HOW TO SPOT A PROGRESSIVE CHURCH?

 

The term “Progressive Christianity” sounds very attractive. Who wouldn’t want progress, right? Those who identify themselves as progressive Christians commonly define it as “a movement that embraces liberalism and postmodernism. It is a movement that is considered more welcoming and more tolerant of the world as it is.” (Miller, 2023). Its promoters believe that Christianity must change in order to remain relevant in today’s world. So those who support this often challenge traditional perspectives in order to create a community that is more “inclusive” and “loving.” For them, it is not just a movement, but “an open, intelligent, and collaborative approach to the Christian tradition and the life and teachings of Jesus.” (ProgressiveChristianity.org)

No matter how appealing their definitions sound, it cannot be denied that Progressive Christianity is problematic and questionable. Most of their agenda is, without a doubt, based on unbiblical perspectives and practices. What is more alarming is the fact that this movement is growing in numbers and becoming more influential than ever! Many churches are even adopting their views, even if they don’t directly identify as part of the movement. So how can we know if a church can already be considered progressive Christian, or at least leaning toward it? Alisa Childers, an apologist and author, provided five common signs to beware of:

1. A lowered view of the Bible.

Believers, throughout history, have viewed the Bible as the final authority of faith. Unfortunately, progressive Christians do not hold this position. They may see the Bible as inspirational, but not as the inspired Word of God. You may hear them say things like:

“The Bible has errors because it was only written by men…”
“The Bible merely contains the words of God, but is not the Word of God itself…”
“Jesus/Paul/etc. said something wrong here…”

2. Feelings are emphasized over facts.

In progressive Christian churches, feelings, experiences, and personal opinions weigh more heavily than truth itself. The basis of their faith and practice is what they feel to be true, not what is objectively true and reasonable. Statements like these are common:

“Based on my experience, what the Bible says here is wrong…”
“I can’t relate to this verse…”
“The Bible says this, but I think it should mean that…”

3. Essential doctrines are questioned and reinterpreted.

The Bible presents truths that have been the foundation of Christian beliefs for centuries—such as the resurrection, the Trinity, and the divinity of Jesus. Progressive Christians often challenge these doctrines, not to sincerely evaluate their truth, but to redefine or even invalidate them. For example:

“The resurrection of Jesus is just a fictional story. There’s no evidence…”
“Jesus didn’t really die to pay for our sins. He was just silenced by the rich and powerful…”
“There are many ways to be saved, and Jesus is just one of them…”

4. Historic Christian terms are redefined.

Progressive Christians often give new meanings to traditional Christian terms, different from their historic and biblical definitions. For instance, they may say the Bible is the “inspired Word of God,” but not in the sense of being God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16). Instead, they mean it was written out of human creative inspiration (like a poet inspired by feelings).
They also frequently use attractive words like love, grace, and compassion to make their teaching sound appealing—even if their definitions contradict what the Bible actually teaches. For example:

“We shouldn’t talk about sin, just love…”
“God is gracious, so it’s wrong to say Jesus needed to die for our sins…”
“Because the Lord is compassionate, hell isn’t real…”

5. The gospel message is reduced to social justice, not redemption from sin.

Progressive Christians often emphasize social justice—such as inclusivity and helping the marginalized. While the Bible does command us to love others, and Christianity has indeed shaped the world for the better, the core message of the gospel (the real reason Christ came) is not primarily about these things but about redeeming sinners from sin. For them, the kingdom of God that Jesus preached is “a kingdom that was inclusive, with a deep commitment to economic and social justice as well as the practice of nonviolence.” (Herrick, 2023).

Note: The gospel we preach not only brings redemption from sin but also brings transformation to the present world. Again, we are commanded to love others (Jn 13:34; Rom. 13:8, etc.) and to be the salt and light of the world (Matt. 5:13–14). There’s no need to choose only one (social reformation) over the other (spiritual redemption). Their views can be seen in statements like:

“What Jesus really wanted was just social reformation…”
“The purpose of the gospel is to help the voiceless in society…”
“It’s more important to fight for the oppressed than to evangelize the gospel…”

__________

Not all of these signs are obvious, so we must all be discerning. Progressive Christianity may appear appealing, but in reality it is distracting and even dangerous to unsuspecting believers. For if “progress” means redefining and rejecting biblical truth, then there is nothing truly progressive about it. And if a certain brand of Christianity goes against the teachings of Christ, then it is no longer Christianity.  To be honest, there is no “progressive” or “Christian” about this movement, but only deception. True progress in one’s faith brings you closer to God and His truth, not away from it. Stay Curious.

Sources and Studies:

Childers, A. (2017 Aug). “5 𝘚𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘉𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺.” Alisa Childers. Retrieved from https://www.alisachildersblog.com/.../5-signs-your-church...
Miller, B. (2023 Oct 9). “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩?” Christian Ministry Edu. Retrieved from https://christianministryedu.org/.../what-is-a.../
Herrick, R. (2023 Nov 22). “𝘚𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮.” Progressive Christianity. Retrieved from https://progressivechristianity.org/.../sadly-the-bible.../
“𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭?” GotQuestions. Retrieved from https://www.gotquestions.org/progressive-Christianity.html