Welcoming
Exvangelicals Many of us were raised in families with generations of Christians. We were church leaders, pastors, Bible class teachers, and graduates of Christian colleges. We grew up listening to Christian music and wearing WWJD (“What Would Jesus Do?”) bracelets and purity rings. We sang Christian devotional songs around the campfire at our church camps and might have married a special person we met there. But when we came to the door of your sanctuary, many of us felt like foreigners. The words you used were different. The traditions, the vestments, the incense, the jargon…all seemed a little stuffy…and frankly...weird. But despite all that, something drew us to you. We Evangelicals have diverse backgrounds and many of our stories are a little different. But amidst the differences, we share some commonalities. Vineyard, Baptist, Church of Christ, Assembly of God, and other non-denominational faith backgrounds with varying levels of conservatism. But listen for a bit, and common themes begin to bubble up to the surface. Though stories are shared to knowing nods by our “Exvangelical” comrades (as we former Evangelicals call ourselves…) our narratives are met by gasps of horror and disbelief (and even some dismissal) from many of our “cradle” Episcopalian friends. This divide between cradle Episcopalians and Exvangelicals is a challenge that plays itself out time after time across the nation as formerly devout Evangelicals are leaving the churches of their youth in droves. Though some have thrown the baby out with the bathwater and left Christianity altogether, many are still deeply in love with the Way of Christ and the teachings of Jesus and are searching for a new spiritual community. For many, these devoted individuals left behind lifelong friendships, the only support systems they ever knew, and for some, blood relatives. Some left due to “pulling” forces: They were wantContinued on next page
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