About the Author: Janice Gregory

A charter member of The Center for Progressive Christianity, Janice Gregory is a strong proponent of encouraging those who have not sought formal ordination to speak their spiritual truths and of providing sound tools that help individuals and groups test their spiritual assumptions and grow spiritually.  She has served as the Senior Warden (chief lay officer) for and held several other leadership positions in her church, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, in Washington, D.C.  She is a former voluntary President of the National Academy of Social Insurance, an honorary membership organization composed of the top scholars on our nation's social insurance programs (social security, SSI, medicare, medicaid, unemployment compensation, and workers' compensation).  Until her retirement in 2007, she served for over 20 years as senior legislative strategist for The ERISA Industry Committee, a trade organization representing the pension and health plans of major U.S. corporations before the U.S. Congress, the executive branch, and the federal courts.  Prior to that she served on the professional staff of U.S. Rep. J. J. Pickle of Texas and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.  She holds an MA in organization development from American Univeristy and a BA with special honors in liberal arts from the University of Texas, where she tested her increasingly progressive views against voices as varied as John Silber and Charles Hartshorne.

  • The Belief Confusion

    By Published On: April 23, 2014

    Probably few questions have led to more argument and more pain in modern religious life than the question, “Do you believe?” Today the question usually implies acceding to certain intellectual propositions. The tragedy is that the question is usually misapplied if we look closely at how certain concepts were used in our sacred texts.

  • Practicing Community

    By Published On: March 25, 2014

    Some of the articles in last month’s exploration of sacred community lamented the difficulty in creating a community where one is supported and valued for who one is, where one can be vulnerable and real. Some had encountered such communities, usually when a group faced real issues together over a period of time. Usually the creation of such a community seemed just to happen. It was not planned. It raises the question of what, if anything, spiritual communities and groups can do to break down barriers between individuals and provide a place where participants can create a closer connection.