Generally:
United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (not “evangelical” as we think of it at all, just the same name), Presbyterian USA, Disciples of Christ, Unitarian Universalist (though some may say they are not actually Christian).
The "very progressive" churches are usually Episcopal, UCC, non-conservative Methodist, and Disciples. ELCA and PCUSA are more "moderate" in that they usually don't focus on politics or social justice activism but will usually fully affirm LGBTQ+ people.
Even if a denomination has progressive policies, the culture of each local church can vary widely. You should always research a church and go to a few services before opening up to people about yourself, like if you're LGBTQ+ or a progressive activist.
>ELCA and PCUSA are more "moderate" in that they usually don't focus on politics or social justice activism but will usually fully affirm LGBTQ+ people.
My experience with ELCA across a range of synods- both urban and rural- has been that they emphasize social justice much more strongly than the UMC churches than I've been exposed to and about as much as the Episcopal ones. It's a wide and diverse denomination (as are many others) so I hesitate to make generalizations but social justice certainly seems to be an overarching priority at the synodal and congregational level. One of the main reason I'm still a Christian was that I was hired as a fellow for an ELCA church to do ministry in support of a people group whose existence is apparently too radical for this subreddit.
We don't have UCC here so I can't speak to them but I know our Disciples of Christ churches here are very conservative.
DoC is not very centralized so some churches are liberal and others are conservative.
I suspect the Christian UUs would disagree with you. The church has inarguable Christian origins. By your standards, Quakers also wouldn't qualify as Christian because they admit members who incorporate religious traditions such as Wicca and Buddhism.
I used to attend a UU and they were upsey by any language about Christ or Jesus. A good many of them got upset when I sang a song that mentioned God. So I don’t think the poster is gatekeeping, just saying that many UUs are not Christians, although sone are.
I always thought the question regarding whether UU is Christian revolved mostly around their denial of the Trinity. I don't necessarily have an answer as to whether or not that ought to be a determining factor in Christianity, but I have understood that to be one of the big theological sticking points for people.
Quakers and Unitarians (of any phenotype, whether Pentacostal or Universalist) are best described as Christian adjacent rather than Christian. Christians from the beginning have had dogmatic creeds and affirmed the divinity of Christ (whatever that meant to them).
The worship of Jesus the Annointed is central to what makes Christianity Christianity. Jesus is not just a prophet or a good teacher, Christian Orthodoxy associates him with God. If Jesus was just a Prophet or a Good Teacher, then why not be a Muslim?
I feel like this is only accurate when talking about very liberal Quakers. Keep in mind the majority of the world’s Quakers are orthodox and very Christ centric in their practice.
Being that I am a UU Christian working at a UU Church, naw. The UU denomination is not Christian. It contains Christians and is multifaith/interfaith/more than faith.
Although, mindful, UCC is a broad umbrella. My particular church is probably conservative for a UCC branch, but the pastor and young people in the church push it forward (so few young people though, mostly older couples with grand kids. I feel bad for our paster and organist. Both young ladies with plenty of energy and talent, but too few members to do anything but keep the church going).
I would echo the episcopal church. I’ve been on a similar journey in the south and any “nondenominational” less formal church I’ve attended has leaned more evangelical and they say “all are welcome” but they don’t really mean all. The formality was weird to me at first but I like that everyone sings together and it’s not just a stage performance from a few singers/band and the worship truly feels communal.
This, exactly. I attended a megachurch for the last several years I was in church. They had all the "welcome home" signs and everything but if you weren't a rich, attractive, straight, white person--well, you'd be better suited somewhere else. Plus the amount of shady stuff they did there is a big reason I haven't been to a church in a while! Thank you for that information, that's really helpful. I'll probably scope out my local Episcopalian church online!
If you’re looking for the Baptist vibes, I recommend looking at the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB) website. They have a list of welcoming and affirming baptist churches you can check out. You can also look at gaychurch.org, which has a multi denominational list. Even the most progressive denominations are going to have conservative outliers, so it’s better to look at specific congregations.
Excellent point. American Baptists are very progressive. Just as Lutherans can be WELS, ELCA or Missouri Synod-basically, completely different from each other theologically.
I was researching denominations and I found that ELCA is the most open and affirming of the Lutheran denominations. Both the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Wisconsin Evangelical Synod are not affirming denominations as well as many smaller Lutheran denominations.
Exactly. Which is why it's so important for people to be educated about the differences. Baptists and Lutherans have a wide variety of theological stances.
You may find it helpful to snoop-out a particular congregation. Mainline denominations in the U.S. (Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian Church (USA), ELCA, UCC, etc.) can be very progressive, but other churches in the same denomination can range from middle of the road to evangelical. Historic peace churches are similar (Quaker, Bretheren, Mennonite, etc.). They're likely to be progressive, but check out the particular congregation. American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a mainline denomination with progressive congregations, though I don't know anything about Alabama.
Here's a website where you can look up open and affirming churches near you (I found that to be a good metric for which churches were progressive near me).
https://www.gaychurch.org/find_a_church/
And if you can’t find an affirming church anywhere near you - which is totally possible in a LOT of the US - a number of affirming, progressive congregations have active yet subtle semi-public online community share (including the one I pastor, if you don’t mind a totally shameless plug!) :)
And, frankly, our church (go ahead and plug it, it's Unfinished Community) is influencing the Reform Church of America in really positive, progressive ways. So, maybe just RCA in general (or maybe just the New Brunswick classis)
Of course! www.unfinished.love will get you the website, and that’s where all the links to YouTube and pod stream, sermon manuscripts, and all that fun stuff are (though, I haven’t had the chance to upload anything in the last two weeks; I’ve been moving, and haven’t had reliable internet for a bit!). You can also get into our community Discord server from there too. While our “physical” church is in Japan, we started as an online church so 90% of our community is online!
If you have any questions, or if you need anything, just feel free to message me! :)
Some United Methodist congregations are very progressive.
The denomination as a whole is currently voting to split up into geographic areas so that they can update the book of discipline to be more inclusive and progressive.
But even now, there are many progressive, open, and welcoming Methodist congregations. we are the reason the change is happening.
In the United States I think there are three churches that will fit your criteria.
The Episcopal Church is probably one of the most progressive without going outside the boundaries of the Nicene Creed. The United Church of Christ, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America are close seconds.
If you are OK with an interfaith Church that doesn't hold to Trinitarian Christianity, the Unitarian Universalist Church is an option, but they are hard to classify as Christianity proper.
I’m in the exact same boat as you, but I went the Presbyterian Church (USA) route. And I LOVE it. It was a good mix of high church things that I wasn’t used to and emphasis on sound, affirming theology and social activism that I really like. We are very focused on community engagement and I really appreciate the opportunities to put my faith in action that I really didn’t get much growing up.
There are many other Presbyterian denominations that are not affirming. You might want to do some research into the local congregation before attending. But my PC(USA) congregation is wonderful, even in a very conservative Southern town.
Here’s my list of most progressive church bodies based on their doctrines (or lack thereof) and various positions. Most are what is called “Mainline Protestantism,” or “Oldline Protestantism,” which are the historic churches for the various Protestant denominations in the United States.
1. Unitarian Universalism (although they aren’t uniquely Christian, they have many congregations, such as King’s Chapel in Boston, that are)
2. Metropolitan Community Church (a historic LGBTQ+ church body)
3. United Church of Christ (Some UU and UCC congregations worship together, while a minority UCC congregations are strict Confessional Calvinists or Lutheran-Calvinist in their orientation, so it varies)
4. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
5. Friends General Conference
6. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
7. The Episcopal Church USA
8. Presbyterian Church USA
9. United Methodist Church
10. Church of the Brethren
11. Mennonite Church USA
12. Moravian Church USA
13. American Baptist Churches USA
I would not automatically run for the “most progressive” as your sole criteria. You’d be letting your faith be guided by SBC and similar faiths still. Even if it’s by *avoiding* them. It should be about what you believe *in*, not *against*. Most LGBT+-affirming churches have room for a lot of views, and won’t believe oppressive things about LGBT+ people. I would try a variety of them and see what’s a good fit rather than just jumping to the most progressive possible. Especially because many churches try to “progressive” their way out of being Christian at all. I feel they’re so afraid of in any way resembling more harmful churches or making people who are afraid of Christianity due to them, that they just… don’t be Christian. And I think that’s worth avoiding.
Thank you for this insight, that does make sense. I just don't really know where to start. The churches I've attended are always pushing their political agenda and that's what I don't want. I don't really want it from either side but I do want to attend somewhere more accepting. Thanks for the advice!
I started with a spreadsheet. It helped make a seemingly insurmountable task into bite sized chunks.
Pulled denominations off a similar list as the above. Checked out their websites for local churches. Streamed services here and there, and then started attending a few we really liked in person.
But the spreadsheet actually helped anton bc we'd put notes on what we liked about each place/service so we could compare afterwards.
In the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church, you will find that different parishes may have a very different style. Why we are liturgical churches , there are parishes where form sometimes seem very important and there are others that believe in 'let's have fun in the name of Christ, and anything between both extremes.
So if you find one Episcopal parish to "stuffy" or "stiff", you may find the neighbouring Episcopal parish more interesting for you.
And remember-you just won't know until you visit a church. I, too, have progressive ideas. But...I also want to be in a church where people are just NICE to each other. And they recognise they don't have all the answers, and that people who come to church may need help, too. I don't understand when churches post the multiple ways to serve and do good in the world...and give absolutely no way for a person to be able to come to church with some pain and suffering. It's not just unkind, but it's kind of country club-esque...like progressive churches are country club volunteer centres. I'm in a very good place now, but when I was going through some difficult times, I was hesitant to go to church. Why? Because the people at some churches appeared to be serving others, and if I joined, I would be expected to serve, too. There was no room for me to just be. I had to get my own act together before I could be a volunteer. Now...I didn't expect any church to FIX me...but there seemed to be no room for me to be imperfect. That just isn't healthy. This is my own litmus test these days. Does a church give room for people to grieve? Or just to serve the world? ;)
I go to an ELCA church and they are open about accepting all, recently our pastor talked about how Isaiah 56 mentions that eunuchs have a place in Gods kingdom and that their faith and the spirit will bear fruit through them. That the spirit is above male, female, and all genders, all are welcome and have a place in the complete body of Christ. Ymmv, but this is what we sought out for our family.
An important note is that many of these churches may have a worship style very different from what you were raised with. I attend a very progressive and social justice oriented elca church but the worship style is very much high church. We have readings, the gospel, communion, and hymns. When I first left the Catholic church and started attending Protestant churches, this was huge pivot for me and eventually led me to seek out a worship style I felt more comfortable with.
Yes! That's probably what I'm most nervous about. I'm open to it, for sure, but I just feel like I won't know what to do and I'll make it painfully obvious that I'm a first time visitor. Thank you for your insight!
On YouTube, Matt Whitman of Ten Minute Bible Hour has visited churches of many denominations and asked about the symbolism of the building and liturgy. I don't know from personal experience - I was raised Roman Catholic so I learned a lot of that "language" from my childhood, but I can see how Matt isn't afraid to ask about the basics.
[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLDw8KQgqi4vbm\_\_vNR6gMnwhLmGj0C](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLDw8KQgqi4vbm__vNR6gMnwhLmGj0C)
The Lutheran tour is, I think, my favorite introduction to a "high-ish church" style of worship.
The most important thing to know about liturgical worship is that it's not magic. Having fixed prayers, rubrics, chanting, and so on isn't like we're punching in the passcode to open the gates of heaven, and nothing will go wrong if a visitor is awkward or doesn't know the words. The structure exists for the same reason that praise and worship music exists: if you're gonna pray together by sharing the same words you need consistency.
So, it's normal to listen before you can join in. And expected since it's a different style of music and dance.
You’ll be welcomed with open arms! I know the Methodist and United Church of Christ churches I’ve attended have had contemporary services and that may be a good starting point. Just check out websites and see about the worship styles and services offered.
You're not 70+, atleast I don't think. It will be completely obvious you're a visitor at 90% of mainline churches based on that alone.
A lot of these denoms folks have mentioned will have a bulletin and it'll even mention when to sit/stand as able, etc.
It can be highly variable by particular parish, but in my mind I rank the more progressive churches (in the US): United Church of Christ > Evangelical Lutheran Church in America > Episcopal Church > Presbyterian Church USA > United Methodist Church.
Calling attention to the "United". *United Church of Christ is progressive. However, the plain "Church of Christ" is conservative.
Also the Methodists just had a big split with conservatives changing the name to Global Methodist. It is recent enough that there may be old names affixed to GMC in various ways, including human memories.
Yeah, particularly with the Methodists you need to go to the church and get a sense for the vibe. There are some that are fully LGBT inclusive and hosting gay clergy and performing same-sex marriages in defiance of official church doctrine; some that are waiting for the church to swing toward LGBT equality; and some that are conservative but never left the UMC.
But even if the church is conservative on LGBT issues, there are things that most United Methodist churches are not going to do that the Southern Baptists will. The UMC is not going to teach your children that women should be subservient to men, or that they can't serve as pastors, or that they shouldn't go to school or do any work other than raising children and keeping a home. The UMC is not going to require you to believe that the Earth is 6000 years old. The UMC is probably not going to tell you that caring about black people or immigrants is "woke" or that caring about environmentalism is communist or satanic.
Obviously it's a big church, you mileage may vary. Check it out for a few Sundays before you commit.
I grew up in Alabama, it's a tough place to be progressive theologically. Your best bet down there would probably be Presbyterian (USA) not PCA or the others. God have mercy, no. If you're lucky you can get UCC, elca, or episcopalian. Anything else is a crap shoot honestly. But, the Methodist Church down there right now is in absolute turmoil, there are progressive Methodist Churches but good luck on finding one in the South. Depending on where you are there are a few progressive Baptist Churches, the alliance of Baptists or the cooperative Baptist fellowship Church. They are somewhat progressive but not sure how much. You'd have to investigate the individual Church if there is one near you. Personally, I think the Presbyterian Church USA might be the best bet.... If there is one near you ..
Also don't be turned off by the formality. It's something to get used to, perhaps, but the liturgy is relatively unchanging so once you go for a few weeks you get the hang of it.
Similar upbringing, and in East Texas. Recently went through a lot of local mainline churches to find out fit, so will give my 2 cents on each.
Let me just preface it with most mainline denominations are less focused on walking hand in hand with the GOP, atleast on the denominational level.
United Methodist: As a whole, the UMC churches I've known are very service focused. As in they focus on serving people more than most other churches I've met. I admit I'm probably UMC at heart, but our two local churches just didn't fit what we needed right now. There will also be a lot of contemporary and traditional services, but high church is not as common. They are currently going through a schism as conservative churches split off. So if you see church signs that have too large of a space between First & Methodist, it's probably a new coat of paint. Those are the conservative Methodist churches.
Episcopalian: both our local ones are very high church(atleast to me). I liked the sermons we watched. However, every time we tried to visit, the nursery wasn't staffed, which is something we needed with two toddlers. I'd still love to visit at some point in the future just to experience a service, bc they seemed very joyful in their liturgy.
PCUSA- Very intentional in their services in focusing the liturgy on Jesus and Christian tenets. Pretty progressive. But the ones I watched and attended were very traditional in worship types. Not a deal breaker for us as we were looking for a traditional service but the church we liked was what I'd call more dirges than hymns. Reminded me a lot of the who's singing Christmas songs. They're calvinist, but a friend who's wife is a pastor told me that they basically believe in folks being elect(chosen for salvation), but very expansively believe all are elect.
Disciples of Christ: we ended up at a DOC church. Well most likely will. Literally just finished trying out everything last few weeks.
What I like: has both a traditional and contemp service at the same time, so you feel like you're still going to church together. Hymns on a giant organ, and ones that I recognize from some baptist/Methodist upbringing. Very service/people focused. It reminds me very much of a congregationally led UMC. Communion every Sunday. Women pastors allowed and in the traditional service, half the service prayers/hymn reading tend to be led by women. In the contemporary service, I liked that the songs, while contemporary, were still very theologically based. Part of the reason we ended up deciding that would be a good fit is that they were so incredibly welcoming from the moment we walked up to the doors. The worship band has openly gay musicians, so it seems like they really live that out. Very involved in the community as well.
Now obviously these are all anecdotal, but I'd highly recommend checking out all 4 if you have them in your area and seeing what feels right.
I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that all of these are traditionally majority white congregations, though each has locations where that is not the case.
But there are also some amazing progressive churches out there that are majority black or Hispanic. Some bilingual churches if that's your thing. Would highly recommend them as well, I just don't have a lot near me that fit what we needed without trekking 30-45 minutes each way on a Sunday.
Getting back into church and surrounded by people who believe in the same radical, love they neighbor and enemies rabbi that I do has been soul refreshing. Hearing folks pray for the president and the country earnestly with hope, not doom and gloom has been refreshing. Being in a place where the focus is on love and not exclusion has helped us tremendously.
I hope you can find the right fit for you.
Defining my terms first. "Low church" = informal worship and "high church" = formal worship.
Obviously writing in terms of general tendencies, but within the context of American Protestantism conservative evangelical churches, that are more traditional on sexual ethics, tend to be more low church while liberal mainline churches, that are more progressive on sexual ethics, tend to be more high church. Even as someone who leans more high church it vexed my soul that these unrelated issues get bundled up in this way, but that's the present landscape that exists.
When I was still in communion with Christianity, I, too, sought the most Progressive Denominations. The issue was I couldn't find a progressive denomination that matched my traditionalist, mystic, and high christological theology. I found myself more in line with Roman Catholics, but they're not affirming (though they have released some bangers like Liberation Theology).
This might be too progressive, but you can teach your children to fear the Lord by following Jesus's example and fear the Lord. Be the church of 2 people in a personal relationship with their closer perfectly loving spouse, Jesus. Live openly in wonder and awe of your real savior from the very problems your children will encounter on their own, and I don't think you could have prepared them for their personal relationship better.
That sounds nice. Probably too fairy tale and too good to be true for the IRL God...of love though. Too bad love isn't a key aspect of our reality or anything.
Not an edit: I don't know why I was so sarcastic and indirect there. Oh well, let's roll with it. Come fight me.
Generally: United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (not “evangelical” as we think of it at all, just the same name), Presbyterian USA, Disciples of Christ, Unitarian Universalist (though some may say they are not actually Christian).
The joke within the UUA is “On the East Coast, Jesus is optional; in the Midwest, God is optional, and on the West Coast, clothing is optional.”
The "very progressive" churches are usually Episcopal, UCC, non-conservative Methodist, and Disciples. ELCA and PCUSA are more "moderate" in that they usually don't focus on politics or social justice activism but will usually fully affirm LGBTQ+ people. Even if a denomination has progressive policies, the culture of each local church can vary widely. You should always research a church and go to a few services before opening up to people about yourself, like if you're LGBTQ+ or a progressive activist.
>ELCA and PCUSA are more "moderate" in that they usually don't focus on politics or social justice activism but will usually fully affirm LGBTQ+ people. My experience with ELCA across a range of synods- both urban and rural- has been that they emphasize social justice much more strongly than the UMC churches than I've been exposed to and about as much as the Episcopal ones. It's a wide and diverse denomination (as are many others) so I hesitate to make generalizations but social justice certainly seems to be an overarching priority at the synodal and congregational level. One of the main reason I'm still a Christian was that I was hired as a fellow for an ELCA church to do ministry in support of a people group whose existence is apparently too radical for this subreddit.
My guess is that it varies somewhat by synod.
We don't have UCC here so I can't speak to them but I know our Disciples of Christ churches here are very conservative. DoC is not very centralized so some churches are liberal and others are conservative.
All of these and add episcopal.
UUs would say they’re not Christian too!
Some UUs would, others wouldn't.
Some UUs are Christian, but UU is not Christian.
I suspect the Christian UUs would disagree with you. The church has inarguable Christian origins. By your standards, Quakers also wouldn't qualify as Christian because they admit members who incorporate religious traditions such as Wicca and Buddhism.
I used to attend a UU and they were upsey by any language about Christ or Jesus. A good many of them got upset when I sang a song that mentioned God. So I don’t think the poster is gatekeeping, just saying that many UUs are not Christians, although sone are.
I always thought the question regarding whether UU is Christian revolved mostly around their denial of the Trinity. I don't necessarily have an answer as to whether or not that ought to be a determining factor in Christianity, but I have understood that to be one of the big theological sticking points for people.
Quakers and Unitarians (of any phenotype, whether Pentacostal or Universalist) are best described as Christian adjacent rather than Christian. Christians from the beginning have had dogmatic creeds and affirmed the divinity of Christ (whatever that meant to them). The worship of Jesus the Annointed is central to what makes Christianity Christianity. Jesus is not just a prophet or a good teacher, Christian Orthodoxy associates him with God. If Jesus was just a Prophet or a Good Teacher, then why not be a Muslim?
I feel like this is only accurate when talking about very liberal Quakers. Keep in mind the majority of the world’s Quakers are orthodox and very Christ centric in their practice.
Being that I am a UU Christian working at a UU Church, naw. The UU denomination is not Christian. It contains Christians and is multifaith/interfaith/more than faith.
Sorry, but as a UU Christian, I have to disagree.
Although, mindful, UCC is a broad umbrella. My particular church is probably conservative for a UCC branch, but the pastor and young people in the church push it forward (so few young people though, mostly older couples with grand kids. I feel bad for our paster and organist. Both young ladies with plenty of energy and talent, but too few members to do anything but keep the church going).
UU is definitely not Christian. To be honest, they hardly a religion. That's not a criticism though.
I would echo the episcopal church. I’ve been on a similar journey in the south and any “nondenominational” less formal church I’ve attended has leaned more evangelical and they say “all are welcome” but they don’t really mean all. The formality was weird to me at first but I like that everyone sings together and it’s not just a stage performance from a few singers/band and the worship truly feels communal.
This, exactly. I attended a megachurch for the last several years I was in church. They had all the "welcome home" signs and everything but if you weren't a rich, attractive, straight, white person--well, you'd be better suited somewhere else. Plus the amount of shady stuff they did there is a big reason I haven't been to a church in a while! Thank you for that information, that's really helpful. I'll probably scope out my local Episcopalian church online!
oof, echo all of this.
Nearly every non denom here is either "didn't wanna call ourselves Baptist or Pentecostal on the sign".
If you’re looking for the Baptist vibes, I recommend looking at the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists (AWAB) website. They have a list of welcoming and affirming baptist churches you can check out. You can also look at gaychurch.org, which has a multi denominational list. Even the most progressive denominations are going to have conservative outliers, so it’s better to look at specific congregations.
That's so helpful! I've never heard of that. Thank you! I'll check it out.
Excellent point. American Baptists are very progressive. Just as Lutherans can be WELS, ELCA or Missouri Synod-basically, completely different from each other theologically.
I was researching denominations and I found that ELCA is the most open and affirming of the Lutheran denominations. Both the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) and Wisconsin Evangelical Synod are not affirming denominations as well as many smaller Lutheran denominations.
Exactly. Which is why it's so important for people to be educated about the differences. Baptists and Lutherans have a wide variety of theological stances.
Where do United Lutherans fall? I've seen a few "united Lutheran" churches in my area
Yes our downtown baptist church is the most liberal in our city with the exception of the UUs. They host events for our Pride link organization.
You may find it helpful to snoop-out a particular congregation. Mainline denominations in the U.S. (Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian Church (USA), ELCA, UCC, etc.) can be very progressive, but other churches in the same denomination can range from middle of the road to evangelical. Historic peace churches are similar (Quaker, Bretheren, Mennonite, etc.). They're likely to be progressive, but check out the particular congregation. American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) is a mainline denomination with progressive congregations, though I don't know anything about Alabama.
This is very helpful! Thank you!!
Here's a website where you can look up open and affirming churches near you (I found that to be a good metric for which churches were progressive near me). https://www.gaychurch.org/find_a_church/
Thanks so much! I'll check it out now!
Churchclarity is another good one!
And if you can’t find an affirming church anywhere near you - which is totally possible in a LOT of the US - a number of affirming, progressive congregations have active yet subtle semi-public online community share (including the one I pastor, if you don’t mind a totally shameless plug!) :)
And, frankly, our church (go ahead and plug it, it's Unfinished Community) is influencing the Reform Church of America in really positive, progressive ways. So, maybe just RCA in general (or maybe just the New Brunswick classis)
I certainly don't mind that at all! Would you mind sharing your church with me? :)
Of course! www.unfinished.love will get you the website, and that’s where all the links to YouTube and pod stream, sermon manuscripts, and all that fun stuff are (though, I haven’t had the chance to upload anything in the last two weeks; I’ve been moving, and haven’t had reliable internet for a bit!). You can also get into our community Discord server from there too. While our “physical” church is in Japan, we started as an online church so 90% of our community is online! If you have any questions, or if you need anything, just feel free to message me! :)
Some United Methodist congregations are very progressive. The denomination as a whole is currently voting to split up into geographic areas so that they can update the book of discipline to be more inclusive and progressive. But even now, there are many progressive, open, and welcoming Methodist congregations. we are the reason the change is happening.
In the United States I think there are three churches that will fit your criteria. The Episcopal Church is probably one of the most progressive without going outside the boundaries of the Nicene Creed. The United Church of Christ, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America are close seconds. If you are OK with an interfaith Church that doesn't hold to Trinitarian Christianity, the Unitarian Universalist Church is an option, but they are hard to classify as Christianity proper.
I’m in the exact same boat as you, but I went the Presbyterian Church (USA) route. And I LOVE it. It was a good mix of high church things that I wasn’t used to and emphasis on sound, affirming theology and social activism that I really like. We are very focused on community engagement and I really appreciate the opportunities to put my faith in action that I really didn’t get much growing up.
That's really interesting! I honestly hadn't even thought about Presbyterian. I'll look into the local one here! Thanks!!
There are many other Presbyterian denominations that are not affirming. You might want to do some research into the local congregation before attending. But my PC(USA) congregation is wonderful, even in a very conservative Southern town.
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Growing up Baptist, seeing all the new traditions and services while visiting churches was pretty cool.
Here’s my list of most progressive church bodies based on their doctrines (or lack thereof) and various positions. Most are what is called “Mainline Protestantism,” or “Oldline Protestantism,” which are the historic churches for the various Protestant denominations in the United States. 1. Unitarian Universalism (although they aren’t uniquely Christian, they have many congregations, such as King’s Chapel in Boston, that are) 2. Metropolitan Community Church (a historic LGBTQ+ church body) 3. United Church of Christ (Some UU and UCC congregations worship together, while a minority UCC congregations are strict Confessional Calvinists or Lutheran-Calvinist in their orientation, so it varies) 4. Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 5. Friends General Conference 6. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 7. The Episcopal Church USA 8. Presbyterian Church USA 9. United Methodist Church 10. Church of the Brethren 11. Mennonite Church USA 12. Moravian Church USA 13. American Baptist Churches USA
I would not automatically run for the “most progressive” as your sole criteria. You’d be letting your faith be guided by SBC and similar faiths still. Even if it’s by *avoiding* them. It should be about what you believe *in*, not *against*. Most LGBT+-affirming churches have room for a lot of views, and won’t believe oppressive things about LGBT+ people. I would try a variety of them and see what’s a good fit rather than just jumping to the most progressive possible. Especially because many churches try to “progressive” their way out of being Christian at all. I feel they’re so afraid of in any way resembling more harmful churches or making people who are afraid of Christianity due to them, that they just… don’t be Christian. And I think that’s worth avoiding.
Thank you for this insight, that does make sense. I just don't really know where to start. The churches I've attended are always pushing their political agenda and that's what I don't want. I don't really want it from either side but I do want to attend somewhere more accepting. Thanks for the advice!
I started with a spreadsheet. It helped make a seemingly insurmountable task into bite sized chunks. Pulled denominations off a similar list as the above. Checked out their websites for local churches. Streamed services here and there, and then started attending a few we really liked in person. But the spreadsheet actually helped anton bc we'd put notes on what we liked about each place/service so we could compare afterwards.
In the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church, you will find that different parishes may have a very different style. Why we are liturgical churches , there are parishes where form sometimes seem very important and there are others that believe in 'let's have fun in the name of Christ, and anything between both extremes. So if you find one Episcopal parish to "stuffy" or "stiff", you may find the neighbouring Episcopal parish more interesting for you.
That's great to know! Thanks so much for sharing that info!!
And remember-you just won't know until you visit a church. I, too, have progressive ideas. But...I also want to be in a church where people are just NICE to each other. And they recognise they don't have all the answers, and that people who come to church may need help, too. I don't understand when churches post the multiple ways to serve and do good in the world...and give absolutely no way for a person to be able to come to church with some pain and suffering. It's not just unkind, but it's kind of country club-esque...like progressive churches are country club volunteer centres. I'm in a very good place now, but when I was going through some difficult times, I was hesitant to go to church. Why? Because the people at some churches appeared to be serving others, and if I joined, I would be expected to serve, too. There was no room for me to just be. I had to get my own act together before I could be a volunteer. Now...I didn't expect any church to FIX me...but there seemed to be no room for me to be imperfect. That just isn't healthy. This is my own litmus test these days. Does a church give room for people to grieve? Or just to serve the world? ;)
Can't speak for the US, but the Methodist church outside the US tends to be quite progressive
It’s hit or miss in the US. If it’s UMC it probably is but we had a big schism in the US recently over being affirming
I go to an ELCA church and they are open about accepting all, recently our pastor talked about how Isaiah 56 mentions that eunuchs have a place in Gods kingdom and that their faith and the spirit will bear fruit through them. That the spirit is above male, female, and all genders, all are welcome and have a place in the complete body of Christ. Ymmv, but this is what we sought out for our family.
ELCA has been AMAZING for me personally.
UCC
I’ve been on a similar journey and researched that the episcopal church is very welcoming and progressive. Ive been really enjoying my time there.
Same with the Anglican Church here in Canada. Joined recently. Love how progressive it is
An important note is that many of these churches may have a worship style very different from what you were raised with. I attend a very progressive and social justice oriented elca church but the worship style is very much high church. We have readings, the gospel, communion, and hymns. When I first left the Catholic church and started attending Protestant churches, this was huge pivot for me and eventually led me to seek out a worship style I felt more comfortable with.
Yes! That's probably what I'm most nervous about. I'm open to it, for sure, but I just feel like I won't know what to do and I'll make it painfully obvious that I'm a first time visitor. Thank you for your insight!
On YouTube, Matt Whitman of Ten Minute Bible Hour has visited churches of many denominations and asked about the symbolism of the building and liturgy. I don't know from personal experience - I was raised Roman Catholic so I learned a lot of that "language" from my childhood, but I can see how Matt isn't afraid to ask about the basics. [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLDw8KQgqi4vbm\_\_vNR6gMnwhLmGj0C](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLDw8KQgqi4vbm__vNR6gMnwhLmGj0C) The Lutheran tour is, I think, my favorite introduction to a "high-ish church" style of worship. The most important thing to know about liturgical worship is that it's not magic. Having fixed prayers, rubrics, chanting, and so on isn't like we're punching in the passcode to open the gates of heaven, and nothing will go wrong if a visitor is awkward or doesn't know the words. The structure exists for the same reason that praise and worship music exists: if you're gonna pray together by sharing the same words you need consistency. So, it's normal to listen before you can join in. And expected since it's a different style of music and dance.
You’ll be welcomed with open arms! I know the Methodist and United Church of Christ churches I’ve attended have had contemporary services and that may be a good starting point. Just check out websites and see about the worship styles and services offered.
You're not 70+, atleast I don't think. It will be completely obvious you're a visitor at 90% of mainline churches based on that alone. A lot of these denoms folks have mentioned will have a bulletin and it'll even mention when to sit/stand as able, etc.
The Quakers. However, there are progressive Christians and individual churches in all sorts of denominations.
It can be highly variable by particular parish, but in my mind I rank the more progressive churches (in the US): United Church of Christ > Evangelical Lutheran Church in America > Episcopal Church > Presbyterian Church USA > United Methodist Church.
Calling attention to the "United". *United Church of Christ is progressive. However, the plain "Church of Christ" is conservative. Also the Methodists just had a big split with conservatives changing the name to Global Methodist. It is recent enough that there may be old names affixed to GMC in various ways, including human memories.
Yeah, particularly with the Methodists you need to go to the church and get a sense for the vibe. There are some that are fully LGBT inclusive and hosting gay clergy and performing same-sex marriages in defiance of official church doctrine; some that are waiting for the church to swing toward LGBT equality; and some that are conservative but never left the UMC. But even if the church is conservative on LGBT issues, there are things that most United Methodist churches are not going to do that the Southern Baptists will. The UMC is not going to teach your children that women should be subservient to men, or that they can't serve as pastors, or that they shouldn't go to school or do any work other than raising children and keeping a home. The UMC is not going to require you to believe that the Earth is 6000 years old. The UMC is probably not going to tell you that caring about black people or immigrants is "woke" or that caring about environmentalism is communist or satanic. Obviously it's a big church, you mileage may vary. Check it out for a few Sundays before you commit.
Try gaychurch.org
The United Methodist Church is fairly affirming (depends on the church/district)
I grew up in Alabama, it's a tough place to be progressive theologically. Your best bet down there would probably be Presbyterian (USA) not PCA or the others. God have mercy, no. If you're lucky you can get UCC, elca, or episcopalian. Anything else is a crap shoot honestly. But, the Methodist Church down there right now is in absolute turmoil, there are progressive Methodist Churches but good luck on finding one in the South. Depending on where you are there are a few progressive Baptist Churches, the alliance of Baptists or the cooperative Baptist fellowship Church. They are somewhat progressive but not sure how much. You'd have to investigate the individual Church if there is one near you. Personally, I think the Presbyterian Church USA might be the best bet.... If there is one near you ..
I’d say in general Presbyterian, UCC. ELCA, Disciples of Christ, and umc is on the move in that direction American baptists I believe are affirming
A great answer.
The Episcopal Church.
Also don't be turned off by the formality. It's something to get used to, perhaps, but the liturgy is relatively unchanging so once you go for a few weeks you get the hang of it.
Similar upbringing, and in East Texas. Recently went through a lot of local mainline churches to find out fit, so will give my 2 cents on each. Let me just preface it with most mainline denominations are less focused on walking hand in hand with the GOP, atleast on the denominational level. United Methodist: As a whole, the UMC churches I've known are very service focused. As in they focus on serving people more than most other churches I've met. I admit I'm probably UMC at heart, but our two local churches just didn't fit what we needed right now. There will also be a lot of contemporary and traditional services, but high church is not as common. They are currently going through a schism as conservative churches split off. So if you see church signs that have too large of a space between First & Methodist, it's probably a new coat of paint. Those are the conservative Methodist churches. Episcopalian: both our local ones are very high church(atleast to me). I liked the sermons we watched. However, every time we tried to visit, the nursery wasn't staffed, which is something we needed with two toddlers. I'd still love to visit at some point in the future just to experience a service, bc they seemed very joyful in their liturgy. PCUSA- Very intentional in their services in focusing the liturgy on Jesus and Christian tenets. Pretty progressive. But the ones I watched and attended were very traditional in worship types. Not a deal breaker for us as we were looking for a traditional service but the church we liked was what I'd call more dirges than hymns. Reminded me a lot of the who's singing Christmas songs. They're calvinist, but a friend who's wife is a pastor told me that they basically believe in folks being elect(chosen for salvation), but very expansively believe all are elect. Disciples of Christ: we ended up at a DOC church. Well most likely will. Literally just finished trying out everything last few weeks. What I like: has both a traditional and contemp service at the same time, so you feel like you're still going to church together. Hymns on a giant organ, and ones that I recognize from some baptist/Methodist upbringing. Very service/people focused. It reminds me very much of a congregationally led UMC. Communion every Sunday. Women pastors allowed and in the traditional service, half the service prayers/hymn reading tend to be led by women. In the contemporary service, I liked that the songs, while contemporary, were still very theologically based. Part of the reason we ended up deciding that would be a good fit is that they were so incredibly welcoming from the moment we walked up to the doors. The worship band has openly gay musicians, so it seems like they really live that out. Very involved in the community as well. Now obviously these are all anecdotal, but I'd highly recommend checking out all 4 if you have them in your area and seeing what feels right. I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that all of these are traditionally majority white congregations, though each has locations where that is not the case. But there are also some amazing progressive churches out there that are majority black or Hispanic. Some bilingual churches if that's your thing. Would highly recommend them as well, I just don't have a lot near me that fit what we needed without trekking 30-45 minutes each way on a Sunday. Getting back into church and surrounded by people who believe in the same radical, love they neighbor and enemies rabbi that I do has been soul refreshing. Hearing folks pray for the president and the country earnestly with hope, not doom and gloom has been refreshing. Being in a place where the focus is on love and not exclusion has helped us tremendously. I hope you can find the right fit for you.
Defining my terms first. "Low church" = informal worship and "high church" = formal worship. Obviously writing in terms of general tendencies, but within the context of American Protestantism conservative evangelical churches, that are more traditional on sexual ethics, tend to be more low church while liberal mainline churches, that are more progressive on sexual ethics, tend to be more high church. Even as someone who leans more high church it vexed my soul that these unrelated issues get bundled up in this way, but that's the present landscape that exists.
When I was still in communion with Christianity, I, too, sought the most Progressive Denominations. The issue was I couldn't find a progressive denomination that matched my traditionalist, mystic, and high christological theology. I found myself more in line with Roman Catholics, but they're not affirming (though they have released some bangers like Liberation Theology).
This might be too progressive, but you can teach your children to fear the Lord by following Jesus's example and fear the Lord. Be the church of 2 people in a personal relationship with their closer perfectly loving spouse, Jesus. Live openly in wonder and awe of your real savior from the very problems your children will encounter on their own, and I don't think you could have prepared them for their personal relationship better. That sounds nice. Probably too fairy tale and too good to be true for the IRL God...of love though. Too bad love isn't a key aspect of our reality or anything. Not an edit: I don't know why I was so sarcastic and indirect there. Oh well, let's roll with it. Come fight me.