Battling Christian Nationalism with an invitation–a webinar series

‘How can we as a church be more invitational?’ It was the question that came to mind for Rev. Andrew Ponder Williams, pastor of the North Community Church UCC in Marshfield Hills, Massachusetts after a conversation with his church moderator.

“My moderator said she felt the church was much more connected when her now college-aged children were younger–she said the church was a host for more social opportunities, and with the rise in the voices of Christian Nationalism, I felt we needed to be more intentional in letting people know who we are and inviting them in.”

A 3-part webinar series has grown out of his reflection. “I decided to create the series around being invitational,” Williams said. “And that’s what the series is designed to do, to encourage people to think of words that capture our theology and our intention and our calling and our purpose as the world is growing further away from traditional expressions of church.”

More than ringing alarms

Williams, who also serves as a member of the UCC Board, believes while his church may identify as liberal and progressive, those words aren’t landing in the broader culture with the same gravity that the word “evangelical” does–he feels the church needs to do more than condemn and ring alarms around what Christian Nationalists are doing. That’s how his Invitational Christianity series evolved.

The registration page for the series asks, “Who are you?  Who are we?  We tend to identify ourselves and our congregations by the denomination we belong to. This doesn’t resonate with most people in need of  a nurturing faith community.  We will consider a more impactful way for Mainline Protestant and progressive Christian individuals and churches to extend an invitation to those who need to receive it.  Together we can overcome a marketing problem that is 200 years in the making.”

The theology behind being invitational

The first part of the series is free, and there is a small fee to attend parts two and three to support the production of the workshop. “In the first webinar, “Invitational Christianity, an Invitation,” we looked at why the word evangelical is no longer a good word for us because it’s been co-opted for the current political moment. So we dove into this word, and the theology I have behind it,” said Williams.

Part two is called “Intentionally Generational”, and will be presented on Dec. 3. It costs $25 to attend. If those registered can’t attend it live, they will receive a recording of the event.

Williams has a passion for this kind of exploration. He has been an outspoken advocate on Capitol Hill and at the United Nations. He has served on the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society and on the Board of Directors of the United Church of Christ. Williams currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Thrive Campus Ministry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  

“A lot in this series is looking across my experience with different denominations and different congregations in and around the country and seeing what’s a thread, what are some consistent threads that make mainline Protestants, and what I am now calling invitational Christians, distinct.”

The authenticity of Open and Affirming

Williams believes the authenticity the UCC brings to being Open and Affirming is a big part of the role we can play in communities going forward. “I don’t think we appreciate the authenticity that we bring to that inclusion, that invitation, that welcome, because another thing that’s happening in our religious landscape right now is a lot of churches that are not open and affirming theologically are claiming to be gay friendly.”

Part 3 of the series will center around this belief. Registration for “Authentically Affirming” is now open. It also has a $25 fee to help pay for the production.

Williams continued, “Our role is actually bigger now because we mean it. The UCC has LGBTQ people in leadership. We have openly gay and trans pastors. We have people who believe–who have had a theological witness and clarity that that we are all made in the image of God and that’s long standing. It’s not for the faint of heart. This is good stuff!”

The power of invitation and inclusion

“I think this is a moment to seize the power of invitation and inclusion, and also recognize that God really is needing us, if not expecting us to name that power, and take our authority with that theology and do good things with it because we see the consequence of the world where the loudest Christians are in an opposite place.”

The webinars are intended for those in the pulpit as well as those in the pews, said Williams. “The longer I live with this concept, the more I’m excited about it,” he said.

The first part of the series will be offered again in late January. One can watch and attend the series in any order.

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