Our mission at Downey Avenue Christian Church is to be "Transformed by God's radical love to build a welcoming church, a just community, and a sustainable world." During our time of worship on Sundays we declare this mission as the guiding light on all that we seek to do together. But our hope is that this missional call extends beyond the worship setting into our lived experiences as members of the community. 

 

With this mission statement as our guide, we have become increasingly alarmed at the rising tide of Christian Nationalism growing in American churches as well as the national public square. We've seen the ways in which Christianity has been distorted and twisted into a dogmatic expression of division, hatred, violence, and bigotry. These are the hallmarks of Christian Nationalism and they surely must grieve the heart of an expansive, peaceful, and loving God.

 

Because this perversion of our beloved faith tradition has become a growing trend in the United States, we feel a responsibility to speak out against the dangers of Christian Nationalism. In fact, speaking boldly on this issue has become so important to this faith community, that we co-sponsored, along with a dozen other Disciples of Christ congregations around the country, a General Assembly resolution calling our denomination, The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), to denounce this hideous distortion of faith while speaking and acting boldly to oppose its growth. The resolution passed unanimously. 

 

So, as one sponsoring congregation of this resolution, the members of Downey Avenue Christian Church feel strongly that we must "put our money where our mouth is" and lead the way forward to speak and act boldly. We have had small group discussions on the dangers of Christian Nationalism, we've tailored worship services around the theme, and now we have posted banners on the front of our building with bold language denouncing this cancer within the heart of Christianity. We recognize this is not enough; it is merely the first steps in what we hope will be a mission to return the heart of Christianity to her roots--love, compassion, kindness, grace, and mercy. 

 

For more information on Christian Nationalism, please visit the links provided on this site. To speak with a Downey Avenue Christian Church pastor about Christian Nationalism, please email communications@downeyavenue.com. 

 

Pastor Melody