http://middleproject.org 
The Middle Project Executive Summary Click here to read.
The  End  of  Christianity?  by John Janka  Click here to read.

The Executive Summary
The Middle Project prepares ethical leaders for a just society. It is an institute that convenes leaders from many disciplines, professions and fields who are committed to pursuing the common good from a progressive perspective, motivated by a sense of justice and concern for those on the margins: the poor, the working poor, and those who are marginalized by race, class, or gender/sexual injustice.
 
The Middle Project takes its strength and approach from the progressive Christian faith that has played a major role in this nation’s greatest democratic achievements: the abolition of slavery, civil rights, universal suffrage, the anti-war movement. It seeks to use this strength to bring progressives who have tended to work in independent silos of thought and action together in a common enterprise, to develop and support a network of scholars, practitioners, and leaders who are committed to, and capable of, creating and acting on a deeper understanding of what constitutes the common good. The Middle Project provides:
 
Research that engages faculty in such fields as ethics, law, economics, education, health, political science, sociology, theology, community planning, and the media in scholarship that transforms these disciplines by breaking the frame of current thinking and reflecting the perspective of the marginalized.
 
Resources such as websites, articles, books, curricula, blogs, and other Internet tools that enable leaders to advocate effectively for a progressive social agenda.
 
Education and training: conferences for clergy and seminarians, a leadership laboratory for young people from many fields who are early in their careers, and a summer leadership camp for older adolescents, that through a combination of academic learning and direct engagement with issues affecting the marginalized will develop leaders capacity to advance the cause of social justice in their congregations, communities, and places of work from a progressive perspective.
 
Communications and networking activities which build relationships and share knowledge, ideas, and strategies, using a variety of communications vehicles.
 
Every component of the Middle Project focuses on the perspective of the marginalized, the integration of progressive thinking from many disciplines, an interaction between scholarly exploration and on-the-ground experience and effort, and the building of networks and partnerships among diverse leaders who share a commitment to create a world in which the needs and strengths of all people are accorded equal respect and support.
 
The Middle Project is incubating in a progressive Christian community, Middle Collegiate Church, which for two decades has served as a laboratory and national model for the practice of inclusive, faith-based ethics. The diversity and inclusiveness of its membership, and its commitment to education and social action to achieve justice and reconciliation, are deeply-rooted principles that inform the creation and approach of the Middle Project. The Middle Project is being developed by a team led by Middle Collegiate Church Senior Minister Reverend Jacqueline Lewis, PhD; the Reverend John Janka, consultant to congregations; and media producer Kate Farrell, and is supported by advisors and partners from diverse fields who have helped shaped the purposes, approaches, pedagogy and structure of this endeavor.?
 
The Middle Project unites progressive leaders who are ready for a revolutionary and prophetic way of using power, information, and resources. It has the vision, commitment, and capacity to bring together the best of the academy with the best of grassroots wisdom to create, through relationships, research, education, advocacy and activism, a human resource pool that is poised to strengthen the infrastructure of a progressive religious and political movement.
NOW ACCEPTING:?    The Middle Project, Inc., a 501 c3 non-profit corporation, is now accepting donations. ?The Middle Project Inc., 50 E. 7th Street, New York, NY 10003?Attn:  Dr. Jacqui Lewis,   j.lewis@middleproject.org
 
FOR  MORE  INFORMATION:     k.farrell@middleproject.org or j.janka@middleproject.org