Links and Resources

The following references to web sites, renewal groups and other resources are for informational and research purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the full content of the resource.

Bishop Sprague Complaint and Dismissal

Links directly related to Bishop Sprague’s writings, the complaint, dismissal and responses:

• "The Message of Jesus Enrages the People", Rev. Scott Shreve, Feb. 1, 2004, St. Luke United Methodist Church

  Last week Bishop Sprague provided a message that brought forth a variety of responses from the congregation. Some were deeply appreciative of what he said and how he said it, while others were shocked, appalled and offended by his message. There are copies of his sermon at the literature racks by the entrances if you were not present and would like to read the sermon that ignited such a wide range of reactions. Bishop Sprague addressed the major issues that our denominational representatives will be working through at the General Conference this Spring. The three issues he identified were as follows.
  
  First, the potential cutbacks on funding for the work that our Church is doing with children and the poor throughout the world as the denomination is experiencing some financial challenges. He advocates that we need to find cuts in the budget elsewhere. That did not bring forth a reaction in one way or another.
  
  The second issue he raised was the level of inclusiveness that the United Methodist Church chooses to maintain. Within this context he specifically addressed how gays and lesbians are included or excluded from the life of the church. Our denomination's current stance on homosexuality reads as follows:
  Homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth. All persons need the ministry and guidance of the church in their struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self. Although we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider the practice incompatible with Christian teaching, we affirm that God's grace is available to all. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn their lesbian and gays members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.
  
  The phrase in that passage that gets great attention at each General Conference every four years is, "Although we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider the practice incompatible with Christian teaching..." The question is, should that phrase be reaffirmed or changed?
  
  Bishop Sprague is a strong proponent for full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the life of the church. He framed this within the context of biblical understanding as well as a historical reference to groups of people that have been excluded from the church in the past. If you were not present, you now know one of the issues that brought about a variety of reactions. 
  
  Lastly, the third issue he lifted up was the need, from his perspective, for the United Methodist Church to clarify its stance on war. Is our denominational stance pacifist, just war, just peace, or crusade war? To illustrate his point he made specific reference to the U.S. action in Iraq and he went on and clearly stated that the manner of the U.S. attack and present occupation of Iraq was and is wrong. Once again, if you were not present, you now know another of the issues that resulted in a variety of reactions.  Read More and also Pastoral Ponderings

   
• Agape Press:  Top Stories of 2003:  Methodist Committee Tosses Out Charges Against Chicago Bishop, December 22, 2003 (originally published February 19, 2003)   (AgapePress) - A committee of United Methodist Church (UMC) bishops has dismissed charges against a fellow bishop who denies the basic biblical teachings about Jesus Christ.

  Many United Methodist members have expressed outrage over statements made by Bishop Joseph Sprague of Chicago. They say he has denied the virgin birth, the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, and that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation.  Read More

• Bishop Joseph C. Sprague’s Sermon at Northern Illinois Conference Special Session, Saturday, November 23, 2002

• The Bishop Who Denied the Virgin Birth - Chicago Sun Times, November 20, 2003

Bishop Sprague's Speech & Chapter 4: "Fully Human Jesus", from Affirmations of a Dissenter

• http://www.ird-renew.org/About/About.cfm?ID=392&c=5
• http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/chapter4.htm

• Teachable Books Study Guide: Affirmations of a Dissenter

Affirmations of a Dissenter by C. Joseph Sprague
Discussion Guide and Recommended Reading

Affirmations of a Dissenter (Abingdon Press, 2002) offers a composite of affirmation and dissent on the work and mission of the church today and challenges readers to maintain their faith and hope while working within the church for congregational renewal. As bishop of the Chicago area, Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church, C. Joseph Sprague shares his insights and suggestions on such issues as racism, church leadership, world peace, homosexuality, and biblical authority. He calls Christians to become one with Christ and each other by living their faith and making a difference in the world. You may not always agree with him as you read this book, but Bishop Sprague succeeds in making you think about what you believe and why you believe it. Read More
 

Other Bishop's Responses

• http://www.ird-renew.org/About/About.cfm?ID=470&c=36
• http://www.nccumc.org/welcome/EdwardsResponse.htm
• http://www.ird-renew.org/About/About.cfm?ID=489&c=36
• http://www.goodnewsmag.org/news/ResponsetoBishopSprague.pdf
• http://www.ird-renew.org/About/About.cfm?ID=505&c=36
• http://www.ird-renew.org/About/About.cfm?ID=455&c=36
• http://www.umcsc.org/bishop/nov2002.htm
• http://www.confessingumc.org/bishop_watson_responds.htm

Other Pastor's Responses

Commentaries by Rev. Ray Rooney, Pastor Verona-Palmetto United Methodist Charge, P.O. Box 370. Verona, MS 38879     Is there room?, July, 2002
 ...They have gotten their place and more. They now run all of our seminaries. Marcus Borg is a featured and sought after speaker in Methodist seminaries. Borg refutes nearly everything the Bible establishes about Jesus. His deity. His virgin birth. His miracles and His resurrection. They have been appointed to nearly all of the high level positions on our General Boards, Committees, and Agencies which means hordes of laypersons’ monies are being used to support things and organizations which evangelicals find both offensive and intolerable (as in the National Council of Churches). They have also pushed for and seen the election of many Bishops who refuse to even embrace and uphold basic Christian doctrine much less United Methodist and Wesleyan beliefs. Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher is now the president of the Council of Bishops. Bishop Christopher was an early supporter of the Re-imagining movement from the early nineties which was nothing but goddess worship. Then there is Bishop Melvin G. Talbert who “has encouraged missionaries to minimize the importance of converting people to Christ and instead ‘focus on what it means to live with others in peace.’”[1] And we sure do not want to forget Bishop Sprague who has said of the bodily resurrection of Jesus that is “the kind of idolatry from which I dissent” and whose favorite theologians are John Shelby Spong and Marcus Borg[2]. Read More

Where is the Integrity?, August 21, 2002
The issues that Bishop Sprague assails are simply too numerous for this commentary.  They range from a repudiation of John’s gospel as an accurate account of Christ’s ministry (“Jesus simply did not preach, teach, or describe himself as John suggests”) to his rejection of the shed blood of Christ as being essential for salvation (“The concept of blood sacrifice is superstition at best and an idolatrous allegiance to a non-Jesus methodology of God-human relationship at worst.”).  Commentaries could be written on those matters themselves.  However, I would like to focus on three specific issues the bishop raises because as I read The Discipline any of these are chargeable offenses suggesting just cause in removing the bishop from his esteemed and honored office.  Read More

A Plea for Courage, October, 2002
But if Bishop Sprague’s speech does not strike at the root of Christianity then Christianity has no roots.  If the leadership of the United Methodist Church cannot muster the courage to publicly denounce the speech and reprimand the Bishop then we have no kind of Biblical or spiritual leadership.  Contrary to what some are saying in positions of authority in Methodism, Bishop Sprague’s “affirmations” are not merely off-the-wall opinions.  They are not simply his personal opinions about the Church and politics or the Church and social justice issues or his own views concerning homosexuality or abortion.  His “affirmations” are not about important but peripheral issues concerning the Church and society.  If they were we would be obligated by John Wesley’s own words to permit the Bishop to do his own thinking (aloud).  No, he repudiates and attacks the fundamental and core issues of Christianity.  He says, “Jesus was not born the Christ…” and calls His divinity “derived, given as a gift.”  He calls the belief in the physical resurrection of Christ “the kind of idolatry from which I dissent.”  If those two statements are not heretical then there is no such thing as heresy.  Read More

An Open Letter to all UM Bishops, November, 2002
Bishops right now we need your leadership.  More than that we need accountability.  Many of you do not mind stepping to the forefront of politics and social justice issues.  We have head you chastise the current Administration for its commitment to the war on Terror and the ultimatum to Iraq.  We have seen some of you step front and center into the limelight to promote toleration and acceptance of homosexuality.  Tell me, what is more important than letting your members know where you stand concerning basic Christian doctrine?  How many of you besides Bishops Sprague and McCleskey call belief in the Virgin Birth and Resurrection as understood and professed by some of the most prominent Christian thinkers of all time and for thousands of years “extreme views”?  How many of you believe evangelical Methodists are the “thought police”?  How many of you honestly believe that the complaints against Bishop Sprague are “part of an organized effort of a small, very vocal minority”? 

How many of you are willing to admit that there is a crisis of confidence in the Episcopacy?  Are you going to pretend it does not exist?  Are you going to continue to insult conservative Methodists saying that they are of “no consequence.”?  Why do we know that you oppose the war on Iraq but are left to wonder which of you believes in the atoning blood of Christ?  No longer is it assumed.  You can thank Bishops Sprague and McCleskey for that.  Read More

On Senator Lott, Bishop Sprague, and the Virgin Birth, December,

If Christian leaders cared as much about the Church as political leaders care about Washington then Bishop Sprague would be out (as a leader) in less than a month too.  The double standard is both glaring and shameful.  Senator Lott’s comments were made off-the-cuff at a birthday party.  Bishop Sprague’s were prepared in advance with intent and forethought at a Church related institution for higher learning.  Senator Lott offered apologies galore for his remarks.  Bishop Sprague says he has nothing to apologize for.  Senator Lott resigned his leadership post in the Senate because the furor surrounding his comments threatened to undermine the legitimacy and work of his political party.  Bishop Sprague seemingly could care less about the damage he is doing to the United Methodist denomination and has responded to calls for his resignation by telling one of his critics he “can follow a secular program if he so chooses…” (is that not the same as saying he can go to hell?  I guess the Bishop forgot about loving one’s enemies and praying for those who persecute you).  It is truly embarrassing when those in the secular world have to demonstrate to those in the Church how something should be done and yet have to endure the religious one stubbornly refuse.  It smacks of Phariseeism (elitism).  Read More

Alexander and Joseph, January 31, 2003
There are three basic reasons why I believe Bishop C. Joseph Sprague should either be forced to recant his heresies publicly or surrender his credentials as an Elder in the United Methodist Church (which would automatically make him ineligible to retain the office of Bishop).  First, Joseph the Bishop should recant or be forced out because his public Christological statements and his subsequent defenses of them are both heretical and incoherent.  For instance, the Bishop has said point blank that he does not affirm a physically Resurrected Jesus.  The concept of the atoning blood he has called “superstition at best.”  And his Christology (“from below”) proclaims Christ’s divinity “as resulting [emphasis mine] from a radical trust relationship” with God (from “Theological Integrity” posted on the Bishop’s web-site).  In other words Jesus was not God incarnate from the beginning.  No, he became divine when He attained a certain level of trust in God.  But it gets far worse than that. Read More

Dear Mr. President February 13, 2003

Politicing Holiness, August 7, 2003
Besmirching the blood atonement of Jesus Christ is unholy.  Saying He did not truly rise from the dead is unholy.  Allowing the one who made such claims to continue as a bishop in the Church is unholy.  Defending the apostate by saying he is a nice man who has done much for social justice causes despite his heresy is unholy.  Remaining silent as church leaders is unholy.  Responding to a survey prompted by the bishop’s open apostasy which only asked for a yes or no response to a question about Jesus and salvation with hostility and antagonism is unholy.  Equating political lobbying to personal holiness is unholy.  Calling homosexuality anything other than sin is unholy.  Advocating abortion as a right is unholy.  Threatening ministers and churches whose Christian consciences will not allow them to continue blindly funding unholy, unrepentant, and unresponsive bishops and boards and agencies with any kind of retribution is unholy.  Read More

The Last Word, August 29, 2003
In the United Methodist Church we did not read in our Conference periodicals one day to discover that overnight our seminaries had sold out to political correctness, our theologians and scholars had decided that the Bible did not really mean what it says about human sexuality, and our Bishops no longer believed that Jesus truly and literally rose from the dead!  No, we have spent quite some time sticking our heads in the proverbial sand saying that it is better (practically, morally, and spiritually) to speak about good things than it is to expose and wrestle with sin in our midst (we did not want to offend Jezebel and her supporters).  We decided to affirm our children’s grooming habits and ignore where they were going, who they were going with, and how late they were staying out.  Affirmation seemed so much better than chastisement.   Read More

   Analysis of Affirmations of a Dissenter

http://www.ucmpage.org/articles/cnoren.html

Complaints dismissed against Bishop Joseph Sprague

• http://www.umc.org/umns/news_archive2003.asp?ptid=&story={63B1F319-7DCF-4BD3-9D76-5900DD009A7E}&mid=2406

• http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030220-6816151.htm
• http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0302190091feb19,1,5093055.story?coll=chi%2Dnewslocal%2Dhed
• http://www.suntimes.com/output/religion/cst-nws-heresy20.html
• http://www.illinoisleader.com/news/newsview.asp?c=4391
• http://www.dailyherald.com/search/main_story.asp?intID=37670114
• http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/107/42.0.html
• http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/108/55.0.html
• http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/2/192003a.asp

 Complainants Response to Dismissal

• http://www.ucmpage.org/articles/bknepp6.html#Modern
• http://www.goodnewsmag.org/news/031803A_RESPONSE.htm

Survey of United Methodist Bishops, including Bishop Sprague:  "Is Jesus the Only Way to Salvation?" and Related News Articles

• http://www.themethodistchurch.com/DWild_Survey.asp
• http://www.ird-renew.org/About/About.cfm?ID=639&c=5

Bishop Sprague’s Lecture at Methodist Theological Seminary, April 22-23, 2003 and Related News Articles

• UM Action Briefing (August 2003) Article:  Bishop Sprague Assails  "Christo-Centric Exclusivism"   There he goes again!     Bishop C. Joseph Sprague of Chicago, speaking at a United Methodist seminary, assailed "Christo-centric exclusivism that ipso facto prepares the soil of stiff-necked, exclusivistic arrogance."  This kind of Christ-centered theology must be disavowed, he insisted."  Read More
• http://www.gbgm-umc.org/nillconf/methesco.htm#share
• http://www.ird-renew.org/About/About.cfm?ID=646&c=5
   

Christmas affirms Who and Why of revelation of Christ, by Bishop C. Joseph Sprague in the December 26, 2003 issue of the Northern Illinois Conference Edition of the United Methodist Reporter. "...Long ago, to make sense of the Who and Why, it became necessary for me to set aside the notion of a God who would and did occasionally intervene supernaturally into the affairs of humankind. I came to believe, in part because of the reality of evil in the world and the unfairness of life itself for some people, e.g., racism, war, the holocaust, pogroms, slavery, oppression, abuse, addiction, the deaths of children and the reality that some children are born with golden spoons while most have no spoons at all, etc., that, if God could and did literally intervene sometimes, as in a virginal conception, but not at other times in situations of dire need and unjust circumstances, such a god would have far more for which to atone than you or I. Impregnate a virgin, but not feed a starving child? Makes no sense to me. I cannot accept that the gracious God revealed supremely in Jesus behaves this way ..."  Read More

UMC Doctrine & Polity (UMC Web Site)

 Links to information about UMC polity and doctrine: 

 Official UMC Sites/Pages

• 
  Facts and Figures, Facts about annual conferences in the United States
  (Data compiled from December 31, 2000)

• Report on the Consultation on Scriptural Authority by General Board of Discipleship

  This report sought to answer four questions:

1. What kind of authority does Scripture have?

2. How do we interpret Scripture?

3. How does the interpretation affect our understanding of authority?

4. How do we experience the power of Scripture in our lives?

In the conclusion, it is noted that, "...we are convinced that we experience a divided church in crises, with vastly different, yet deeply held commitments."

·         UMC General Conference 2004 Pittsburgh, PAhttp://umc.org/gc2004/ (General Conference 2004)

·        http://gbgm-umc.org/connections/ (this links to most of the other links listed in this section below)

·        http://www.umc.org/index.asp (web site of the United Methodist Church)

·http://www.umc.org/churchlibrary/discipline/doctrinalstandards/
doctrinal_standards.htm
(UM Doctrinal Standards & General Rules)

·   http://www.umc.org/abouttheumc/beliefs/ (UM Beliefs)

·    http://www.umc.org/abouttheumc/organization/ (UM Organization and Structure)

·   http://www.umc.org/abouttheumc/policy/ (UM Social Policies)

·   http://www.umc.org/churchlibrary/discipline/doctrinalstandards/
doctrinal_heritage.htm (UM Doctrinal Heritage)

·   http://www.umc.org/churchlibrary/discipline/doctrinalstandards/
theological_task.htm (UM Our Theological Task)

·    http://infoserv.umc.org/ (UM Questions and Answers)

 Wesley’s Sermons (UMC Web Site)

• http://gbgm-umc.org/UMhistory/Wesley/sermons/ 

UMC News & Publications

United Methodist Key Information

This link provides you with links to an array of information, including Boards and Agencies, Churches, Conferences, Jurisdictions, Other Links, United Methodist News and Resources, United Methodist History, Theology and Doctrine, Ecumenical Connections

UMC News

• United Methodist News Service
• United Methodist Reporter Interactive
• Selected UMC Publications (see United Methodist Key Information for full list)

Christian Social Action magazine includes information on and analysis of social issues from the perspective of the Christian faith and the positions of the United Methodist Church on social issues.

NIC Conference News

Our Northern Illinois Conference News and Events

• Northern Illinois Conference Home Page

• Northern Illinois Conference News

• Northern Illinois Conference Calendar of Events

• Bishop Sprague's Commentaries

• Northern Illinois Conference Elgin District June Newsletter - Voices of the Laity

 Renewal Groups

Links to Renewal Groups and Organizations:

• 
  For United Methodists The Mission Society for United Methodists is a 501c(3) non-profit organization supported entirely by the financial contributions of individuals and local churches. Your tax deductible gift to the Mission Society helps to support both projects and the recruiting, training and nurturing of missionaries who have answered the command of Jesus in Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to the whole creation."
   
• What is the Transforming Congregations Movement?
  The Transforming Congregations program helps churches adopt a redemptive and pro-active response to the homosexual issues of our day. It is a way for a local congregation both to stand against the trend to accept homosexuality as normal, and make themselves available to directly assist overcomers in the midst of their healing and change process.
   
• 
  Catalyst On-line Catalyst is a project of A Foundation for Theological Education (AFTE). AFTE has a longstanding interest in theological education and renewal, and is best known for providing fellowships for UM postgraduate students.      United Methodist (UM) seminarians have been receiving Catalyst in their mail boxes since 1973. Since then our aims have remained constant: 
  • to alert seminarians to significant resources within the classical Christian tradition; 
  • to highlight evangelical perspectives on Christian faith and practice; 
  • to stimulate serious consideration of classical Christianity; and 
  • to encourage a seminary experience fully within the Wesleyan tradition of uniting the two so long divided, knowledge and vital piety 

• 
  NICEA, is the Northern Illinois Conference Evangelical Association. They generally meet on the first Saturday morning of each month from 9:30 to noon at Wheatland Salem UMC in Naperville.  For more information, visit their web site at:  http://www.umnicea.org

• Good News:  http://www.goodnewsmag.org/ (within the UMC)

• Confessing Movement (official):  http://www.confessingumc.org (within the UMC)
• Institute for Religion and Democracy, UM Action:  http://www.ird-renew.org/ (not an official renewal group within the UMC)
• RENEW, a network for Christian Women of the UMC: http://renewnetwork.org
• The Unofficial Confessing Movement: http://ucmpage.org (not affiliated with the UMC)
• TheMethodistChurch: http://www.themethodistchurch.com/ (not affiliated with the UMC)

• Concerned Methodists: http://www.cmpage.org/  (within the UMC)

UMC Related "Progressive" Groups

Links to "Progressive" Groups and Organization

CWC was organized in February 2002 as a grass roots response to actions of The United Methodist Church that many United Methodists feel are at variance with a church that claims include all persons, yet violates its word by rejection of homosexual, bisexual and transgender persons who have been called by God into church leadership and ordained ministry. It is a Cooperative Ministry with the Reconciling Ministries Network. CWC understands "church" in its authentic form as being inclusive and embracing of the many gifts of persons regardless of their race, gender, economic/cultural/class status, national origin or sexual orientation.

 The CWC "Movement" is organized around a statement that refuses to declare if the group wants to leave or stay within the UMC. Its mission is: “To BE church in a fully inclusive way.” The group’s plan of action is: “We commit ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ to full inclusion of all persons without regard to status or economic condition and celebrating race, color, national origin, sexual orientation and gender identities.” Read More

 

"Soulforce is an interfaith movement committed to ending spiritual violence perpetuated by religious policies and teachings against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people."

UNITED METHODIST DENOMINATIONAL PAGE (not an official organization of the UMC)

The purpose of the Denominational/Faith Group Teams and Televangelist Teams is to keep Soulforce leadership informed about the state of the denomination or televangelist's attitude about GLBT people, and secondly give insights and suggestions about the need for negotiation and/or direct action.

 

Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) of Northern Illinois

"Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) is a national organization seeking God's justice throughout The United Methodist Church and the world. The local chapter of Northern Illinois is a group of committed lay and clergy persons seeking God's reign in all we do."

 

Methodist Federation for Social Action

"MFSA works primarily through the ministries of the United Methodist Church, supporting and augmenting peace and justice ministries at the local, conference, and national levels. As an independent organization, we call our church to expand its understanding of the radical call of the Gospel to be the inclusive, justice-seeking, risk-taking Body of Christ."

• (UMC) Bishop Talbert Assails IRD, UM Action (Speech at MFSA luncheon, June 2003, Lakeside, OH)

Reconciling Ministries Network

(Witness Our Welcome) WOW2003 Home Page

WOW 2000 Sponsors (Including Northern Illinois Conference)

Affirmation United Methodists for Gay, Lesbians and Bisexual Concerns 

Links Related to "Covenant Services" in the United Methodist Church 

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"Progressive" Christianity

Progressive Christian Resources:  This links to a listing of theology books, magazines and other resources related to “Progressive” Christianity.

 

This section provides links to various resources for understanding "Progressive" Christianity.  A description of "Progressive" Christianity was offered in a recent article, "What is the Core of Progressive Christianity", in the March 2004 newsletter of the The Center For Progressive Christianity:

Progressive Christians proclaim that God loves everyone without exception. We struggle, like everyone else, to affirm this dogma in everyday life. When we radically disagree with someone or simply dislike someone, we act badly. We get righteous, we belittle, and we make people feel unwelcome. But because we believe in God’s universal love for all people, we try to recognize the humanity in all of creation. In everything we do, we try to behave as if everyone is loved by God. Everything else we do emits from this core. Progressive Christians hold to the value of faith community where Jesus and the Bible matter. We will never try to define  exactly what constitutes a faith community or the details of how people engage Jesus or the Bible, but we believe no one should be forced to develop faith on his or her own. We believe in questions, in ambiguity, and in creating environments where doubters and assured believers can engage in the same community. In the end, even if we disagree on these points, and we will, we believe that the way we treat each other is more important that the ideas we hold true.  Read More

The mission of The Center for Progressive Christianity is:

» To reach out to those for whom organized religion has proved ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive, as well as to those who have given up on or are unacquainted with it.

» To uphold evangelism as an agent of justice and peace.

» To give a strong voice both in the churches and the public arena to the advocates of progressive Christianity .

» To support those who embrace the search, not certainty.

Sojourners, www.sojo.net, is a Christian ministry whose mission is to proclaim and practice the biblical call to integrate spiritual renewal and social justice.

In response to this call, we offer a vision for faith in public life by:

• publishing Sojourners magazine, SojoMail and other resources that address issues of faith, politics, and culture from a biblical perspective;
• preaching, teaching, organizing, and public witness;
• nurturing community by bringing together people from the various traditions and streams of the church;
• hosting an annual program of voluntary service for education, ministry, and discipleship.

In our lives and in our work, we seek to be guided by the biblical principles of justice, mercy, and humility.

Welcome:  For over 100 years the Christian Century has published articles by the most respected theologians, historians and church leaders and has been recognized for its concern for relating faith to political, cultural and social issues. Readers of the Century are kept informed of the events that are defining religious life today. The influence of religion in public life, the theological direction of mainline churches, and the everyday struggles of Christians to live out the gospel are explored each week

We are a multi-faith e-community designed to help you meet your own religious and spiritual needs -- in an interesting, captivating and engaging way.

We are independent. We are not affiliated with a particular religion or spiritual movement. We are not out to convert you to a particular approach, but rather to help you find your own. Fundamental to our mission is a deep respect for a wide variety of faiths and traditions.

Want to learn about the teaching and practice of Progressive Christianity? Respectful questions are welcome here, and Progressive Christian members of Beliefnet will help you answer them.    Learn About Progressive Christianity

This is a large religious web site; it contains 2,460 essays and menus. But it is different from almost all others:

We do not promote our own religious beliefs. We try to explain the full diversity of religions in North America, from Asatru to Christianity to Zoroastrianism.

We report on controversial religious topics, from abortion access to equal rights and protections for homosexuals and bisexuals including same-sex marriage (our most popular topic). We try to explain all sides to each topic fairly and objectively.   PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY   Overview What kind of people are attracted to Progressive Christianity The Center for Progressive Christianity 8 Points Books Publications References Network

Comparison of  “Conservative” and “Liberal” Christianity by Religious Tolerance – This links to a comparison from a “progressive” viewpoint.

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Spiritual Renewal

Resources for Spiritual Renewal:

What is Wesley Putnam Ministries?

The ministry of Wesley Putnam is hard to define. It's a lot of music, a dash of drama and children´s outreach, a sprinkling of lively, relevant preaching. It's a fresh approach to renewal that Wes calls "Dayspring," a word that