22. Pastor Joe Graves (United Methodist) – The Progressive Planter: Finding (and Building) the Church You Wish Existed

🎙️ 22. Pastor Joe Graves (United Methodist) – The Progressive Planter: Finding (and Building) the Church You Wish ExistedWhen so many are walking away from church, Pastor and Author Joe Graves (@josephdavidgraves) is reimagining what it can be—clear, inclusive, justice-rooted, and grounded in grace. From launching free stores and violence-reduction funds to writing The Progressive Planter, Joe shares how “clear is kind,” why progressives must move from gatekeeping to organizing, and how we can all help build the kind of faith community we’ve been longing for.Together, Alexis & Joe dive into:Why “clear is kind”: finding churches that state values up front (no bait-and-switch)How the United Methodist Church holds a wide umbrella—largely contemporary, liturgical, and LGBTQ+ affirmingDeconstruction diversity: when one person still prays with hands laid on, and another has stopped praying altogetherMental health as ministry—covering therapy sessions, normalizing care, and breaking stigmaHow City View Church became an incubator for justice through Little Bottoms Free Store and the Columbus Violence Reduction FundThe Methodist theology of prevenient grace—God’s love already everywhereWhy progressives must stop gatekeeping and start organizing around shared values💡 Key TakeawaysGrace is everywhere—before, within, and beyond the walls of church.Empathy is the heart of the gospel. The incarnation itself is “cosmic empathy.”Progressives can disagree theologically yet work together for justice.⛪ About Our Guest Rev. Joe Graves, (he prefers Joe) is pastor of City View Church in Columbus, Ohio—a progressive United Methodist congregation formed through an innovative merger. He has helped launch or support 10+ new ministries across the Midwest and founded justice-centered initiatives including Little Bottoms Free Store and the Columbus Violence Reduction Fund. 🌐 Website: joegraves.org 🏛️ Church + sermons: cityviewcolumbus.org📚 Resources MentionedGod Didn’t Make Us to Hate Us — Rev. Lizzie McManus-Dail | IG: @rev.lizzieThe Bible for Normal People (podcast) | IG: @biblefornormalpeople @peteenns, @jaredbyasThe Progressive Planter:  A Handbook for Ecclesial Entrepreneurs — Joe Graves (Abingdon Press) https://www.abingdonpress.com/product/9781791040116/New Interpreter’s Bible CommentaryColumbus Violence Reduction Fund: cityviewcolumbus.org/giveLittle Bottoms Free Store: https://www.littlebottoms.org/Support the showAbout The Sacred SlopeWhere the slippery slope becomes sacred ground.For the spiritually tender—raised in or rooted in Christianity.Come explore our global, diverse, inclusive Christian faith, deconstruction, and spiritual identity in a rapidly changing world. Through conversations with clergy, scholars, and cultural voices, the show creates space for people navigating faith after certainty, church harm, or political co-option of religion.🎧 WATCH: YouTube / Spotify     LISTEN: Apple Podcasts + everywhere     FOLLOW: @thesacredslope (IG, FB, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Bluesky)🔗 Connect🎧 Explore episodes & community: linktr.ee/TheSacredSlope 🎙 Hosted by Alexis Rice 🎵 Music by Brett Rutledge, Eddie Irvin & Sean Spence 📬 Nominate a guest: [email protected]🌿 Community Guidelines 🌿Fruit of the Spirit:  ❤️ love • 💫 joy • ☮️ peace • 🕊 patience • 💝 kindness • 🌿 goodness • 🙏 faithfulness • 🤲 gentleness • 💪 self-control