PCCS Expands Progressive Christian Network In Texas

Posted on May 03, 2010 - 10:17 AM

If you consider yourself a progressive Christian and you live in Texas, there’s good news. On April 23 & 24, 2010, thirty-three people met at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX, to see if they could come together, hear each others’ ideas about what we think is the heart of progressive Christianity and how sharing those ideas could actually be the start of a new, progressive Christian movement in Texas that could change the way we think about our religion, our behavior and our lives.

We learned a lot about ourselves and each other.  We were, on the surface, all from the same socio-economic class; we represented a variety of professions, jobs and vocations. We represented a variety of Christian, and non-Christian traditions.  We represented academics, laborers, clergy, church volunteers, Sunday school teachers, worker-justice organizations, business, musicians, professional people, lawyers, doctors, educators, theology professors, grass-roots groups, South-American and Cuban humanitarian workers, young people, middle aged people and older people; we were married, single, gay, lesbian, really religious and not very religious.

We represented people fed up with church and people finding hope in churches; we represented secular Christians and devoted Christians.  We also were aware that not everyone was represented and that we needed more representation from people of color, laboring people, homeless people, and powerless people.  We realized it would take all people gathered to explore the possibilities of creating a progressive Christian movement in Texas.  But it was a beginning; a powerful, empowering, encouraging, enlightening beginning.

We came together in a big, round space where we created a marketplace of ideas, topics and possibilities. We asked ourselves, “Why Christian?” “What good are our individual stories of rejection, isolation and loss resulting from having spoken up in our church, social and work circles?” “What do we do about our personal stories?” “Can we really create a movement that will make an impact in public consciousness; a movement that could help progressive Christians join energies, talents and ideas and create a new, progressive voice in Texas and relate to other progressive movements springing up around the country and beyond?”

Our questions were met with a resounding and reverberating, “Yes!”  These progressives have now added themselves to an even more active and vibrant progressive Christian movement afoot in the state of Texas.

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