What is the Church for? Why does the Church exist?
As I and my fellow brothers and sisters in the Progressive Christian Alliance have always advocated, the Church is not a four-walled institution, but but a ministry without walls that surrounds and encompasses everything, everywhere we go. Church does not begin only when there is a pulpit or when the message of Jesus is conveyed through spoken word; it extends to all places and is conveyed by our actions.
How should Progressive Christians relate to other kinds of Christians? To those of other faiths? And what is their theological basis for so doing?
We should always be willing to join hands for the common good and understanding of God. I personally believe that it doesn't matter the name you use to call God (how many names are attributed to God in our Bible alone?)—even if your name for God is "Science." As long as you're on the same journey of grace, justice, and inclusion, you are our brother/sister and we are honored to walk alongside of you.
The theological basis for this is Jesus reaching out to the Samaritan at the well and Jesus' teaching to his followers that "whoever is for us cannot be against us" (Mk. 9.40). If they're following God by practicing love, justice, and inclusion, then we're truly following the same God, even if we happen to be on different paths.
What do you see as the future of Progressive Christianity?
Progressive Christianity, to me, is just the first step into a new and greater understanding of the Creator and our role in the universe. My prayer is that we continue to grow and create the community that God desires us to create and reveal God's great love for the world and every individual.
Jarrod is a rough-around-the-edges mess of a minister who enjoys a laugh, a drink, and an occasional (often) cuss word. Most importantly, Jarrod is a lover of compassion, justice, equality, peace, and the pursuit of God's kingdom. Jarrod attempts to pursue his passion of justice and activism in all that he does as a writer, a speaker, musician, and an activist for peace, justice, and social change. Jarrod has served as an interim pastor for an evangelical church and is currently serving as the associate chaplain and firefighter for a local Atlanta, Georgia fire department and a volunteer chaplain for an organization that assists the homeless and poverty-stricken. During his time of serving in these positions, Cochran has had the opportunity to see firsthand that Christ has called his followers to something more than just a religion; Jesus has called them to further the kingdom of God on this earth and be agents of his great change.
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