While the church is slashing spending on a variety of things including missions, discipleship, outreach, and church plants, one area of increased spending in 2021 is in the Senior Management salaries. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Former President Trump even attended a service there once. Wade Burnett, a pastor on McLeans leadership team, said the congregation decided to move forward together in a difficult time. However, that is not the only vote of no confidence in David Platts Social Justice Gospel. 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. The letter warned, "Thabiti Anyabwile, despite promoting progressive talking points at the . Last weekend a sermon by Evangelical pastor Francis Chan went viral, as in the sermon Chan shared about Communion and his discovery of the scriptural and historical basis for transubstantiation - that the bread and the wine become the literal Body and Blood of Christ. A follow-up election held this past Sunday was held under new rules. The weeks between the two votes were tumultuous. It sits in what can only be described as one of Americas Elite areas. The church teachings were theologically conservative under its previous leadership, the legendary Lon Solomon. A group of five former leaders at McLean including a former elder, former staff member and lay leadership warned David Platt in a letter dated February 3, 2021, about numerous moves by Platt and his elders to divide the church along racial lines. In May 2021 following the Social Justice push and Platts book on politics, McLean Bible Church reported average attendance of about 7,300. Many of its members come from the top ranks of government, media, and business. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Thousands have fled the church since it was taken over by David Platt. There were some who expressed the thought that David Platt and the other leaders were soft on issues like abortion and sexuality. We see throughout Scripture that individuals affect structures and structures affect individuals, so we emphasize both personal and corporate responsibility in matters of justice., And, We do grieve over the existence and effects of racism, and to the extent that we are part of a larger group of people guilty of racism, we appropriately confess corporate sins of racism and take appropriate steps of repentance, much as we do when the Holy Spirit convicts us of any corporate sin. The Bible speaks of individual responsibility and personal motivation and the Bible speaks to unjust systems and discrimination. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. The suit is pending despite the announced vote outcome. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. David Platt, who has been aligning himself and his church closer and closer to the Revoice "gay Christianity" movement over the last year or so, has been making headlines as he continues to partner . It is unclear whether McLean Bible Church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention or an independent congregation. RELATED: David Platts dreams for McLean Bible Church sour as members file lawsuit over elder vote. At the time he was the youngest megachurch pastor in the United States. Critics say the churchs leadership has become woke and has substituted critical race theory and social justice for biblical teaching. [Picture was posted on Facebook, but was removed after a couple months]. All rights reserved. They cited Platts use of Woke resources as further proofPlatt required for his course on Race books likeDivided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The church was rocked by controversy in 2019 when President Donald Trump stopped by the service for prayer. Things began to change. Members of David Platt's McLean Bible Church have filed a lawsuit against the church, claiming that leadership violated the church's constitution and used church dollars for controversial financial purchases. Back at McLean, Platt and his fellow elders are urging the church in that direction. Platt came to McLean in 2017, while he was still president of the Southern Baptist Conventions International Mission Board. And the church has not regularly tracked individual attendance for years, he added. And so I think I simply put into words what many people were already sensing.. This letter urged Platt and the current elders to reject the Woke path. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin). Assume this is true for a moment, wouldnt that make someone pause and ask what is going on here? The conflict at McLean Bible Church is significant not only because of the congregations size and influencewith several thousand attendees and a prominent place in the DC church landscapebut also because the incident marks the latest salvo in an ongoing clash within American evangelicalism. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. When qualified elders do not oversee the hiring of pastoral staff, we endanger the flock to the possibility of those who bring wrong assumptions/beliefs on critical issues to our congregation and pulpit, the five leaders warned. A group of five former leaders at McLean including a former elder, former staff member and lay leadership warned David Platt in a letter dated February 3, 2021, about numerous moves by Platt and his elders to divide the church along racial lines. He claimed people were upset by efforts at racial reconciliation. I think were going to work through this, he said. The Washington-area megachurch led by best-selling author David Platt has affirmed three new eldersbut only after a public tussle over politics, race, and alleged liberal drift, plus a lawsuit filed by dissenters. 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. A beloved Bible teacher and speaker, Platt inspired younger Christians to pursue missions work or other ministries. espaol. This is a breach of contract action seeking to remedy Defendants illegal actions to deny Plaintiffs their rights to cast a free and fair vote, to have those votes lawfully counted, and to enjoy their right to a secret ballot, according to the complaint. Dr. Voddie Baucham specifically highlighted David Platts 2018 sermon at the T4G Conference as Woke. By. INSKEEP: Is that part of what seemed to get him in trouble with at least a portion of the congregation? The letter describes McLean as a partner with the SBC but not affiliated denominationally with the SBC.. 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 cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The church in question is a prominent one, McLean Bible Church, where many Washington Republicans worship. Critics say the Virginia church's leadership has . I want you to listen closely to the words I am about to say, he said in his sermon the following Sunday. RELATED: David Platt interview: A summons to lose your life. Greear and Texas megachurch pastor Matt Chandler, have been outspoken about racism and social justice issues, saying that the Bible teaches them to address those issues. If you *really* care about gospel unity, racial reconciliation, and the least of these, do better.. But its pastor says a group . David Joseph Platt is an American evangelical Baptist pastor. In a rant against causing division in the church, David Plattthe man responsible for dividing McLean Bible Church by teaching Critical Race Theoryclaimed a group of dissident conservatives were using disinformation to divide McLean Bible Church. He is pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Ala., and he also writes for Christianity Today, which is how he came to report on McLean Bible Church. Platt is a polarizing figure. So they scheduled that vote for Sunday, July the 18. Michael Kelsey rebuked people offended that some were upset at praying for the President of the United States. He became a teaching pastor in 2017 and left the presidency of the SBCs International Mission Board to dedicate his ministry to McLean the following year. Under the "woke" new pastor who succeeded the legendary Lon Solomon, however, it may soon not even rank as the biggest church in McLean. Save McLean Bible Church. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. McLean Bible Church is one of the most influential churches in the United States. Platt made further allegations that people came from places as far away as Florida and Maine to vote. He was senior pastor at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, from 2006 to 2014. It sits in what can only be described as one of America's Elite areas. Some of the older guard think that that's soft-pedaling some biblical truth. We recognize the need to examine each of our hearts humbly and continually with the help of the Holy Spirit and the encouragement of brothers and sisters who enable us to see sin in us and sins effects around us in ways that we might not see ourselves., Notice the racial Gnosticism contained within this paragraph. David Platt is so desperate to cling to powerthat he will portray a diverse group of conservative McLean Bible Church members as racists. SBC Elites cite distinguished lawyer and Southern Baptist Matthew Martens; however, Martens has written persuasively, Supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban women pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), New intel points to Covid origin in a lab leak, remember when this was a, NAMB PR VP Mike Ebert emerges as key witness in McRaney v. NAMB What will, David Platt explodes at McLean Bible Church, plays the race card, the man responsible for dividing McLean Bible Church by teaching Critical Race Theory, It couldnt be that David Platts Woke rhetoric has driven about 40% of church members to attend church in other non-Woke evangelical churches in that part of Virginia, Ed Litton Plagiarism Scandal: A Sermongate Timeline, Baptist professor strongly suspects former SBC President J.D. According to course documents provided to the Capstone Report, Injustice like we see in Scripture is evident in and around us today. However, Platts course provides no proof of this assertion but launches into the typical CRT-inspired list of supposed American wrongs including things like discrimination, persecution, prejudicial creation and execution of laws, crises of excessive crime and incarceration, corruption in leaders, suppression of the marginalized, and oppression of the poor.. Longtime member Bill Frazer, 69, believes Sundays election violated the churchs constitution, which states that any member who misses services eight weeks in a row can be designated as inactive. Frazer said the confusion over McLean's relationship with the SBC and the election controversy reflect a bigger problem with the church. Both moves raised questions for some members. 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.. Every time this lawsuit has been filed or amended or refiled, it has resulted in a dismissal, he said. So those are some of the manifestations that show this is a larger discussion among evangelicals. In the course, Platt fuses Christian teachings with the worldview assumptions of Critical Race Theory. Boyer said courts are often reluctant to get involved in church disputes. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit objected, saying anyone who joined the church after the June 2021 election should not be allowed to vote. . Ministry partnerships: If you represent an organization which would like to partner with MBC, please fill out the International Partnerships Form or the Local Partnerships Form. And then there was some question as to who is eligible to vote as a McLean member and who is not. He became pastor-teacher at McLean Bible . There are other internal documents providing similar extensive theological arguments. By. His emphasis on incorrect definitions of justice caused widespread criticism among McLean members. David Platt's very strong on the issues that evangelicals traditionally have cared about. Because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., many government officials, Capitol Hill staffers, and thought leaders are members. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit echo Frazers concerns, saying that the ballots used by the church violated McLeans constitution. 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., Pastor David Platt preaches at McLean Bible Church, July 18, 2021, in Vienna, Virginia. You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. Frazer, who is not a plaintiff, said the lawsuit and controversy at the church were unfortunate and that he hated to see the churchs dirty laundry aired in public. And it would appear that the vast majority of the church sided with Platt and the other leaders by their support of those elders. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. No Celebrities Except Jesus: How Asbury Protected the Revival, After Pushing for UMC Unity, Former Bishop Joins New Denomination, The Kings College Faces Threat of Closure, Southern Baptist Convention Disfellowships Saddleback Church, left the presidency of the SBCs International Mission Board, With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal. Almost all of the questions we have heard are less about Gods Word and more about what this blog or that Facebook post says, Platt said. The budget has been cut to $4 million less than in 2019. The entire Sunday, July 4, 2021, sermon was filled with David Platts performative outrage. Lewis famously said, "Christianity, if . Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month. In recent years, Platt, like other high-profile evangelical pastors, including former SBC President J.D. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. INSKEEP: Given that, what makes this story feel like it has a larger significance in your mind? COVID-19, Frazer said, has made that rule unenforceable. Similar to Naples, McLean Bible Church recently held a vote to confirm three elders the first vote failed. We have to address conflict intentionally and face to face, Hannaford said. According to the church constitution, elders must be approved by a three-quarters majority, but that day the vote failed, a first in McLean history, according to a church email. After my seminary and doctoral work, I fully . This internal document was a response to Platts promotion of The Gospel, the Church, Justice and Racism whitepaper. 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. No. Platt has angered other members for maintaining the churchs reputed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention. I don't think that it was about the specific elders so much as the direction of the church. However, this is a lie. Early life. 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.. Congregants dance and pray with the church band before Pastor Andy Wood gives a sermon on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Stacie Wood, the woman pastor at the . 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. 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. While Platt raised concerns that the opposing group deceived members at the Tysons location into voting against the new elders, a lawsuit filed July 15 alleges that church leaders at McLean illegally barred some of their opponents from voting in the follow-up elder election. 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Platt and his family are members of the Washington, D.C., area church, where Platt also serves as elder. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The social justice controversy has erupted in church business meetings at McLean Bible Church and has gained national attention. 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. 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. [ This article is also available in The dispute at the church came to a head on June 30 at a congregational meeting held to approve three new elders to the small group that wields most of the authority at the church. All rights reserved. Platt said the dissident group claimed it was using the elder vote as part of a constitutional process to retake control of the church. Some church members who had been attending online, rather than in person, claimed their ballots had been disqualified. Bob Smietana. 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. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". McLean Bible Church is one of the largest and most influential churches in the nation. Pastor David Platt, left, prays for President Donald Trump at McLean Bible Church, in Vienna, Virginia, on June 2, 2019. It couldnt be that David Platts Woke rhetoric has driven about 40% of church members to attend church in other non-Woke evangelical churches in that part of Virginia! Apparently, amid the controversy with Calvinism that Lon and the elders initially rejected, they added that position statement on Calvinism. Platt and other church leaders declined to respond to specific questions about the lawsuit and disputed church election. Why does church leadership refuse to answer question. The truth is that in June Mike Kelsey, his newly appointed Lead Pastor for Preaching and Culture, posted a picture on Facebook of himself at a BLM rally in DC, holding a BLM sign. 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. It's little outside of Washington, D.C., in Virginia. NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to journalist and pastor David Roach about an ideological rift at a Washington, D.C.-area church that highlights similar divisions in evangelical groups across the U.S. We have a story now of divisions within a single church that suggest wider divisions in many churches. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Thanks so much. Platt doubles down on his Woke Social Justice agenda. Disposition definition, the predominant or prevailing tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude: I'd like to thank the general manager for his hospitality, kindness, and always cheerful disposition. with Max McLean: C.S. Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. Further he made the absolute statement that nobody on MBC staff supports Black Lives Matter. Platt lied about the extent that Critical Race Theory and the Black Lives Matter movement influences McLean Bible Church leadership. Why is David Platt undermining elections? From 2014 to 2017, Platt was president of the International Mission Board. Accuracy and availability may vary. We believe the same thing would happen on appeal in this matter, as our church has now voted and revoted in ways that are crystal clear. Solomon pastored the church from 1980 until becoming pastor emeritus in September 2017. Specifically, Platts course reveals his assumption that disparity is proof of racist systems. Platt, the senior pastor of McLean Bible Church in Northern Virginia, is now caught in the middle of a scandal that is reminiscent of events that took place in 2019 at a large Southern Baptist Church in Naples, FL. With many active members participating in services online, especially those, like Frazer, who are not vaccinated, there is no way to tell who is attending. So wherever possible, we want to work together to move forward together on mission even with our different perspectives.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Many Christians look at the Bible and then look at the picture of American Christianity around them and think, This doesnt add up. Platt knows many McLean members including former church leaders opposed his teachings that appeared to be causing racial divisions by the promotion of Critical Race Theory. Attendance is down about 40-percent year-over-year. Lon Solomon began serving as MBC's fourth pastor in 1980. . Who knew two nonverbal rocks had so much to say? 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. Welcome to McLean Bible Church in the final rundown to Sunday's surprisingly contentious vote on new elders. The heart of the complaint really comes down to truth, transparency, and a free, open, and uncoerced process, plaintiffs attorney Rick Boyer told RNS. David Platt, the President of our International Mission Board, recently became the preaching pastor at the Mclean Bible Church, a megachurch in the DC area. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The stated purpose of the church is "that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ . Some reports indicate it is, while others indicate it isn't. . Platt also accused the dissident group of being racist. 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. Are the budget cuts and declining attendance a message that Platts Social Justice Theology is unpopular with churchgoers? A year later, Platt and African American McLean pastor Mike Kelsey participated in a Christian march following the death of George Floyd, which was construed by some as support for the Black Lives Matter organization. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Christians must reclaim Jesus from his church. David Platt, pastor at McLean Bible Church in Virginia, speaks at the Pastor's Conference at the Southern Baptist Convention on Monday in Birmingham. McLean stated in a Q&A on its website that Kelseys son held a poster that read, Black Lives Matter to God.. We are zealous in the present not to prolong or replicate in any way racial injustice from the past. While the church building was locked down and most of its ministries ceased amid Covid-19 fears, David Platt turned a blind eye to his staff marching in a Black Lives Matter (BLM) event in Washington, DC. Similar to Naples, McLean Bible Church recently held a vote to confirm three elders the first vote failed.