After graduating from the University of Georgia with two bachelor's degrees, he earned an MDiv, a ThM, and a PhD from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; he completed his education in his early 20s, becoming one of the youngest students, if not the youngest student, to ever earn a terminal degree at NOBTS. Christians must reclaim Jesus from his church. The Reason David Platt Wants to Resign From the IMB - ChurchLeaders Many Christians look at the Bible and then look at the picture of American Christianity around them and think, This doesnt add up. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. It is a mega church in the DC area with 5 locations and claims an attendance of 13,000 each weekend. McLean Bible Church (MBC) was started in the Metro Washington, DC area in 1961 as a non-denominational church. After new elder nominees failed to be elected for the first time in the churchs history, Platt told the congregation in a sermon in early July that a small group of people inside and outside this church coordinated a divisive effort to use disinformation in order to persuade others to vote these men down as part of a broader effort to take control of this church.. David Roach is a reporter and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama. The suburban DC megachurchs recent scuffle over race and politics is symptomatic of a broader evangelical rift. Devil is in the details, when covering battles inside the powerful The Saturday evening service fills one of the smaller sanctuaries at McLean Bible Church's new $90 million complex, which officially opens this weekend on 52 acres near Tysons Corner.At a Sunday . In response, Platt has claimed that the church is trying to fight off a hostile takeover and that Satan is trying to divide the church. All rights reserved. And there really were some wild conspiracy theories that came out of that. And so I think I simply put into words what many people were already sensing.. Platt and other church leaders declined to respond to specific questions about the lawsuit and disputed church election. ROACH: On June the 30, McLean Bible Church was to have an election to elect three new elders. If people were motivated to drive from Maine and Florida to McLean Bible Church in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., to vote against David Platts Woke agenda, maybe the problem is not with the dissidents but with David Platt? It sits in what can only be described as one of Americas Elite areas. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Their pastor, David Platt, is very well-known among evangelicals. The entire Sunday, July 4, 2021, sermon was filled with David Platts performative outrage. I know that many churches across America have faced and are facing similar challenges during these days, and it is vitally important that we move past division and live out John 13:35, demonstrating love for one another and love for a world in need of Jesus, Platt said in a statement Monday. ROACH: Yes, that's exactly right. Are the budget cuts and declining attendance a message that Platts Social Justice Theology is unpopular with churchgoers? Back at McLean, Platt and his fellow elders are urging the church in that direction. But David Platt has emphasized that everybody, regardless of their political views or their ethnicity or anything else, should be welcome to hear the gospel and be a part of the church. It does not store any personal data. Originally, the church's . Church leaders say the current round of conflict predates Platts pastorate. In fact, this book was required reading for Platts course. McLean Bible Church: Jesus Experienced a Kind of Dysphoria Like Our The July 18 vote has been surrounded by controversy, with some decrying what they saw as creeping liberalism within the church's . There are other internal documents providing similar extensive theological arguments. Platts teaching in his McLean Bible Church Course The Gospel, The Church, Justice and Race (GCJR) highlights a Hegelian-inspired dialectical synthesis between Christianity and Woke Social Justice. Former President Trump even attended a service there once. INSKEEP: This, according to your reporting, seems to have surfaced as a conflict in a way that wasn't directly about the pastor but a kind of church election. (RNS) David Platt had a dream for the future of McLean Bible Church. David Platt and McLean Bible Church Elders Sued After - ChurchLeaders Platt, a bestselling author and speaker, recounted the churchs history in a sermon in the summer of 2019, about a year after he succeeded Solomon as pastor, in whichhe asked: What if our best days as a church are ahead of us, not behind us?. We will not apologize for our increasing diversity or our commitment to humbly address racial issues from Gods Word as we unite together on a glorious mission to proclaim this good Word and our great God in a city where five million-plus men, women, boys, and girls are on a road that leads to an eternal hell and need the good news of Gods love for them, he said. This letter urged Platt and the current elders to reject the Woke path. I think were going to work through this, he said. David Platt is an academic prodigy. The course lasted about 15 hours of direct discipleship teaching. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Let us know how we can help, and we'll direct your inquiry to the right person. RELATED: At Founders event, Southern Baptists urged to choose the Bible over CRT. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. McLean Bible Church is one of the most influential churches in the United States. Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. The church teachings were theologically conservative under its previous leadership, the legendary Lon Solomon. ROACH: You can pick out churches across the country where there has been this conflict between people that are sort of an old guard type of evangelical and then a younger type of evangelical that wants to reach a broader, more diverse audience with the Gospel. Contact Us - McLean Bible Church | McLean Bible Church The church approved a 2021 budget slashing $2.5 million from what it budgeted in 2020. Faced with Allegations, Anglicans Want to Change the Traje | News McLean Bible which is seen as a conservative evangelical congregation and once had more than 16,000 attendees has long been an important church in Washington with four locations near the . Video screengrab via MBC. Platts 2020 book Before You Vote also drew criticism from some church members as being soft on traditional evangelical issues like abortion and sexuality. I don't think that it was about the specific elders so much as the direction of the church. The stated purpose of the church is "that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ . McLean Bible, seen as a conservative evangelical congregation that once had more than 16,000 attendees, has long been an important church in the Washington, D.C., area. Life of Christ dramatization The Thorn comes to big screens March 67, New book outlines importance of every Christian knowing theology, Southcrest Baptist in Bessemer hosting Holy Destiny on March 3, Start a new subscription at the group rate. The church has now grown to a weekly attendance over 27,000 (as of 2019). We have walked through tumultuous days over the last year in the world, surfacing many challenges in our lives, families, our country, the world, and the church, Platt told CT. We all need Gods grace to love one another well and to live for the spread of his love in a world that desperately needs what only he can give. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Because of the mass exodus McLean cut spending. Platt mishandled the aftermath of the prayer. A group of critics that runs a Facebook group called Save McLean Bible Church claimed that church leaders had substituted critical race theory and social justice for biblical teaching. Church leaders and advocates in Illinois and beyond see this case as a chance for the 12-year-old denomination to establish better practices for preventing abuse and to care well for survivors. The plaintiffs also claim a follow-up election at the church this weekend violated the churchs constitution. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Rick Boyer, attorney for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said his clients plan to appeal. David Platt is a famous US author and preacher. NO POPUPS. Platt has angered other members for maintaining the churchs reputed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention. But there were some who were concerned about the direction of the church, and they made that elder election an occasion to speak out against the leadership and direction generally. Megachurch pastor David Platt warns of a disinformation campaign and They gave out some provisional ballots. The heart of the complaint really comes down to truth, transparency, and a free, open, and uncoerced process, plaintiffs attorney Rick Boyer told RNS. Pastor David Platt of McLean Bible Church said many of those within his congregation were 'hurt' with his decision to pray for President Donald Trump on stage during Sunday's service. If youre the church of Jesus Christ, thats really problematic.. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. To some observers, McLeans conflict seems like a replay of other recent episodes from American evangelicalism, where leaders who appeal to Scripture to address social issues are accused of theological liberalism or secular influence even if they continue to hold traditional Christian views. According to former members and staff, these former elders have left MBC for what reasons, no one will say: Jim Battle, Mark Gotlieb, Craig Proulx, Jimmy Mitchell, John Baber, and Lon Solomon. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. That church in the past has been called a hub for Republican senators and Bush aides. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Lon Solomon - Wikipedia I want you to listen closely to the words I am about to say, he said in his sermon the following Sunday. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. McLean Bible Church, originally nondenominational, is a recent member of the Southern Baptist Convention. for less than $4.25/month. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Church doubles down on support for female pastors Because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., many government officials, Capitol Hill staffers, and thought leaders are members. 12,882 were here. Boyer said courts are often reluctant to get involved in church disputes. And then even within the Southern Baptist Convention more broadly, there is a group called the Conservative Baptist Network that has charged some convention leaders with advocating critical race theory and downplaying the Bible's sufficiency. SaveMcLeanBible In September 2017, Platt was confirmed into the role of teaching pastor of McLean Bible Church (MBC) by a 95 percent approval vote from the congregational members. And he said that there was a group that was trying to take over the church. Following the first failed election, a second election was held in early July 2021, this one where members had to sign their ballots which critics said violated the church practice of using secret ballots. Pastor insults President Trump? It gets much worse at McLean Bible Church It was an exercise in eisegesis (p. 121). Both moves raised questions for some members. Of course, not. Video screengrab via MBC. Every time this lawsuit has been filed or amended or refiled, it has resulted in a dismissal, he said. March 18th, 2018. Fired for Opposing Pride? The largely conservative northern Virginia church across the Potomac from Washington had . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Saddleback Church doubles down on support for female pastors, Mormonisms slow shift away from demonizing working mothers, Faith leaders urge Biden to sign executive order for reparations study by Juneteenth, For many congregations, wiping out medical debt has become a popular calling, Woke Wars infiltrate Christian colleges, prof under fire for racial justice unit, Southern Baptists oust Rick Warrens Saddleback Church for naming a female pastor, Professor Joeckel on why his contract, teachings on racial justice are under review, Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. But a spokesman for the SBC, while saying "McLean Bible Church, like all Southern Baptist churches, is an independent and autonomous local church," confirmed that McLean is considered an SBC church. Platt went on to call the church to give up everything for the glory of God, echoing the message of his 2010 book, Radical, a bestseller that called Christians to give up the American dream in order to serve Jesus and transform the world. The letter warned, Thabiti Anyabwile, despite promoting progressive talking points at the expense of Christian truth, dividing the body of Christ across racial lines, and promoting the political agenda of Black Liberation Theology, has been used to train the MBC staff and played a prominent role within MBC church life.. Platt later posted a letter on the churchs website, since removed, and on social media, saying that his decision to pray for the president had angered some church members. In that election, the elders were approved, which led dissident members to file a suit. The July 18 vote has been surrounded by controversy, with some decrying what they saw as creeping liberalism within the church's leadership. It's little outside of Washington, D.C., in Virginia. This year, the church had an election of three church elders, which would normally be a sleepy affair. #302 Falls Church, VA 22042 866-788-7770 Plaintiffs in the lawsuit echo Frazers concerns, saying that the ballots used by the church violated McLeans constitution. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. College Park Church in Indianapolis was accused in a blog post this spring of caving to ever-increasing social justice infiltration. Dallas pastor Matt Chandler and former SBC president J. D. Greear both have been accused of being woke, and the SBCs emerging Conservative Baptist Network (CBN) has charged some convention leaders with advocating critical race theory and downplaying the Bibles sufficiency. He became pastor in 2018 after resigning from the IMB, where his tenure had been disappointing and included the loss of almost 1,000 missionaries to resignations and early retirement. Platt begged church members who support the Woke regime to adjust vacation plans to be at the special meeting. Just like the Democrats blame racists, so too David Platt. Once the first vote for the elders failed, Frazer believes that Platt and leaders should have stopped and listened to the congregations concerns. See more. And even though people who take the Bible seriously and as the inherent word of God should think certain things about certain issues, then they might prioritize those differently when they go into the voting booth. Plaintiffs hope that a court will declare Sundays election void and require the church to hold a new election. Viewarticle. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. When you dont follow the rules and it has an effect on a consequential vote, you have now created a huge distraction from your mission, Merkle said. According to the McLean Bible Church budget for 2021, $291,719 more is slated for Senior Managementmaking that line item in the budget total $1,121,967. One former McLean Bible Church member pointed out that Platts preaching is mostly informed by sociological approaches to race through works that Platt read and promoted like Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America. Location Arlington Archive - McLean Bible Church Why is McLean Bible Church Imploding with Wokeness & Division? Attendance is also suffering under the Platt regime with many longtime church leaders and members leaving, according to numerous letters and e-mails received complaining about the Woke teaching at McLean Bible Church. The bullseye of the controversy is pastor and best-selling author David Platt, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. What is going on at McLean Bible Church? (And the ongoing - Current And it would appear that the vast majority of the church sided with Platt and the other leaders by their support of those elders. We're teaching everything that the Bible teaches. The largely conservative northern Virginia church across the Potomac from Washington had grown from a group of five families in the 1960s to a congregation of more than 10,000 spread across several campuses, attracting politicians and business leaders to the churchs evangelical message and values. The church leadership was forced to embrace the Woke Social Justice rhetoric. And the elder vote was the occasion to speak that. David Platt's dreams for McLean Bible Church sour as members file : Democrats. In a sobering, emotional and occasionally shocking address from the pulpit on July 4, Platt alleged a conspiratorial attempt on behalf of a "small group" of church members to sow misinformation among the congregation with the goal of taking control of the church. . When I first came to faith in Christ in 1971, as a Jewish college student, I never imagined that the Lord would lead me to pastor a church. in our church) who have criticized him for acknowledging the hurt his decision caused, and who have even had the calloused audacity to malign those who are hurt, your brash insensitivity is the reason why so many minority and marginalized people struggle to be a part of Evangelical churches. Bob Smietana. Lon Solomon Ministries - Live with Lon The heart of the complaint really comes down to truth, transparency, and a free, open, and uncoerced process, said plaintiffs attorney Rick Boyer. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Church members are asked for their opinions on things like what color to paint the womens bathroom, he said; why not ask their opinion on more substantive matters such as CRT or joining the SBC? Financial needs: If you would like to request help with . But to others, Platts message represented a fault line. Despite its elite membership, McLean has long been a conservative theological church populated by politically conservative evangelicals. And so the church had never before failed to elect elder nominees that were recommended. Platt plans to hold a called special business meeting to affirm the elders on July 18 during morning worship services, he told the church. Sign up for our newsletter: And all three nominees got at least 78% on that day and were elected as elders. McLean Bible which is seen as a conservative evangelical congregation and once had more than 16,000 attendees has long been an important church in Washington with four locations near the city. The suit is pending despite the announced vote outcome. McLean Bible Church silences concerned Christians - YouTube Six people are part of the lawsuit, including both members and former members. A beloved Bible teacher and speaker, Platt inspired younger Christians to pursue missions work or other ministries. Many former elders have left McLean Bible Church since David Platts takeover of the church. David Platt is harming McLean Bible Church with Woke Social Justice Platt and his family are members of the Washington, D.C., area church, where Platt also serves as elder. There were not enough provisional ballots to change the outcome, according to an email from church leaders. During a sermon on July 4, David Platt very intentionally addressed some of those concerns. I hesitated to share it because I know it is so ugly and painful to hear but I want to point out the approach being used by people giving leadership to this group in these meetings.. ], Subscribe to CT There were some who expressed the thought that David Platt and the other leaders were soft on issues like abortion and sexuality. He presently works as a pastor-teacher at McLean Bible Church. Wait. The churchs constitution describes it as an independent church that shall not, and cannot, be affiliated with any denomination. But in 2016, under Solomon, the church began to give money to SBC church planting programs and it has donated about $100,000 a year as a cooperating church. Current McLean leaders have denied that the church is a member of the SBC and posted a letter from the SBCs Executive Committee to support that claim. The group has also reportedly filed other complaints . . ROACH: Thank you, Steve. [Picture was posted on Facebook, but was removed after a couple months]. All rights reserved. Why is David Platt undermining elections? Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Lon Solomon began serving as MBC's fourth pastor in 1980. . Controversy at McLean Bible Church boils over as members file lawsuit over elder vote. In its Q&A, McLean states that it is not Southern Baptist and links to an undated letter from SBC Executive Committee employee Ashley Clayton stating, The SBC Executive Committee recognizes that McLean Bible Church is an independent, nondenominational Bible church, and they are not affiliated denominationally with the SBC., However, Baptist Press, the SBCs news service, stated in a July 21 article, McLean Bible Church is a cooperating church with the Southern Baptist Convention, yet like all Southern Baptist churches, remains independent and autonomous in its functionality and governance.. They have several campuses. We praise God for our church familys affirmation of new elders, and we would deeply appreciate your prayers for all of McLean Bible Church as we move forward in our mission.. Solomon signed the Dallas Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel. (RNS) David Platt had a dream for the future of McLean Bible Church. This is a lie. Thats led to accusations that Platt and others have become woke and liberal. Platt and other leaders, they say, have abused their power by violating the churchs constitution. And that leadership is not listening, he said. The flashpoint in the last year included a special course on Social Justice called The Gospel, The Church, Justice and Race. It never goes away on its own.. Less than 25 percent of members were part of the vote Wednesday night, Platt said. We're glad to hear from you. No current McLean elders signed the document. On Friday, a Fairfax County . For instance, that they would sell the Tysons location and use it to build a mosque. with Max McLean: C.S. Southern Baptists approve measure to remove churches over clergy - CNN He earlier served as the senior priest at the Brook Hills Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and got the recognition of being the youngest pastor of any megachurch in the US. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. And rather than try to adjudicate the provisional ballots, they decided the best thing to do would be just to have another vote. All active members were allowed to vote. From 1980-2017, I had the honor of serving as the Senior Pastor of McLean Bible Church (MBC) in McLean, VA., in the suburbs of Washington, DC. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. At a June 30 meeting, nominees Chuck Hollingsworth, Jim Burris, and Ken Tucker had failed to receive a clear 75 percent majority, the margin required for elder election. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. July 20, 2021. degree in chemistry (1971) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Th.M. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Platt said in his July 4 sermon that people told voting members, in person and by email, that the elders up for nomination would have sold the churchs Tysons location to build a mosque, with proceeds going to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Dr. Voddie Baucham specifically highlighted David Platts 2018 sermon at the T4G Conference as Woke. The podcast is two hours on the use of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality at the MLK50 Conference and the T4G Conference sermon by David Platt. Bart Barber, a Texas Baptist pastor who is writing a book on congregational forms of church governance, said that church voting is aimed at finding consensus about what God wants the congregation to do. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The Capstone Report can reveal the photograph was only removed after repeated demands by members of the elder board. The Harvest Bible Chapel Scandal in a Nutshell (And Why You - Patheos RELATED: David Platt interview: A summons to lose your life. We hope you'll consider joining us on Sunday for a worship gathering. David Platt's Megachurch Names New Elders Despite Controversy David Platt Net Worth 2023: Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Kids, Bio-Wiki At the congregational meeting on 12/9/20, David strongly disavowed Critical Race Theory. Tensions over direction of McLean Bible Church lead to lawsuit | Church