Last week, I brought you the first installment in what I think is going to be a regular series uncovering the ridiculousness of progressive Christianity. Progressive theology and progressive politics often go hand in hand. This week, we’ll start with one of those instances where a pastor emphasized his progressivism a little too much, and his woke church finally had enough of it.
In a wealthy Charlotte, N.C., neighborhood lies Myers Park Baptist Church. This congregation is woke as a joke. The church’s tagline is “Inclusivity I Spirituality I Community I Justice,” and it features rainbow accents on signs on the building. A sign on the sidewalk in front of the church reads, “Jesus was an undocumented immigrant, just saying...” (He wasn’t.)
Pastor Benjamin Boswell had been at the church for nine years, but a sermon he gave back in November made some in his congregation uncomfortable. NPR reports:
Boswell likened the moment to what he called the "gathering dark of Hitler's rule." He added that Trump's election would lead to the "crucifixion" of immigrant families as well as transgender and nonbinary people.
"But our faith also teaches us … that every crucifixion needs a witness," Boswell said. "The fight is not over, it's just beginning."
Members weren’t happy with Boswell’s comments at a recent seminar on racial issues in which the pastor said the church needed to “decolonize” its sanctuary and become less “WASPy.” The church board recently fired Boswell.
Congregants said that they were tired of Boswell guilt-tripping them and making every sermon political; some also said that he was a good preacher but a bad pastor. The board pointed to the 42% decrease in attendance since Boswell became pastor. It doesn’t take a theologian or a statistician to know that all those issues are related.
One young church member said that the division in the church reminded him of the current schism in the Democratic Party. NPR reports that “Boswell says the conflict at Myers Park is part of a much bigger national trend to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.”
The truth is that things might have been different if Boswell had been more concerned about the gospel and discipleship than about left-wing virtue signaling. But we’ll never really know.
Next, we’ll turn to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), which might be the most left-leaning denomination. Add that this story comes from San Francisco, and you’ve got the craziest church story you’ll read all week.
Protestia reports that an ELCA congregation in the Sierra Pacific Synod has witches on staff and practices pagan rituals:
Founded initially as Ebenezer Lutheran Church by Swedish immigrants in 1884, the church served the community for many years until Rev. Stacy Boorn took over. Ordained in 1987, Boorn describes herself as a “Pastor & Priestess of Ritual” and claims that her “malestream theological education opened the door for her to build a Goddess-inclusive congregation and ministry.”
Inhabited by several legions of demons, she’s remade the church into her image, painting it purple in 2010 and giving it its new moniker to “honor the Goddess and Divine Feminine,” be in “solidarity with women and all persons who are oppressed and denied equal rights,” and to “advocate for marriage rights for all people.”
The church now goes by herchurch and includes a litany of evil, un-Christian practices like invocations, chants, and healing circles, along with some dumb left-wing events like BIPOC content creation and drum circles. The staff is nearly all female, with one exception.
Protestia reports that “leaders include Priestess Alice Heimsoth, the ‘Documentarian Priestess for herchurch, artistically chronicling the community and its member’s connection to the Divine Feminine,’ and Priestexx Thom Longino, the ‘adjunct pastor, spiritual director, Goddexx enthusiast, avid crocheter, Br Lilith of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans, and occasional Night Minister.’”
But the real kicker is Christine Konkol, the church’s “Resident Witch.” No, seriously. Her bio states:
As Priestess Witch for herchurch, Christine offers magical gifts to share and enhance the support and development of herchurch. The monthly astrological reading provides guidance from the stars and is a favorite among many. Together we honor the natural cycles of the year, the Solstices and Equinoxes, and thank the Earth for her bounty. Small group gatherings provide inspiration and direct our attention to instinct and intuition helping us to discover ways to connect to the divinity of nature and thereby the Divine.
Y’all, these people aren’t Christians. This is pagan evil, pure and simple. How does the ELCA keep these heretics in fellowship? (I think we know the answer to that question.)
Finally, we turn to something that may or may not qualify as progressive Christianity, but it’s still dumb as all get out. Rick “I want to bully the Southern Baptist Convention into ordaining women because I like women pastors” Warren posted this nonsense on X:
He later deleted the post, which might be the wisest thing he could ever do.
How asinine could he get? Jesus’ position on the middle cross was not God’s political statement. The men on either side of him were not on the left or right because they were thieves. Let’s also not forget that one of the two thieves asked Jesus for forgiveness.
The reaction to Warren’s stupid post was strong:
This is an example of proof texting scripture so badly that you should be embarsssed to call yourself a pastor.
— Jenna Ellis 🐊 (@realJennaEllis) February 12, 2025
Jesus is not a moderate or “in the middle” when it comes to truth. To characterize him as such simply because of the placement of his cross is perverting an historical…
Pastor Rick, I'm not sure it is wise to fall into what so many on the left and right do and use our current political spectrum to frame Christ in moderation instead of being at the center of our shared story.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) February 12, 2025
Huh? This makes zero sense.
— Becket Cook (@becketcook) February 12, 2025
I don't always think you deserve the criticism you get, but you definitely deserve to get dragged for mangling this story to fit the message you wanted to push.
— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) February 12, 2025
Allow me explain for anyone scratching their heads.
— Shaun Marksbury (@marksbury) February 11, 2025
This is an eisegetical reading of the Passion account. Warren asks you to reimagine the thieves as representing the political parties which would exist in American some 20 centuries later.
Warren, who's interviewed Barack…
Too many people on both sides of the political aisle try to claim Jesus for their sides, which is always silly. But it’s equally vapid and foolish for Warren to claim that Jesus occupies the wimpy, mushy middle.
That’s it for this week. I think this might become a weekly feature; after all, there’s plenty of low-hanging fruit among progressive Christians.
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