UniteBoston

Bridging Divides Across Christians for the Flourishing of the City

Join the Online Beloved Community Lab Cohort

Monthly on Thursdays, 10:00AM to 1:00PM | Starts October 1 | Application Due August 21

– Do you long for a depth of unity that honors our unique cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, rather than ignoring them?- 

– How do we follow Jesus’ call to love our neighbors – and our enemies – while holding fast to our deepest convictions?

– Do you want to explore how our differences can strengthen our connections to one another instead of fracturing us apart? 

– Do you long for the Church to be known for what we are for, rather than what we are against? 

– Do you desire to be an ambassador of reconciliation and grow in learning how to lead your community in the peacemaking, reconciling Way of Jesus?   

– Do you have a longing to see the Church get beyond our fractured witness?

If these questions stir up something inside you, then the Beloved Community Lab might be for you!

A New Kind of Leadership for a Divided Time

Despite Jesus’ clear mandate for unity and welcoming all to the table, churches remain some of the most divided institutions in our society. With over 45,000 Christian denominations and countless divides over race, gender, theology, and politics, the Church’s fractured witness stands in stark contrast to Jesus’ prayer that we would be one (John 17).

A team of diverse Christian leaders in Boston recognized this gap and came together to ask:
What kind of discipleship is needed to form leaders who uphold God’s call for unity and oneness in today’s world?

Through prayer, study, and listening, UniteBoston has been on a three-year journey of developing the Beloved Community Lab, a unique opportunity for Christian leaders to come together across lines of difference to learn and practice unity, justice, and reconciliation in their leadership contexts.

We call this a “lab” because it combines core theological concepts with real-world application through case studies, interactive exercises, and spiritual practices. This cohort is a space for spiritual formation—shaping participants into peacemakers and reconcilers, growing into the life and way of Jesus. Read the story and fruit emerging behind about our pilot cohort here and a reflection by cohort alum Dr. Michael James.

If we want to see a different kind of world and a more embodied Christian witness, we must become different kinds of people. Our pilot Beloved Community Lab cohort is an experiment in Christian unity that seeks to change not just what we know, but how we live.

Details 

WHEN: Thursdays from 10:00AM to 1:00PM EST (Approx every three weeks)

FORMAT: Zoom

COST: $600 to $1000 (Sliding scale)

APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 21, 2026

WHO SHOULD APPLY:
Christian leaders who value unity, reconciliation, and justice—and want to grow in living these out. We are seeking to convene a cohort community that come from a wide range of denominational, theological, racial/ethnic, and generational backgrounds. This cohort in particular is designed for Christian leaders who are interested in bringing the Beloved Community Lab to their contexts and cities.

Click here to see the Beloved Community Lab Cohort PDF to learn more about the vision, dates, core competencies, and more.

We believe there’s no better time than now for Christ followers to prioritize the ministry of reconciliation by engaging well across our deep differences – serving as peacemakers in our fractured world. Today’s algorithms and silos will seek to keep us fractured and divided, but God calls us to a different way. 

Some of the most transformational moments in life happen when we journey with others. Are you ready to walk the uniting, reconciling way of Jesus—with courage, compassion, and community?

Apply by August 21 to join the pilot cohort.

Let’s grow together as peacemakers in a fractured world.

Mending Divides: How 16 Boston Christian Leaders Pressed into Deep Difference as Beloved Community

In a culture fractured by hostility, what if the path to Christian unity runs directly through our differences rather than around them? The Beloved Community Lab was created to move beyond shallow tolerance and instead cultivate a daily discipleship of peacemaking and reconciliation.

Read below about the fruit that is emerging from our pilot cohort, and learn how you can join the movement this fall!

By Rev. Kelly Fassett

There we were at the Bethany House of Prayer in Arlington, sitting in a circle and reflecting on the year. As we went around the room sharing what this year had meant to us, two pastors spoke back-to-back. The contrast between them was striking—one hailing from a conservative-leaning theological tradition, the other a progressive clergy member in a mainline denomination.

Yet, the unity in the room was palpable. They spoke not of theological compromise, but of a quiet, uncanny kinship—a mutual affection that genuinely willed the good of the other. One described the year as a personal “journey from tentativeness to greater dimensions of security and affection,” describing their friendship as God-ordained. The other reflected: “In my tradition, I thought I knew a lot about tolerance and radical welcome. But being in close contact with Christians who profess quite different, often deeply (and personally) challenging theological views was something I was little prepared for. The point, of course, was not to change one another’s minds. Instead, it was to find ways to love each other. And I can say that this really did happen, slowly but genuinely… This alone feels like a miracle, and I am deeply, deeply grateful for it.”

Standing at the intersection of such profound difference and profound love raises a core question for the Church today: What is at the heart of the unity we seek as followers of Jesus, and how do we actually get there?

Moving Beyond Papered-Over Peace

Historically, efforts towards Christian unity have often centered high-level doctrinal negotiations—ecumenical councils of bishops and theologians ironing out statements of belief. While doctrine is vital—at UniteBoston, we hold steadfast to the foundational truths of the Nicene Creed—we are convinced that statements alone cannot heal a fractured Church.

Perhaps the unity Jesus prayed for in John 17 is less about structural consensus and more of an invitation into the dynamic, relational dance of the Trinity itself. After all, Jesus did not leave us a checklist; He offered Himself, saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” If our shared relationship with Jesus is the most fundamental reality of our identity and purpose, then we believe Christ is the anchor capable of holding us together across deep divides.

However, I’ve seen the Church too often settling for a shallow, ‘kumbaya’ togetherness that papers over difference with polite tolerance. I’ve become dismayed by how this plays out in events I attend: at ‘unity’ gatherings, I often notice that the room is predominantly white, while ‘justice’ events are led by BIPOC individuals and those on the margins. There is a tendency to treat unity and justice as competing priorities, but this is a false dichotomy because we know that God is about both unity AND justice.

Here at UniteBoston, we are beginning to cultivate a framework for Deep Unity—believing that the path to Christian oneness runs directly through our differences, not around them. Our aim is unity in reconciled diversity—a oneness cultivated and sustained not by watering down our differences or focusing on the least common denominator, but through diverse friendships in beloved community. 

Deep Unity is a daily lifestyle and discipleship practice that:

  • Refuses to pretend differences don’t matter, choosing instead to honor the unique cultures and perspectives that enrich the body of Christ.
  • Cultivates the courage to stay at the table when conversations become difficult or uncomfortable, rather than retreating into ideological silos.
  • Approaches others with humility, curiosity, and generosity, remembering that we all “know in part” (1 Cor 13:9) and need one another to see God clearly.
  • Pursues justice for the vulnerable through cruciform solidarity—sacrificing power, privilege, and resources for the well-being of our neighbor towards holistic flourishing.
  • Listens deeply and tends to places of historical wounds, seeking the active redemption and restoration of broken relationships toward God’s vision of shalom.

The Birth of the Beloved Community Lab

Three years ago, a diverse group of Boston Christian leaders gathered around a burning question: What kind of discipleship actually forms leaders who can embody this kind of deep unity in a fractured world? We knew the answer had to move beyond mere debates, books, sermons, and conferences. What we needed was an intentional experience of holistic spiritual formation—a space that cultivated healthy engagement across Christians of differing backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. Out of that prayerful inquiry, the Beloved Community Lab (BCL) was born.

We call it a “lab” because it is both theological and practical—a courageous space to reflect, experiment, and practice with fellow Christians in a variety of leadership contexts. The 12-session curriculum centers on five foundational pillars: Belovedness, Diversity, Reconciliation, Justice, and Shalom. We operated on a simple truth: reconciliation is the Gospel, and true healing requires us to press into areas of deep disagreement so the love of Christ can mend what is broken.

The 2025–2026 Pilot Cohort: A Mosaic of Faith

From September 2025 through June 2026, we had the honor of piloting this curriculum with a cohort of sixteen courageous Boston-based pastors and ministry leaders. Representing a vast theological and denominational mosaic—including Reformed Baptist, Pentecostal, Evangelical Covenant, African Methodist Episcopal, Catholic, Episcopal, Nazarene, Assemblies of God, and United Church of Christ—this group gathered monthly to do the heavy, sacred work of bridge-building. 

Bridge-building is demanding, holy work, and our year together was no exception. We navigated hard conversations and conflict involving tension across perspectives and life experiences. This is the hard work of beloved community: coming together across profound differences will inevitably stretch and cost everyone something. Reconciliation is cruciform—it is shaped like the cross and is, by its very nature, uncomfortable.

The unity Jesus prays for is not found by ignoring our convictions, but by cultivating the courage to stay at the table when tension arises. In fact, these places of tension and discomfort become the very soil where we become formed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Gina Tillotson-Cordy, Pastor of Lynn First Church of the Nazarene, reflects on how the frameworks, conversations, and collaborative spaces within the lab shifted her perspective, equipping her to practice radical hospitality and see others more deeply as “beloved.”

For Rev. Rocklyn E. Clarke, Pastor of Life Church Boston, staying at the table provided a clearer mirror for his own ministry. He shared that the cohort gave him “a better understanding of the perspectives with which I differ and a better understanding of how to express my own perspectives. It has equipped me to better love my brothers and sisters in Christ and my neighbors who are not yet followers of Jesus.”

Similarly, Rev. Dr. Daniel Montañez, Executive Director of the Center for Public Theology & Migration, found that the space expanded his vision for the Church’s public witness: “I was challenged to reimagine what true unity within the body of Christ can look like and why it matters today. The experience has inspired me to envision the body of Christ as a model of reconciliation, justice, and abundant life for a hurting world.”

Additionally, Jeff Bass, Vice Chair of Stewards at New Roots AME and former Executive Director of the Emmanuel Gospel Center, reflected on how invaluable it was to press into the hard concepts of Christian unity alongside a broad cross-section of the Church, forging relationships that will bear fruit for years to come.

Ultimately, as Rev. Jihyon (Sophia) Kim, Youth Pastor at First Korean Church of Cambridge, summarized: “More than anything, this experience reminded me that reconciliation is not simply another ministry strategy—it is part of the Gospel itself.”

Highlights from the Closing Retreat: Mending and Commissioning

To close the inaugural Beloved Community Lab Cohort, we had a closing retreat at Bethany House of Prayer in Arlington. We took time to debrief our journey together and prayerfully discern tangible next steps toward that vision, committing to carry the work of reconciliation into our own communities and leadership contexts.

One of the most moving—and comedic—moments of the retreat was a physical parable of our year together: creating our Beloved Community Mending Blanket. Each person brought a piece of fabric representing their community or context, and together we began weaving them into what will become an ever-growing tapestry of unity in diversity.

Like visible mending, the goal isn’t to hide the seams or erase our differences. The imperfections are the point. Christ holds together our diverse stories, cultures, and experiences, allowing us to see God more fully. It stands as a visible reminder that our distinct, fragmented stories are far stronger when mended together… even with memories of beginner’s mistakes, like accidentally attaching the tablecloth to the blanket!

We concluded the retreat by commissioning each participant as an Ambassador of Reconciliation, where participants named their next steps to implement this into their contexts, and we prayed over each person to extend this work in the places God has called them to live, work, and play. We will continue to meet regularly to continue learning, practicing, and reflecting together as a Beloved Community Lab cohort family.

When Relationships Become Collaboration

The retreat may have ended, but the work of mending divides is just beginning. One of the greatest joys of the Beloved Community Lab is watching trust transform into concrete partnerships. In our closing session, when asked what they wanted to do with their Beloved Community Lab journey next, many participants shared a deep desire to collaborate across denominational and cultural lines.

This vision is already bearing fruit in real-time. Just this past Sunday, Rev. Cristina Rathbone, Executive Director of Common Cathedral and Rev. Devlin Scott, Pastor of NewCity Church came together in worship and service on the Boston Common. For the second year in a row, NewCity Church had the privilege of serving lunch before worship and joining the Common Cathedral community in celebrating God’s presence among neighbors who are unhoused and housed alike. Additionally, Life Church and Neighborhood Church of Dorchester both co-sponsored a gospel night with the Boston Project Ministries in the streets of Dorchester.

These are beautiful, living expressions of the Gospel and a reminder that the Church is at its best when we cross boundaries to love, serve, and worship together. This is what we hope the Beloved Community Lab will cultivate: relationships that grow into partnerships, partnerships that become shared ministry, and shared ministry that bears witness to the reconciling love of Christ: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (Jn. 13:35). May this be said of us, today.

Looking Forward: Expanding the Movement

As this pilot year came to a close, we began to hear of leaders in other contexts who share a longing to bring the journey of mending divides to their own contexts. We believe this instinct and dream for deep unity is something the Holy Spirit is birthing in our day and age.

In response to this growing movement, UniteBoston is thrilled to announce the next chapter of our story:

  • Beloved Community Consulting Opportunities & Workshops: We are extending customized training, interactive workshops, and coaching to help local congregations and community organizations put these concepts into practice in their own staffs and leadership teams.
  • Online Beloved Community Lab Cohort (Launching Fall 2026): We are officially opening up our 12-session interactive curriculum to pastors and ministry leaders nationwide who have interest in bringing this to their contexts and cities through a digital cohort space and in-person closing retreat.

The Beloved Community Lab is far more than a leadership program—it is an active experiment in Christian unity that meets this cultural moment with grace, truth, and hope. As we look to the future, we invite you to join us in living out this mission, leaning into difference without fear, and embodying the reconciling love of Christ across every line that seeks to divide us.

Interested in bringing the Beloved Community Lab to your church or joining our Fall Online Cohort? Contact our team at info@uniteboston.com – we’d love to hear from you!

Mariapolis 2026 by New England Focolare

The New England Focolare Community invites you to join them at their traditional summer gathering, the Mariapolis! This year’s theme:  What is Unity?
We hope you can make it! You can join for the whole weekend, or register for a single day. There are special programs for youth.
Click here for a live version of the flyer.
There you can link to the Registration Form and the website of Pilgrim Pines Retreat Center (Swanzey, NH), where the gathering will be held.
Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think may be interested!
We look forward to seeing you and spending time together!
Your New England Focolare Community

I Love the Pope’s New Encyclical: Here’s Why 

What if our reliance on artificial intelligence is quietly eroding our desire for real community? 

Writing from her perspective as a Catholic theologian, UB Cohort Alum, and pastoral associate at Sacred Hearts Parish, Dr. Elizabeth Woodard dives into Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, to examine the hidden biases of technology and its impact on human dignity. Read her  reflection below to see why she loves the new encyclical, how it promotes Christian unity, and how leaning into our human limitations can actually lead us closer to God and one another.

By Dr. Elizabeth Woodard

How does the encyclical impact me as a Catholic?

As a Catholic, I am not surprised to find myself loving Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), promulgated by Pope Leo XIV in May 2026. The pope articulates what I can only call the “creepiness factor” regarding AI. Although he acknowledges that it is a valuable tool, he clearly expresses the dangers of outsourcing our very thinking to non-humans, warning that “humanity can become a victim of its own achievements” (94).  There are many ways this can take a downward turn, but two of them are the perspectives built into AI under the surface, which we often don’t see or consider; and the “simulation of human communication” (100) over real connection.

The sheer speed at which AI can generate answers can draw us into excessive reliance on it, overlooking the fact that the instant response “reflect[s] the cultural assumptions of those who designed and trained [the algorithm]” (100). And while people recognize they are not communicating with another person, the pope recognizes a danger that they may gradually lose the very desire to form genuine human connections” (100) as we become so accustomed to “talking” with the algorithm. 

I consider the way I long for a doom scroll session at the end of a long day. Then I wonder how I ever got along without this daily dopamine hit. Oh yeah, I had relationships, hobbies, aspirations… A screen has much more addictive dopamine than any of these.

So, is it AI (specifically) or screens (in general) the Pope cautions about?

I see them as inseparable. As a mother, I am increasingly aware and afraid of children addicted to artificial simulations of the world, unable to exist in the actual world, like with this simulation of human connection. Just read Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation for more on this. It absolutely blew my mind. This quote means a lot to me in this regard: “Without careful attention, an educational system lacking in a love for truth may emerge…As knowledge becomes increasingly fragmented, it becomes difficult to grasp reality as a whole, to ask profound questions about meaning, or to develop authentic, critical and creative thought. Many educators already report signs of dehumanization, where people may ‘know many things’ but struggle to find direction in their lives.” (146)

Is the Pope saying anything radically new?

Both yes and no. In many ways, he draws on the wisdom of many previous popes, especially in basing everything he says on the Catholic social doctrine of universal human dignity (that is, we all deserve fair and dignified treatment as image-bearers of God.)

However, while previous popes have focused on universal access to things like food, water, and shelter, Pope Leo focuses on access to truth itself. I hadn’t been able to name this aspect of the “creepiness factor” about AI because I really hadn’t thought too deeply about where all these ready-made answers come from. But here we are: an algorithm decides what I see when I’m doom scrolling, it gives me advice when I need it, it summarizes the webpages it decides are important. But AI only gives the “impression of objectivity” (100). But it is an algorithm designed by humans.

The pope goes so far as to say, the more we outsource our thinking and decision making to AI, “important and sensitive decisions…risk being fully delegated to automated systems that do not know compassion, mercy, forgiveness.” Therefore, it can “give rise to new forms of exclusion.” (102) This has profound implications for the possible dangers to human dignity: “Entrusting an algorithm in practice with the power to select who is worthy or not…is to hand over the task of redefining the boundaries of human possibilities…The exclusion of the vulnerable becomes cloaked in a veneer of neutrality and objectivity, against which it becomes difficult to raise objections.” (103) 

I hadn’t thought of this. Exclusion, especially exclusion disguised as fairness, is really a key component of Christian unity. Humans cannot enter genuine Christian relationship with each other if it is not on a level of mutual respect for the dignity of the other. AI is not a bad tool in and of itself, but it can be used for the evil of disguised bias if only a select few are in charge of what constitutes “truth.”

How does this impact me as a theologian?

During my time as a doctoral student at the Catholic University of America, I became accustomed to hearing phrases such as “the good, the true, and the beautiful” or “wisdom over knowledge” or “faith seeking understanding,” as the basis for how the Christian intellectual tradition aims to follow Christ. Christ: the Logos itself, our “source and our summit.” (Lumen Gentium, 11)

As we each are unrepeatable and irreplaceable pieces of God’s body, we are given the gifts of this world to ultimately direct us to our telos beyond this world. (I might thank St. Augustine for his influence here). But our modern world more commonly treats  “everything that appears as a ‘limit’ — incapacity, illness, old age, suffering, vulnerability…primarily as a defect to be corrected, rather than as a reality through which our humanity matures and opens itself to relationship.” (118) The Christian faith and Pope Leo emphasize that it is actually in the throes of these painful limits “that we can discover a new wisdom, tangibly experience the closeness of others, and encounter the presence of the Lord.” (119) 

This is not new—Christian theology always rests in the belief in grace and divine sanctification through Christ—but AI has given us a new and instantaneous way to try to solve our limitations, uncertainties, and unanswerable questions. It is a true idolatry, in the original sense of the word, to rely more on machines than on God to navigate life’s uncertainties. The Christian theological tradition invites us to look beyond the problems of this life to our ultimate destiny in Christ eternally. And it invites us to look beyond those problems to God as our comfort and sanctifier through those problems. If we are to navigate beyond the problems of this life, what is the source of wisdom we would use to do so? The pope beautifully says, to this, “The Christian faith answers that question by pointing to a fulfillment that does not arise from a technological divinization, but through God’s grace received in Christ.” (126)

How and why is all of this a matter of unity among Christians? 


I see two important considerations:

1.  For the first time, a pope officially apologized for taking so long to condemn slavery. He states: “It was only in the nineteenth century that a formal, absolute and universal condemnation of slavery was clearly articulated, notably under Pope Leo XIII…It is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many in stark contrast to their immeasurable dignity as persons infinitely loved by the Lord. For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon.” (176) 

To model such contrition and to name the importance of racial justice in the name of Christ whose face is borne by all, especially the most oppressed, is at the heart of Christian mission. It’s also at the heart of Christian unity. 

2: Simply put, we’re all in this together. The work of building God’s kingdom on earth, a kingdom marked by truth, connection, and love of God and neighbor—this is work for all Christians. The Gospel compels us to care for each human person, each magnificent human, as precious image-bearers. We don’t make it unless we all make it. 


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