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Progressive church plants—Protestant congregations founded within the past ten years and oriented around socially progressive theology—have begun to emerge across the United States. Many were established in the wake of the sociopolitical upheavals of 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement, the presidential election, and a broader trend of Protestant deconstruction. These churches often diverge from traditional forms of Christianity, acting as a bridge between progressive theology and the desire among congregants to engage political issues within the constraints of church-state separation. Many of these organizations also provide their local communities with goods or services often overlooked by formal institutions. This exploratory work uses interviews with founders and pastors of progressive church plants to analyze the roles progressive church plants play in their communities within their capacities as informal political institutions.

Light lunch is provided. 

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