Our History

In 1994, ProgressiveChristianity.org began as The Center for Progressive Christianity; in 2010, we changed our name to ProgressiveChristianity.org to better reflect our web-based, global presence.

We were founded by Jim Adams, the rector of St. Mark’s Church on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. At that time, there was no known organization, scholar, or church leader publicly using the term, “progressive Christianity.” Our purpose was to serve those individuals and churches who call themselves Christian but who do not accept conventional beliefs and doctrines. Jim’s vision was to create a non-profit organization that encouraged churches to focus their attention on those for whom organized religion had proven to be “ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive.” He was convinced that if churches would become bolder about professing their progressive tenets, they could thrive.

Adams and a small group of peers agreed they needed to provide a way to help “open and progressive” churches identify as “progressive.” This was the genesis of the “Eight Points” defining progressive Christianity. By listening to our readers and the ongoing discussions in churches, seminaries, and universities, the “Eight Points” has gone through many revisions over the years – the latest version in 2022 updated the name to The Core Values” defining progressive Christianity.

By the year 2002, only eight years after its creation, the term “progressive Christianity” had become a common term that was being used by scholars, the media, and other Christian organizations, not only in this country but in the Western world as a whole.  We have helped form an international network of autonomous progressive Christianity networks that includes South Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Ireland, and Canada. In 2019, ProgressiveChristianity.org Trademarked the term Progressive Christianity.

From its inception, the focus of ProgressiveChristianity.org has been primarily on rethinking and re-conceptualizing the theological and Christological foundations of the Christian faith. The leadership of the organization has remained convinced that our supporters and readers are expressing a deep desire to find resources and constructive ways to understand and teach what the newest science, biblical, sociological, and historical scholarship has to say about the Christian religion and ways to integrate that information into one’s faith and to create healthy, dynamic Christian communities.

We continue to provide resources for progressive churches and individuals and are committed to expanding those resources each year.

  • We publish a companion Study Guide for the Core Values defining progressive Christianity.
  • We maintain a website directory of progressive churches that individuals can use to find a church that might suit them.
  • We publish “The Weekly Recap,” a newsletter that provides up-to-date information on issues affecting progressive churches and individuals, showcasing progressive articles, books, videos, liturgies, sermons, and events.
  • We publish Progressing Spirit Newsletter, a forum that challenges some of the world’s top progressive writers to offer their best insights about what’s happening on the leading edge. Progressing Spirit is also the archive of Bishop John Shelby Spong’s weekly essays going back to 1991.
  • We have an extensive “liturgy project” on our website — providing timely materials for worship services.
  • We have completed the third year of our highly praised A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum.
  • We have expanded our internet presence by engaging on Social Media like Facebook, Twitter, etc.
  • We offer Round Table Discussions on “Things That Matter,” short video responses by members of our Board of Directors called “Ask a Progressive Christian”, and a weekly Podcast called “Moonshine Jesus Show.”

We continue to grow as an organization and expand our offerings while we aspire to be the global portal for progressive Christianity, providing resources and support for encouraging the education, growth, and creation of progressive Christian communities all over the world.

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FOCUS OF PROGRESSIVECHRISTIANITY.ORG

In 1994, Jim Adams set up an organization called The Center for Progressive Christianity.  Its purpose was to serve those individuals and churches who call themselves Christian but who do not (perhaps cannot) accept conventional beliefs and doctrines.  Bishop John Shelby Spong was a strong supporter of Jim’s actions.  In 1996, Jim retired from his job as Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Washington DC and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he headed the new organization until Rev. Fred Plumer succeeded him in 2005.

DEFINING WHO WE ARE:

In 1994 the term “progressive Christianity” was not in general use.  In fact, in 1994, I did a “literature search” on that term and came up with only one document — a paper entitled “The Christian Reason for Being Progressive” by John B. Cobb, Jr. in a publication called “Theology Today”.  The term “liberal Christianity” was in use but carried political overtones.  Many of us struggled to define our unconventional beliefs in a positive light.  We said we were not like the evangelicals, but beyond that, we had little to offer.

Thus, the first task was to find a way to enable those of us who are not conventional or doctrinal believers to state who we are as Christians in a positive way.  The medium chosen was “The Eight Points.”  Adams convened meetings of about a dozen Christian scholars who sat around a table at the Episcopal Seminary in Cambridge, MA and hammered out the original Eight Points.

From the beginning, it was clear the “Points” could — and would — be reviewed and modified from time to time to reflect ongoing scholarship and evolving understanding of folks who continue to find doctrinal views ineffective.

FINDING AND SERVING OUR FOLK:

We established a presence on the internet and, in time, made that our primary medium.

In June 1996, the Center held its first national conference at Trinity Cathedral in Columbia, South Carolina.  The focus of the conference was “Out of the Whirlwind: Claiming a Vision of Progressive Christianity.” I remember being astounded at how many folks in the heart of the Bible Belt thought like me.

The second conference (in 1997) was at St. Stephen’s Church in Houston, Texas, and focused on “Building Community with Our Differences.”  It focused on building welcoming and accepting local communities.  In 1998, the theme was “Honoring Those Who Search”, which focused on the individual’s journey.  And in 1999 we focused on the intersection of faith and the arts —“Risking Art, Risking Faith”.  The year 2000 brought Marcus Borg, Joan Chittister, and Robert Keck to address theological language for the progressive church.  2001 focused on religious pluralism, 2002 on urban issues, and 2003 on people under 35.

We held additional annual conferences until their expense exceeded our funds.

Jim, and later Fred, networked extensively with progressive individuals and groups.  For example, Jim conducted eleven workshops in 1996-97.

We began producing resources for progressive churches and individuals and have continued to expand those resources each year.

  • In 1998, we published a twelve-week introductory course for adults called “Setting Our Hearts: Progressive Faith for a New Era.” This was followed by a “Study Guide for the Eight Points” by Fred Plumer.
  • On our website, we maintain a directory of progressive churches that individuals can use to find a church that might suit them.
  • Since 2007, we have published online a weekly bulletin that provides up-to-date information on issues affecting progressive churches and individuals.
  • For several years we maintained and published Bishop Jack Spong’s popular weekly essay — continued now as a forum for other progressive writers.
  • We launched an extensive “liturgy project” on our website — providing timely materials for worship services.
  • We are now completing the third year of a highly praised three-year children’s curriculum for Sunday schools.
  • We have expanded our internet presence with Facebook, Twitter, etc.

ADVISORS:

From the beginning, we have been blessed with Honorary Advisors and others who have lent us their skills and encouragement.  First is Bishop Jack Spong.  Others have included —

Karen Armstrong

Tony Barnard

Marcus Borg

Jim Burklo

John Cobb

Hugh Dawes

Richard Giles

Jane Gould

Jorge Gutierrez

James Hamilton

Gail Harris

Helen Havens

Susan Blackburn Heath

Robert Keck

Barbara Lundblad

Monica Mills

Joan Martin

Thomas Naylor

William Rankin

Schuyler Rhodes

Janice Robinson

William Sachs

Cynthia Shattuck

Fredrica Thompsett

Robert Tobin

Richard Wheatcroft

Charles Willie

Ellen Wondra

Julie Wortman

 

looking up at trees and sky