Now Organizing Local Communities of Support!
Based on the success of our recent Mormon Stories Conference in New York City, we have decided to organize several local, Facebook-based communities of support for what we like to call uncorrelated (or intellectual/feminist/gay/politically liberal/inactive/post/ex) Mormons. We have already created 32 groups, and hope to establish a support group for every major city/region in the world. The idea behind each group will be to: 1) foster local, face-to-face communities of support for non-traditional Mormons, and 2) help to encourage healthy/constructive living amongst those for whom the traditional LDS Church experience is not adequate. Note: this is NOT meant to replace the LDS church experience. Instead, it is meant to augment the church experience (for those who still attend), or to provide community support for those who no longer feel comfortable attending church. Some ideas we are hoping to foster include:
- Monthly local meet-ups
- Book clubs/study groups
- Weekly play groups for children
- Annual youth conferences for teens
- College groups for Mormon university students (BYU/UVU and USU already created!)
- A dating service
- Service projects
- Annual conferences/retreats
- Etc.
If you are interested in any of this, please check out our existing groups for a group near you.
If you would like to start your own local support group, please email us at: mormonstories@gmail.com
thanks, john, for putting a name to what so many of us feel–a love for Mormonism and its goodness, but parts of ourselves that just don’t fit and needs that go unmet in a regular church setting. uncorrelated, yo!
Amazing idea. Thanks John for another great idea.
Sounds like a great idea. I would be happy to help in Oklahoma City. Please let me know.
So are these groups like secret combinations or something like that? I’d love to start the first “community group” here in Gadianton!! Haha!! Way to go John & Co. 32 groups already. Thanks for your time and efforts and having the “guts” to do this. You have my full support.
Welcome to the Church of John Dehlin of Latter-day Heretics. ;)
Seriously, this is good stuff. I have a PostMormon chapter in my area (South Carolina) as that fits where I am, so I can see how something like this will be very useful to Liberal Mormons.
SwearingElder,
Let me know if you want to unite.
John
Well, if Liberal Mormons (which I used to be) don’t mind mingling with Apostates (which I am), then let’s rock and roll! Here’s our chapter:
https://www.postmormon.org/exp_e/index.php/chapters/ch_home/1001
I will bring the Orange County group up at PostMormon gathering on the 10th. I am sort of reminded of the Reorganized church thirty years ago, when thousands of members left and organized “Restoration Branches.” I “Stand All Amazed” at the changes rapidly coming…
Brilliant idea John! It is about time there were groups for struggling or non-traditional Mormons out there.
I run an established monthly ex-mormon meetup in the Denver area and would love to be involved. Feel free to email me at Descartes1979@gmail.com.
Join our Denver group!
I love the term ‘uncorrelated mormon.’ Did John coin the term?
Maybe. If I got it from somewhere else, I don’t remember where. But I’m a
sponge…so who knows. Glad you like it!
Why don’t you just cut to the chase. You’ve got the priesthood. Start your own congregations.