To the Pastors of BMCC — A Letter from the Undefined 301 Group
Oppression, expulsion, pain, hatred, helplessness, lostness, struggle — are these all the will of the Lord?
Some have heard the jaw-dropping views of conservatives, listened to lecturing sermons one after another, mistaken this for Christianity, and grown more hateful and questioning by the day.
Some have been raised on biblical inerrancy — taking it as the only foundation of truth — and have had every experience and testimony judged by it.
Some have blamed themselves for God’s creation, believing the “right way” matters more than happiness, and ended up wounded and cut off from love.
Some have spoken out about their orientation, believing the church genuinely cared about love and faithfulness, only to have their rights — in life and in death — stripped from them.
These experiences happened inside traditional Christian churches. Watching God’s presence, God’s creation, God’s love turned into a lie, the only choice left was to say goodbye to God.
We came here. Over several months we have re-examined the relationship between life and faith.
One person said: “As a Christian, caring for one’s own heart — or transforming one’s heart — matters more than the rightness or wrongness of behaviour. At least my inside and outside are consistent, rather than following a checklist to ‘qualify’ as a Christian. BMCC lets us know God from different angles and directions. I no longer think of myself as a ‘mistake.'”
Another said: “I am grateful that the Lord led me to start a new Christian life at BMCC. Events in my old church around dissent, and the recent death of a friend, have helped me see more deeply that what matters is bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into the present.”
Another said: “In the past I left Christ from depression and discouragement. After encountering pluralistic theology and metaphorical readings at BMCC, scripture and traditional rituals no longer oppress me as before. At BMCC I have felt love, finding freedom in faith again, and the wounds of body and mind have been healing alongside. God has also given me an opportunity in my work — I will use it to manifest love and justice to society.”
Another said: “I have begun to break the old, conservative theological framework, and have found at BMCC a theology I can live with — open, my own. I have not yet experienced God spiritually enough to feel certain of God’s existence; but I feel the end of 301 is a beginning, and this is the direction of my future exploration.”
These shared words carry gratitude — they are the most honest witness of transformation, the kind of testimony traditional churches would rather not hear.
Thank you to the pastors for the leadership and shepherding that has gradually let us dismantle old frameworks, be released and renewed from the past, and let love begin to flow among us again.
A pastor at BMCC said: “The way to change the world is to live well yourself, so that there is one fewer suffering person in the world.” So true: if our hearts are full of pain, no matter how the Spirit descends, no room can be made.
We often hope to find God’s answer outside; yet God has been dwelling in our midst, waiting for us to welcome him. At this moment not everyone is declaring themselves a Christian — but we have indeed felt the gap between life and faith dissolve a little.
We hope the pastors will continue to lead BMCC, guiding our spiritual growth so that love and justice continue.
October 2023
BMCC Growth Course 301 — Undefined Group
