The Albuquerque Doubter’s Club

 Shawn and David started The Doubter’s Club in Albuquerque, NM in November, 2018. The two of them had a long history of going to church in the city and serving the local church. But as life has a habit of doing, the more they saw the less they wanted to see. Their hunger for authenticity eclipsed what the traditional, Sunday morning driven church could offer. David was called “dangerous” due to the evolution of his theology, and Shawn was deemed an outsider by the insiders. Shawn and David even had a past with one another that required grace and forgiveness for a friendship to flourish. All of this was the perfect recipe for a Doubter’s Club, and they were the perfect two to co-moderate the meetings!

Atheists and agnostics attended their meetings regularly. Gay people, straight people, and people who didn’t know what they thought about that topic. Ex-Christians, new Christians, and grumpy, rigid, dogmatic Christians. They would meet in a secluded area of a local Poki restaurant and pursue truth as they listened to one another. Experiencing the love of Jesus through a listening ear was only an appetizer. Life long friendships beyond the barriers of what they believe was the main course! Friendships that saw one another’s differences as an opportunity to pursue what is true, together. The meetings were going strong, and then COVID happened… 

A member of The Doubter’s Club lost two of his businesses due to the shutdown. David was put on the front lines as a first responder to COVID calls. And Shawn’s employer let him know that they may have to transfer him to another state. However, because The Doubter’s Club became a lifestyle, this group of friends continued to meet, help one another, and talk through issues of faith and life. Shawn and David started inviting the group over to their backyards, and the meetings would last well into 1 or 2am! People who would once focus on each other’s disagreements before were now focusing on how to love and serve the other person well.

The group is hungry for more than just DC gatherings now. Shawn recently started pursuing connections with an organization that trains people on how to start house/ micro churches. Still, this group of doubters would be seen by many as theological misfits. They don’t fit nicely into organized religion or dogmatic systems. But they are incredibly committed to loving each other and Jesus! They don’t care about being friendly with people who think differently. They care to be friends with them. And perhaps, with time, a healthy church is formed out of the homes that once hosted far-from home doubters. And if not, that’s ok too. Friendship is the bridge that Jesus walks across to get from one heart to the next. Either way, the Kingdom is coming “on Earth as it is in Heaven.” 

Imagine what could happen in your community if you started living the Doubter’s Club lifestyle. If you’re interested in becoming a Doubter’s Club Pioneer, let me know.