Who We Are
At Wilshire, we strive to do things differently.
If the faith of your childhood no longer fits, we get it. If you’ve stopped trying to make it fit, we don’t blame you. If past church interactions have left you disillusioned and maybe even hurt, we understand that, too. Many of us have had similar experiences—especially in Baptist churches.
We strive to do things differently at Wilshire.
We do the exciting and sometimes uncomfortable work of reconsidering our understanding of God and the way God works in the world.
We also recognize that this reimagining is necessarily communal in nature. It is only in community that we are challenged to grow in our faith, to reflect, to question.
And instead of letting go of our Baptist heritage, we actually take Baptist convictions seriously.
We take on the challenge of reclaiming our faith.
We work to take what we knew, what felt like home, and build it back in a new way.
This process changes how we interact and engage in the world. As we become more aware of the world’s brokenness, we are also able to see more clearly its beauty. Our understanding of what it means to serve and love God and others has expanded.
Wilshire is a vibrant and flourishing intergenerational community.
We are justice-oriented and inclusive. At Wilshire, everyone is welcome and valued—not for what they might contribute, but for who they are.
How do we continue the work of reimagining and restoring? It happens in old and new ways, anticipated and unexpected, in fits and starts, through study and service.
There is no one right way to engage in this work, no perfect path of participation. We encourage everyone who discovers Wilshire to find the connection point that is most meaningful to them.
No matter who you are, no matter your circumstances, we are eager to come alongside you and learn with you as we reimagine and rebuild.