Letter Regarding the CrossWalk America Joining Forces with ProgressiveChristianity.org

We have some very exciting news to share with you. From the very beginning of our CrossWalk America days, even before we knew our name to be CrossWalk America, we realized we were part of a much larger movement. As we began to build our non-profit organization and plan our 2,500 mile walk from Phoenix to Washington DC, we looked for partner organizations who shared in the spirit of our beliefs – to joyously embrace the inclusive and compassionate core values of Jesus – love of God, love of neighbor, and love of self.

Meeting and working with The Center for Progressive Christianity (TCPC) was one of the many great joys we experienced. For the walk, they helped with host churches, event planning, creating communications material and promotion. One of their leaders, Rev. Jim Burklo, even spoke at our culminating end celebration in Washington DC. Since then we have worked on other successful endeavors together. We challenged a video game that portrays Christianity in a violent and negative way, pointing out that the theology implied by the game was almost a polar opposite of the path of Jesus. We raised a positive religious voice about care for the earth and participated in events that demonstrated respect for all people.
As we continue to raise a voice for a different kind of Christianity, we felt that we could accomplish more if we combined forces and worked together under one organizational umbrella. So the CrossWalk Board initiated a dialogue with TCPC that has culminated in an agreement to fold CrossWalk America into TCPC. Since TCPC has a thirteen-year history of working on progressive Christianity, and we had a good three-year track record of working with them, they were an obvious choice.
As we combine forces, CrossWalk America supporters will now have the advantage of working with a long established non-profit with easy access to a wealth of other resources including articles, sermons, events and regional conferences to name a few. Our film, Asphalt Gospel, will now have a wider audience base along with the other resources from CrossWalk America including books, and the knowledge gained from conversations with thousands of people across the country.

Thus, effective June 1, 2008, CrossWalk America’s ministry will be under the umbrella of The Center for Progressive Christianity. In addition to Surani Joshua, a CWA Board member who has served on the TCPC Executive Council for 4 years, Rebecca Glenn, Co-Founder and Core Walker, and Brendan Mahoney, Board member, will also join the Executive Council.

We hope you will find that this change opens up new horizons and that you continue to help us bring a positive message and positive change to our world.
It is wonderful that we have found an organization with core values that match The Phoenix Affirmations yet with strengths and resources in areas where CrossWalk America does not. Please take some time to look at the various offerings on the TCPC website and please continue to look for opportunities to share the message of compassion.

We want to express our deep gratitude for all of the support you’ve shown to CrossWalk these past three years, and look forward to joining all of our energies and efforts under one progressive Christian umbrella to venture into the future God calls us to. May you know hope that is boundless, joy that is complete, and love that knows no end.

Peace and Hope,
Rev. Bradley H. Wishon
Board Chair and Core Walker
CrossWalk America