Big Questions
We don't have easy answers (...and that's kind of the point).
Asking questions and exploring ancient wisdom as we welcome the uncertainty ahead.
You've found Dune Buggy Abbey.
About Us
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A mainline pastor and a burned-out exvangelical walk into a church. Or was it out of a church? Maybe it was a bar. Never mind…
Hopefully it’s obvious that Dune Buggy Abbey is not where you come for religious jokes. Actually, not having answers is exactly why this space exists. It’s kind of our thing: fewer answers, more mystery.
It all began with a chance conversation about church and a question we kept coming back to: What is this whole thing going to look like 25 years from now?
Rev. Michael McNamara and John Skomski met while John and his wife Natalie were looking for a church. John was done with Evangelicalism, cynical about Christianity, and pretty convinced that it was time to put church in the rearview. Mike, a mainline pastor, approached faith with a perspective and spiritual authenticity that felt like it came from a completely different religious world.
And somehow, the more we talked, the more we found in common.
We found ourselves agreeing on core ideas while getting there by very different roads. Mike brings a lifetime inside the church and a belief that rootedness, community, and spiritual depth are all things worth tending. John also brings a lifetime inside the church, and though he left behind the core of what he inherited, he still believes that something meaningful can exist. Rather than an obstacle, the tension between those perspectives has become a space we explore together.
We’re not interested in defending church as it is, nor are we looking to tear it down for fun. We’re also not pretending we know exactly what comes next. We simply want to gather people who sense that something is changing and are open to talking honestly about where we go from here. Clergy, mystics, skeptics, scholars, and fellow travelers are all invited to participate.
And we're not looking to make "just another religious show." We want to build a conversation and, hopefully, a community around it. The cameras and microphones are just how we invite more people in.
The church may be a useful vehicle, but we believe it was never supposed to be the destination.
If that notion resonates with you, join us at Dune Buggy Abbey and let's see where the road goes.