Toxic polarization is dividing the conservative evangelical church and others and taking its toll on pastors. There are some evangelical Christian conservatives who are receptive to conspiracies and misinformation and have expressed their anger through confrontation both in and outside the church.
However there are also congregation members who are distressed about divisions within the church and beyond. Citizen Data reports 64% of conservatives are concerned about polarization and potentially are amenable to improving the status quo. As part of an initiative to build trust and deepen respect and civility a group of evangelical pastors and others will be invited to develop a discussion guide for table discussions with interested church members connecting scripture to building virtuous communities.
These gatherings will be supported as meetings are expanded within the church to other potentially interested members and also replicated across the US so that a plurality of members serve as public witness and essential moral partners in our democracy.
Podcasts and social media will encourage more pastors and congregations to participate. This has the promise of reaffirming the evangelical community’s commitment to core values and a path to being a force for positive engagement in our pluralistic democracy.