Progressive COCs

[Fellow Traveler]

I used to really admire theses congregations but now it seems to me like they ride the fence. They want to attempt to rebrand coc worship and doctrine, but in my experience people in these churches when pressed either end up leaving the coc altogether or they default back to mainline/hard line mode. I've heard it described as putting new wine into old wineskins. Has anyone else had experience in one of these?

[GuitarHero]

My experience was with the Disciples of Christ, which split from the COC. On paper, they are progressive as hell, and true enough there are some very progressive people therein. But I kinda got sick with their whole "we don't agree about anything, hahahaha!" schtick. But there were still sacred cows that you didn't dare slaughter. Much of their theology is fairly well milquetoast. I'm all for agreeing, but I think there should be a time for taking a stand, like...oh, I don't know...when people are being abused?

[GMan]

I noticed that some congregations try to outdo other congregations on being "progressive". Sorry it just doesn't happen as they are just the same just a bit more "modern". Just my opinion.

[Turtle]

I noticed that some congregations try to outdo other congregations on being "progressive". Sorry it just doesn't happen as they are just the same just a bit more "modern". Just my opinion.

This is pretty much what is happening in the congregation where I am going with my husband. They are modernizing. They talk a lot about love and tolerance and have more up to date activities and functions with lots of nods to technology, but still keep the core dogma of the coc being "The Lord's Church."

[B.H.]

I noticed that some congregations try to outdo other congregations on being "progressive". Sorry it just doesn't happen as they are just the same just a bit more "modern". Just my opinion.

I consider myself to be very progressive. Most Muslims live in the twelfth century. I proudly admit I embrace the knoweldge and values found in the 13th century.

[Hildegard]

I used to really admire theses congregations but now it seems to me like they ride the fence. They want to attempt to rebrand coc worship and doctrine, but in my experience people in these churches when pressed either end up leaving the coc altogether or they default back to mainline/hard line mode. I've heard it described as putting new wine into old wineskins. Has anyone else had experience in one of these?

The CoC we left was actually pretty progressive (elders/eldresses, music, male/female worship/prayer/class leaders, didn't meet in a building) and at first it felt like a breath of fresh air and we liked going. Over time, there was a lot of dissension in the core groups that we were mostly unaware of. The progressive church merged with another church about 5 years ago and moved back in the building, so to speak. It meets in the gym and the established congregation meets in the auditorium. This ostensibly was so people could try out both kinds of worship services, but we hear that 5 years on zero integration has occurred. It's not like anybody there to force integration, they were all hoping it would happen organically, but I doubt that will happen at this point.

Anyway, after the progressive CoC started meeting back in the building, it pretty much defaulted to mainstream with music, complete with CoC guilt trips. They had a heart to serve, and no doubt a lot of people in that congregation had/have their hearts in the right place, but they promoted that quite a bit and made it into "feel-good" stuff. Photo sequences of people volunteering, cleaning, helping, etc, were shown during worship. To their credit they did have some very progressive and successful ideas about outreach. But it all got to be very self-aggrandizing. And they were doing all these things without a willingness to understand the people they wanted to help; still a lot of judgment. Honestly half of the reason we parted ways with them had to do with what we heard after they came back from tornado cleanup duty. They still just don't get it.

By the time we left it just seemed like the whole thing was parody.

[teresa]

I consider myself to be very progressive. Most Muslims live in the twelfth century. I proudly admit I embrace the knowledge and values found in the 13th century.

Good one, BH. I like self-deprecating humor.