The Need
The last two decades have been an exciting time as we have witnessed emerging expressions of Christian faith across the entire religious landscape. New churches have been started, organizations formed, theologies advocated, books written, websites started, and existing institutions changed and made stronger. We understand that not every participant, student, mentor of our organization has the opportunity to fully familiarize themselves with all the materials. For convenience, we decided to buy a book report online, thus we managed to include in short guides relevant information from the most important literary works of famous authors, preachers, graduates of Christian seminars, and theological researchers. Much of this work has been done by innovators and creative risk-takers in small pockets through interpersonal networks and at great personal sacrifice. While this is normal and the “way it must be” as new movements take shape, it is also only a starting phase. For the benefits of innovation to disseminated broadly, sustainable structures for collaboration and support must be developed. Now is the time to connect these fresh expressions of faith into a movement that is visible at the national level.
We face a four-fold need:
• To convene a new generation of voices, encouraged and supported by more seasoned elders, who together embody a positive, progressive, courageous, and compassionate Christian ethos.
• To advocate for this new ethos by engaging these voices in passionate, creative, and civil public conversation.
• To network those who embody this ethos by creating sustainable, expandable structures, augmenting personal sacrifice with a sustainable financial base.
• To act by identifying shared priorities, collaborating across denominations, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and
organizational specializations.
Diverse movements of reform and renewal among existing and emerging individuals, organizations, and denominations must come together in a fresh way to create a healthy ecosystem that can benefit all. The CANA/Convergence Initiative will serve as a “network of networks” building this ecosystem and seeking the common good. Together, all of these networks will be able to embody a new Christian ethos leading to constructive collective action in the United States.
Why Now?
A number of innovative leaders have emerged over recent decades. They have taken big risks and made big sacrifices. Around them, Progressive, Emergence, and Missional networks have taken shape. These leaders and networks now share a vision for a movement-building collaborative. They recognize a shared ethos that is emerging among them. They have demonstrated the desire to work together in building a healthy ecosystem across their spheres of influence. They have built trust through many shared projects. What remains is to develop a sustainable organizational structure that can serve as a hub to support and extend the momentum that is building and seize this moment of opportunity.
Who Else?
The CANA/Convergence Initiative can occupy a unique and needed role in meeting these needs and generating these outcomes. In the broadly defined “emergence Christianity space,” the CANA/Convergence Initiative is connecting the most influential leaders, organizations and networks and is uniquely positioned to generate a non-competitive, high-caliber collective. Many of the major influencers from missional, progressive, and emergence networks have already expressed their commitment to invest in The CANA Initiative.
In the opening months of privately inviting people to consider the dream of the CANA/Convergence Initiative, we have seen leaders in dozens of high-impact organizations and networks along with more than 100 active “spokespeople” of “emergence Christianity” express their enthusiastic desire to be founding partners in this venture. Donors have begun to offer their assistance and a wide range of professionals have offered their services. All have agreed: this initiative has been needed for a long time, and now is the time to make it a reality.
In the opening months of privately inviting people to consider the dream of the CANA/Convergence Initiative, we have seen leaders in dozens of high-impact organizations and networks along with more than 100 active “spokespeople” of “emergence Christianity” express their enthusiastic desire to be founding partners in this venture. Donors have begun to offer their assistance and a wide range of professionals have offered their services. All have agreed: this initiative has been needed for a long time, and now is the time to make it a reality.