Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Jagger.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After graduating from Emory University with a Master of Divinity, I became the pastor of a small church on the edge of Amish Country in Ohio at the age of 27. It was a humble congregation surrounded by woods on one side and a cornfield on the other—but in just five years, we managed to grow the church and complete a building project that tripled its size. That experience helped me discover my niche: revitalizing struggling congregations.
Since then, every church I’ve pastored has grown and transformed into a vibrant, engaged community. I’m now leading my fourth congregation, Windermere Union Church
in Orlando. My leadership style is… let’s just say, a little unconventional. I’m not afraid to break the mold. On my first Halloween Sunday here, I preached dressed as a pirate. This past summer, I invited a local drag queen to share her music during worship. Those moments may raise a few eyebrows, but they reflect something deeper: a willingness to push boundaries, spark conversation, and embody radical welcome.
But my “renegade” reputation isn’t just about costumes and guest performers. I insist on preaching sermons that are both academically rigorous and theologically honest. I challenge my congregation to think critically about their faith, not just absorb comforting stories they’ve heard a hundred times. Yes, God gave us hearts to love—but God also gave us brains, and I believe faith should engage both.
That commitment to honest, critical faith has grown into two additional ventures. First, I’m finishing my book Progressive Literalism, which explores how many progressive Christians still cling to their own forms of literalism—often pointing to conservative churches with critique, while overlooking their own blind spots.
Second, I’ve partnered with Daniel Ruke to launch of Rebel Faith, a large-scale initiative creating resources to help churches navigate difficult theological conversations. Each series is a comprehensive “plug-and-play” kit, complete with sermons, liturgies, media, and age-appropriate Sunday School lessons for children and adults. Our first series, LGBTQ+ + Christianity, equips churches to approach Scripture in a way that is both inclusive and faithful, offering better interpretations of the verses often misused to harm the LGBTQ+ community. We’re currently developing a series on immigration, followed by one that takes a critical look at Christianity’s misconceptions about sin, Satan, and hell. Our aim is to help churches have theologically honest conversations in the pulpit and in the classroom.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh, there have been struggles—plenty of them. Revitalizing a struggling church is about as easy as turning a cruise ship on a dime. It’s not about making a few polite tweaks around the edges; it’s about doing things radically differently. And let’s be honest—most congregations hate change. That resistance is usually why they’re struggling in the first place.
While I’m trying to overhaul how the church functions, I’m also standing in the pulpit dismantling much of what people thought they knew about the Bible. The easier path would be to keep everyone comfortable: don’t rock the boat, preach the feel-good sermon, keep the sacred furniture, and let the decline continue quietly. That’s exactly why 4,000 to 7,000 churches close their doors every year—they’ve become both theologically and socially irrelevant.
I’ve never been interested in the easy road. I walk into a church fully aware of the firestorm I’m about to ignite. One of my first moves at Windermere Union was selling the beloved historic pews and replacing them with chairs. In my last church, it was the pipe organ. You don’t make those kinds of decisions unless you’re willing to take some heat—and believe me, the heat comes. It can make life feel like a living hell for a while.
But here’s the thing: those sacred cows had to go. Deep down, these congregations knew it too. If you want to breathe new life into a dying church, you can’t keep clinging to the past like a security blanket. And while all that is happening, I’m in the pulpit flipping theological assumptions upside down.
So has it been smooth? Not even close. But smooth roads don’t lead to transformation. I’ve chosen the harder path every time, because that’s where real resurrection happens.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I like to say I specialize in holy disruption. My work sits at the intersection of faith, intellect, and a refusal to keep playing church the way it’s always been done. On paper, I’m a pastor. In reality, I’m part spiritual provocateur, part theological architect, part community builder.
I lead Windermere Union Church
in Orlando, a congregation that’s learning how to be vibrant, honest, and radically inclusive in a world where too many churches are fading into irrelevance. I’m known for growing struggling congregations—not by sprinkling a little inspiration on top, but by turning things upside down and rebuilding from the ground up. I challenge people to think critically, love boldly, and stop confusing nostalgia for faithfulness.
My preaching doesn’t offer warmed-over platitudes. I take Scripture seriously enough to wrestle with it. I’m not afraid to question long-held assumptions, confront harmful interpretations, or say the quiet parts out loud. I’ve preached dressed as a pirate, invited the Orlando Gay Chorus to sing in worship, and sold more than a few “sacred cows” like historic pews and pipe organs—all while asking congregations to re-examine their theology with both heart and brain fully engaged.
What I’m most proud of isn’t the shock value—it’s the transformation. I’ve watched dying congregations come alive. I’ve seen people who were burned by church find belonging again. And I’ve helped communities become places where love actually means something.
Beyond the pulpit, I co-founded of Rebel Faith
, a bold venture creating plug-and-play theological resource kits for churches ready to have the conversations most congregations avoid. Our first series tackled LGBTQ+ inclusion. Next up: immigration, and then a deep dive into Christianity’s misconceptions about sin, Satan, and hell.
What sets me apart? I don’t just talk about transformation—I live in the tension of it. I lead with honesty, embrace the discomfort, and help communities do the hard work of becoming the church the world actually needs.
How do you think about luck?
That’s a tricky question. I’m sure luck has shown up plenty of times in my life—but I’ve never really thought of it that way. Luck, to me, is passive. It’s something that happens to you. I’ve always framed those moments as opportunities—doors that suddenly swing open. And opportunities demand a response. You either walk through them or you don’t.
In my world of faith, what some might call “luck” often gets interpreted as the movement of the Holy Spirit or the hand of God. A great opportunity falls into your lap and people call it a miracle. Whether you name it luck, divine intervention, or sheer coincidence, the real story isn’t the moment itself—it’s what you do with it.
I’ve tried to live with a carpe diem mindset. When a door opens, I step through it. I don’t always know where it leads, but I’d rather seize the moment than sit around waiting for certainty. So yes, luck has probably played its part. But I’ve never been content to just let life happen to me. I make a habit of grabbing luck by the collar and turning it into something real.
Pricing:
- At ofrebelfaith.com you can find our 8-week LGBTQ+ worship bundle for $99 and the matching adult and children’s Sunday School lessons for another $99.
Contact Info:
- Website: windermereunion.org and ofrebelfaith.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/windermereunion/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/windermereunionchurch
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleykentjagger/
- Youtube: https://windermereunion.org/
