Dear Westwood Family,

This past Sunday, I spoke about pausing, resting, and creating spaces for collective healing. We have all been through a lot, and while we cannot predict the future, we know that several of Trump’s policies will harm all of us, especially the most vulnerable. Community care will be essential for our collective wellbeing. In times like this I am even more grateful to be a part a community like ours. And yet, I have become increasingly aware that there are many people who long to be a part of a progressive Christian community like ours but are not fortunate to have one in their community.

Many of you know that I host a weekly podcast, The Progressive Christians Podcast, that features Westley, Julia, and my friend Rev. Blair Triggstad-Stowe. We started the podcast in August and over the past two months our audience has grown tremendously. One iTunes reviewer wrote:

“The Podcast I’ve Been Praying For! Found the show by chance and I am so glad I did. Thoughtful discussions about relevant and pressing issues that deconstructing Christians grapple with but maybe don’t have spaces to share these thoughts with. I found myself shouting in agreement in the car and skipping backwards just to listen to a statement over and over. This is such a fantastic show and I can’t wait to hear more.”

If we are to confront the rise of Christian Nationalism we must craft a progressive anti-oppression counter-narrative of what Christianity is. Further, we must equip our community and other Christians with the theological scaffolding they need to push back against this destructive and selfish theology. There are people who long for the community that we have built and I believe that through our podcast and other evangelistic efforts we can help equip and develop communities of progressive Christians across America and around the world – we have listeners in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

There are a few things I need from you all in order to help us bring this vision of Christianity to all who are open to listening.

First, I need you to subscribe to and give a 5-star rating to The Progressive Christians Podcast on Spotify and/or iTunes, and it would be even better if you could leave an iTunes review. The more subscribers, ratings, and reviews we receive the more the podcast algorithms will promote our podcast when people search terms like “Christian podcast.” As a special bonus, I will cook lunch or dinner for the first 10 people who rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast – and I’ve been told that I am a pretty good cook!

Second, the pastoral staff wants to know what we can do to help you all during this time. Before we begin doing anything we wanted to ask you all what you think you need. Please clicking on this link to answer the following question: “What do you and/or your family need right now? How can our church community help?” This link will take you to an application (MentiMeter) where you can anonymously share your needs with the pastoral staff.

In closing, I want to share that I vividly remember the last time Donald Trump was president-elect. The Sunday following his election in 2016, I had to preach my ordination sermon. The sermon was due to the Board of Ordained Ministry by the end of November, and the only Sunday I could preach all fall was the Sunday following the election – lucky me.

The title of my sermon was “Let us not grow weary in doing what is right,” and I used 2nd Thessalonians 3:6-15 to argue that it is a moral responsibility to help Christians who voted for Trump understand how their vote was electing a person whose life and values were antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus. The goal of this sermon was to “call people in” rather than “calling them out” – to invite them to practice a form of Christianity grounded in love, justice, and compassion.

I have spent the last eight years “calling people in” through my wiring, preaching, and teaching. And now I believe that we have the capacity to call even more people in, to grow the circle wider, to expand Jesus’ sacramental table beyond what we believe to be possible, because all things are possible with God.

In Love & Solidarity,

Rev. Dr. Carter