The churchs constitution requires that new elders receive 75% approval and for the first time in McLeans history, a new group of elders failed to reach that margin. The key problem here is a lack of transparency. Solomon would forfeit his retirement package if he spoke out about the problems. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. INSKEEP: Is that part of what seemed to get him in trouble with at least a portion of the congregation? Less than 25 percent of members were part of the vote Wednesday night, Platt said. Steven Furtick is the lead pastor of Elevation Church, based near Charlotte, North Carolina. McLean stated in a Q&A on its website that Kelseys son held a poster that read, Black Lives Matter to God.. (RNS) A yearlong legal battle over a contested election at a prominent Washington, D.C.-area church appears to be over for now. (He recently preached one funeral in the building.) Platt and his family are members of the Washington, D.C., area church, where Platt also serves as elder. Platt took a shot at blogs and social media. From 2014 to 2017, Platt was president of the International Mission Board. [Picture was posted on Facebook, but was removed after a couple months]. 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! Any church member on McLeans inactive list was given a provisional ballot. The plaintiffs also claim a follow-up election at the church this weekend violated the churchs constitution. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The suit is pending despite the announced vote outcome. Platt made further allegations that people came from places as far away as Florida and Maine to vote. Platt and other leaders, they say, have abused their power by violating the churchs constitution. Critics say the Virginia churchs leadership has become woke and has substituted critical race theory and social justice for biblical teaching. Last Updated: February 2023. Solomon signed the Dallas Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel. But to others, Platts message represented a fault line. Even before Dr. Bauchams book, other Christians were critiquing the David Platts Social Justice sermon. ROACH: Yes, that's exactly right. The stated purpose of the church is "that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ . 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. ROACH: It was a tumultuous time. Dr. Voddie Baucham specifically highlighted David Platts 2018 sermon at the T4G Conference as Woke. In a complaint filed Thursday (July 15), five McLean members allege that Platt and other leaders illegally barred them from voting at a recent congregational meeting to approve new church leaders. Things began to change. If youre the Red Cross, thats problematic. However, the church continues to promote and use secular sociology books that promote CRT. On Friday, a Fairfax County . And then there was some question as to who is eligible to vote as a McLean member and who is not. Those inclined toward CSJ found it inspiring. 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. Pastor David Platt preaches at McLean Bible Church, July 11, 2021, in Vienna, Virginia. 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. And as we walk faithfully with God during these days, keeping our eyes fixed on him, I trust that he will work all these things together for our good and ultimately his glory.. Some of you may remember him as the guy Jerry Falwell Jr. told to "grow a pair." Platt is now in the middle of a controversy over "wokeness" at the church. (RNS) David Platt had a dream for the future of McLean Bible Church. Many of its members come from the top ranks of government, media, and business. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Wade Burnett, a pastor on McLeans leadership team, said the congregation decided to move forward together in a difficult time. Putting it off is only going to make it worse. McLean Bible Church faces a lawsuit over a recent vote for elders from members unhappy with pastor David Platt, who succeeded long-time former pastor Lon Solomon. 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. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. He told Religion News Service that the church believes it will prevail if there is an appeal. Brothers and sisters, I think we see all over Scripture that the Bible speaks of both sides of this picture, Platt said. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Copyright 2021 NPR. That speaks volumes about the problems in the McLean leadership team and specifically David Platt. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. I saw one email from one of the main leaders in this group using race to say that MBC is no longer McLean Bible Church that it is now Melanin Bible Church, Platt said. McLean Bible Church is one of the largest and most influential churches in the nation. Lon Solomon made one statement in opposition to the Social Justice heresy. It's little outside of Washington, D.C., in Virginia. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. We urge you to sign upto receive our FREE need to read articles. All rights reserved. That language has no place whatsoever here. (Reformation Charlotte) A sad sight to behold is the trajectory that David Platt has been on over the last several years as the Evangelical racial reconciliation movement a movement rooted in Marxist Critical Race Theory has consumed him in nearly every aspect of thought and decision. If you *really* care about gospel unity, racial reconciliation, and the least of these, do better.. View article . A password reset link will be e-mailed to you. This past spring, hoping to resolve the dispute, McLean leaders decided to discard the results of the July 2021 elder election. 'At the end . After a year of litigation, the outcome of a contentious election at a renowned church in the Washington, D.C. region appeared to have been settled. ROACH: I don't think that that is directly the issue, but I think that issue has implications for what has gotten him in trouble. He ranted, To those of you (esp. McLean Bible Church is one of the most influential churches in the United States. And the church has not regularly tracked individual attendance for years, he added. McLean Bible Church (MBC) was started in the Metro Washington, DC area in 1961 as a non-denominational church. Despite its elite membership, McLean has long been a conservative theological church populated by politically conservative evangelicals. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. 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. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Platts teaching explains that some people (no doubt an oppressed racial group) can better see sin than those people part of a larger group of people guilty of racism.. He also wrote an article equating support for President Trump and support for BLM as equally acceptable for a Christian.. (UPDATED) Unusual decision draws scrutiny at one of largest Southern Baptist schools. Platt said the dissident group claimed it was using the elder vote as part of a constitutional process to retake control of the church. 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.. But threatening McLean now is a group that has spread all kinds of rumors, Platt said. There are other internal documents providing similar extensive theological arguments. It is a mega church in the DC area with 5 locations and claims an attendance of 13,000 each weekend. 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 . Platt doubles down on his Woke Social Justice agenda. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. He became pastor-teacher at McLean Bible . 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, Professor Joeckel on why his contract, teachings on racial justice are under review, Hamline University retracts Islamophobia charge as instructor sues, Vineyard USA founders widow, board members sue breakaway Anaheim pastors, alleging fraud. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". So here I am, piecing together a years-long scandal for you. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. This letter urged Platt and the current elders to reject the Woke path. The flashpoint in the last year included a special course on Social Justice called The Gospel, The Church, Justice and Race. I don't think that it was about the specific elders so much as the direction of the church. March 18th, 2018. Once the first vote for the elders failed, Frazer believes that Platt and leaders should have stopped and listened to the congregations concerns. Sal Cordova (church member &. 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. COVID-19 also played a role. 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. When Platt began preaching at McLean, the church was identified as an SBC church in press accounts. Bob Smietana. The level of suspicion around such leaders appears to have grown during the Trump administration and during the reckoning over racism following George Floyds death last year. He presently works as a pastor-teacher at McLean Bible Church. The letter warned, "Thabiti Anyabwile, despite promoting progressive talking points at the . 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. 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. Chuck Hannaford, a Memphis clinical psychologist who has helped churches mediate conflicts for 30 years, said McLeans troubles are the latest iteration of a broader conflict between younger Reformed Christians and older generations of white evangelicals. They gave out some provisional ballots. I want you to listen closely to the words I am about to say, he said in his sermon the following Sunday. Who knew two nonverbal rocks had so much to say? Many of its members come from the top ranks of government, media, and business. What opponents claim as being Platts liberal or woke politics, supporters see as the 42-year-old preachers commitment to Christ above all. Instead of defending President Trumps visit, Platt seemed to apologize for publicly praying with Donald Trump. The dispute at McLean centered around a failed June 30, 2021, election. It is no secret that David Platt promotes Social Justice causes. NO VIDEOS! We're teaching everything that the Bible teaches. The heart of the complaint really comes down to truth, transparency, and a free, open, and uncoerced process, plaintiffs attorney Rick Boyer told RNS. NO POPUPS. Wait. After my seminary and doctoral work, I fully . It took repeated requests from a few conservative Elders to take down Facebook photos of staff holding BLM signs. At the time he was the youngest megachurch pastor in the United States. Some may wonder what Lon Solomon thinks about the heretical social justice teachings. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. RELATED: Southern Baptist mission board to cut 800 positions, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Platt said during the prayer, quoting the biblical Book of Proverbs with his arm around Trumps back. In fact, in a sermon around the time of the November 2020 Presidential Election, Platt dared conservatives to leave the church over his welcoming of those supporting pro-abortion candidates, i.e. And so I think I simply put into words what many people were already sensing.. Is it to be humble? 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. 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. This year, the church had an election of three church elders, which would normally be a sleepy affair. 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. 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. 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. Platt is now the pastor of McLean Bible Church, a flagship evangelical church in the Washington D.C. area. All rights reserved. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month. 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. Platt and other church leaders declined to respond to specific questions about the lawsuit and disputed church election. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Some church members who had been attending online, rather than in person, claimed their ballots had been disqualified. There were some who expressed the thought that David Platt and the other leaders were soft on issues like abortion and sexuality. Nope. Yet, even before this course, some noticed David Platts trajectory away from the Bible and into the Woke error. 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. Elevation Church was founded by Furtick in 2006 with just fourteen members. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Platt lied about the extent that Critical Race Theory and the Black Lives Matter movement influences McLean Bible Church leadership. The suburban DC megachurchs recent scuffle over race and politics is symptomatic of a broader evangelical rift. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. 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. 12,882 were here. 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. Because of the mass exodus McLean cut spending. . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Frazer said the confusion over McLean's relationship with the SBC and the election controversy reflect a bigger problem with the church. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Allegations that leaders were seeking to join the SBC in violation of the churchs constitution led McLean to suspend all contributions to SBC causes this month. And there really were some wild conspiracy theories that came out of that. This fact was pointed out to the current McLean Elders in a document that warned against the syncretism currently shaping Platts approach to social justice. The Local Church Wins Out in David Platt's Decision. The total was either just above or just below 75 percent, depending on whether provisional ballots were counted, so a second vote was held July 18, at which all three nominees received at least 78 percent of the vote. Rick Boyer, attorney for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said his clients plan to appeal. Under the "woke" new pastor who succeeded the legendary Lon Solomon, however, it may soon not even rank as the biggest church in McLean. Christians must reclaim Jesus from his church. Their pastor, David Platt, is very well-known among evangelicals. 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. The church in question is a prominent one, McLean Bible Church, where many Washington Republicans worship. According to Dr. Baucham in his book Fault Lines, David Platt, then head of the Southern Baptist Conventions International Mission Board, delivered a message from Amos 5, then repented in tears for his white privilege, silence, and inaction. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 2-minute video satire of the present McLean Bible leadership through animating the graph above. 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. Those dissident members argued that church leaders, including senior pastor David Platt, a best-selling author, had violated the churchs constitution. Much of that growth had happened under former pastor Lon Solomon, a Jewish convert known for his Bible preaching, zeal for evangelism and passion for serving children with special needs. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. RELATED: David Platts dreams for McLean Bible Church sour as members file lawsuit over elder vote. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Some reports indicate it is, while others indicate it isn't. . T he election of the elders of an evangelical church is usually an uncontroversial, even unifying event . Three new elders were approved by about 80% of active member votes. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It is unclear whether McLean Bible Church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention or an independent congregation. And it would appear that the vast majority of the church sided with Platt and the other leaders by their support of those elders. 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. Thousands have fled the church since it was taken over by David Platt. The document says that Platt says one thing about Critical Race Theory but clearly does another. . 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. The heart of the complaint really comes down to truth, transparency, and a free, open, and uncoerced process, said plaintiffs attorney Rick Boyer. The conservative voice and Christian content are being silenced more and more. The largely conservative northern Virginia church across the Potomac from Washington had . Apparently, amid the controversy with Calvinism that Lon and the elders initially rejected, they added that position statement on Calvinism. All six elders on the ballot received at least 86% approval. Strange events are afoot at McLean Bible Church, a multisite megachurch in Washington D.C. pastored by David Platt. Rumors had begun to circulate around the church that Platt and other leaders planned to sell a church building to a local Muslim congregation for a mosque. Further he made the absolute statement that nobody on MBC staff supports Black Lives Matter. Platt begged church members who support the Woke regime to adjust vacation plans to be at the special meeting. During a sermon on July 4, David Platt very intentionally addressed some of those concerns. Some of the older guard think that that's soft-pedaling some biblical truth. Platt asserts in the course that the Bible teaches both individual and corporate responsibility and that present systems are discriminatory.

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