, even if it is quietly. Is the Bible really right literally all the time? Are all followers of all other religions (and Christian denominations unlike theirs) really all going to hell? Is there really a hell in the first place? The moment people start questioning the dogma, that’s when they start to grow beyond it.

As a result, when Christians “outgrow” their evangelical congregations because they no longer find its truth claims to be reasonable, they face a choice: either pretend to believe something they don’t and stay, or reveal they no longer resonate with what their church teaches and leave. These Christians (regardless of whether they stay or leave) are Christians living on the edge of faith. 

Christians on the edge of faith are in a unique position for spiritual growth as Christians. But it’s hard for them to find support and resources anywhere. ECF-Net exists to fill that gap. It is designed to meet people where they are in their spiritual life and to help them move into a deeper sense of connection with God. 

Yes, I am. I am an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). If you want to know more about me, here’s a link to my About Me page. 

Yes, it is. If you are a progressive Christian, this space has been built to empower you to grow spiritually. If you are not familiar with the progressive Christian perspective, the voice here may sound very different than what you are used to.

No. This is an individual endeavor. This is a spiritual growth coaching project. Spiritual growth coaching is an unregulated field and it doesn’t require any organization to approve or support it.

That depends on who you talk with. Those coming from a more narrow, conservative, theological perspective would probably say “yes”. I (and others like me) say clearly “no, it is not heresy”. 

The historical truth is that Christianity has always been interpreted by its culture to produce the form it takes. Through time and space, those interpretations have varied. 

Progressive Christianity is a big-tent approach to being Christian.  The progressive perspective is generally less concerned with what you believe for belief-sake, and more concerned with how you are continually becoming more than you already are. 

The traditional and evangelical approaches to being Christian have their own beauty and appeal, and they can help people grow who are on those paths. Indeed, many people have been transformed by divine love through those traditions.

That being said, I believe that they are missing the point of Christianity in many cases. I believe that their attempts to stifle critical reflection on faith have done damage to our religion, especially in this day and age. They have created a glass ceiling for spiritual growth, which almost requires many critically-thinking people to abandon their Christian communities if they want to grow as spiritual beings.