Welcome
Our Story
In the fall of 2019 (decades ago), a group of people in Pittsburgh started meeting up every week. They—we—did not plan to become a church, or even to necessarily exist long-term. We just needed something, needed each other, to figure out how to stop being evangelical. Despite the genuine and well-intentioned people in our previous churches, we needed a new space in order to grapple with our religion’s history and current reality of white supremacy, patriarchy, and heterosexism (to name a few).
A few months later, the pandemic arrived and pushed us onto Zoom. Slowly, people started to hear about our group and join us from other states (and provinces). They were former evangelicals who wondered where they would find inclusive spiritual community. For many of these folks, there either wasn’t an antiracist or LGBTQIA-affirming Christian space in their local area, or there were only spaces like this in unfamiliar church traditions with bishops and priestly robes. We realized we were already being a church, and that we should stay online to welcome folks anywhere who are fleeing fundamentalism. Thus Harbor Online Community was born.
We’ve existed formally as a church since March 2021. We’re currently an independent community, and we have partnered extensively with Launchpad Partners, the United Church of Christ, and the Presbyterian Church (USA).
MISSION:
Connect, Explore, Create, Transform
We commit to connect people to each other and to God, explore what it means to follow the way of Jesus, create beauty and justice in community, and transform ourselves and the world to hold more of God’s peace.
VISION:
Belonging Together in the Beloved Community
We are a community in which everyone belongs to each other and to God as we choose to live together into the reality of the Beloved Community “on earth as it is in heaven.” Every person who desires to belong here does—all races, sexualities, genders, nationalities, and even religious beliefs—because God desires every single person who bears God’s image.
PASTORS:
Dawn Léger (she/her) — Halifax, Nova Scotia
Dawn is an ordained priest in the Anglican Church of Canada. She came to Harbor with a professional curiosity about online churches and ministries, and, more broadly, new and creative ways to envision and create spiritual community. With over 15 years of parish and chaplaincy experience, Dawn brings a wealth of wisdom and skills related to interpreting Scripture, facilitating conversation, and working for justice and inclusion.
Dawn holds a Master of Divinity from the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is PhD Candidate in Human Relationships at Martin Luther University College in Waterloo, Ontario.
Jon Mathieu (he/him) — Chicago, IL
Jon Mathieu’s prodigious beard is like a scary-looking representation of his curiosity, sense of humor, and desire to build community. When you talk to Jon, these things are visible and ever-growing, as if bursting out of his face in all directions with no signs of grooming.
Jokes aside, Jon received his M.Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary after a mid-career educational pursuit. Before seminary, he had served for 11 years in full-time ministry in conservative evangelical contexts. After a long and painful breakup with that tradition, it became clear that while Jon still believed in God, followed Jesus, and felt drawn to minister to others, it would need to be in progressive and inclusive spaces.
Jon also serves as the community engagement editor for the Christian Century. He lives in Chicago with his amazing wife Ashley; they plan to add a third member to their family: a dog named Mr. Belding.
Dottie Oleson (she/her) — Long Beach, CA
Since Dottie was a kid, she has loved the Church and people. As years progress, the images of church continue to expand into a warm, eclectic, intercultural, queer place of belonging! With 11+ years working in ministry and extensive research in psychology, Dottie uses a cross-disciplinary approach to offer pastoral care and reimagine liberated church communities.
Dottie holds a Master of Divinity with a specialization in Global and Community Engagement from Boston University.
l to r. Dottie Oleson, Jon Mathieu, Dawn Léger