In recent years, many Christian churches and leaders no longer identify with the religion. Instead, they identify as spiritual leaders with a ‘spiritual collective’ group instead of a religious group. Most people refer to them as the ‘Church for Nones.”
In a recent survey by Pew Research, about 22% of Americans now identify as “spiritual but not religious.” This shows that many people are migrating to a more spiritual path, which they believe is better for them. A perfect guide for people in this category is the Church for Nones.
These spiritual organizations do not follow a definite doctrine and allow their members much flexibility. For example, Vinings Lake in Atlanta is a community with a ‘Church for Nones.’ The community no longer considers itself a church and now identifies as a more fluid group.
Their Pastor, Cody Deese, said, “We’re an ever-evolving spiritual collective. If you’re a Christian, wonderful. If you’re post-Christian, wonderful.” At first sight, it seems like a regular church, especially during their Sunday morning gatherings. They also use music, teachings, and fellowship to connect with their members.
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However, they reject blind faith, accept the LGBTQ+ community, and encourage questions from everyone. They also allow their members to believe in anything and nothing simultaneously.
Another example of a church for nones is at Heartway. Here, their Pastor, Danny Prada, used to be an active preacher of Christianity but struggled with some parts of his faith. “Everything started to unravel for me rather quickly. The challenge of that was still going up and preaching a sermon every Sunday, when on the inside, I was doubting the legitimacy of the whole thing,” Prada said in an interview.
Later, he shared his doubts with the congregation but got a lot of backlash, as expected. However, many others agreed with him and his newfound beliefs. Therefore, in 2019, Heartway rebranded as a spiritual community.
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Prada said, “The focus is less on beliefs and dogma, whether conservative or progressive and more about the experience, the practical spirituality.”
Another example of a budding Church for Nones is Aldea. The spiritual community claims it is bound by values, not written texts or beliefs. The group pastor, Jake Haber, said, “Our motto is love, period. We determine what these wisdom texts are saying through the lens of love, rather than determining what love means through the lens of a wisdom text.”
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Many of the members of these communities have experienced one form of religious trauma or the other. Therefore, these people no longer feel like they belong in mud and churches. The Church for Nones gives them a fresh approach to spirituality and helps them “belong” in a new community.
Since the doctrines are not set in stone, there are still a lot of experimental parts of the church. Their leaders believe they are all figuring it out together and will continue to do so for as long as possible. Furthermore, they want a place where everyone is welcome and no one feels left out.
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