David McAllister-Wilson, 56, knows that too many mainline Protestant churches are failing. As president of Wesley Theological Seminary in Northwest D.C., he is working to renew them, one pastor at a time. By his own measure, success will mean that the students his school prepares, and the churches and communities they lead, will look more and more like the Kingdom of God. He spoke with The Washington Examiner about his faith and the need for Christian leadership to encourage its fruition. Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?

I am a Christian. More specifically, I am a United Methodist pastor, and that makes me what I would call a “progressive evangelical.” I believe the Gospel is good news for the world, but I believe that what God is trying to do in the world is heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, welcome the stranger, give release to the captives — that’s the good news. I’ve always been a Methodist because at our best, we’re very methodical about doing that work in the world. We don’t ask what we’re saved from, but what we’re saved for.