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Some church members who had been attending online, rather than in person, claimed their ballots had been disqualified. Church members were required to show identification, and ballots were labeled with members names. McLean Bible Church is one of the most influential churches in the United States. If youre the Red Cross, thats problematic. 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. So those are some of the manifestations that show this is a larger discussion among evangelicals. 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. 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.. David Platt is a famous US author and preacher. 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. Platt is now the pastor of McLean Bible Church, a flagship evangelical church in the Washington D.C. area. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. COVID-19 also played a role. Even before Dr. Bauchams book, other Christians were critiquing the David Platts Social Justice sermon. David Roach is a reporter and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama. Lon Solomon the legendary pastor of McLean Bible Church has not set foot in McLean for a worship service since becoming pastor emeritus. View article . The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. When longtime leaders and perhaps thousands of members are abandoning the church, what is the lesson David Platt draws? If youre the church of Jesus Christ, thats really problematic.. Lon Solomon is American evangelical Christian pastor and the founder of Lon Solomon Ministries, a non-profit ministry.. Sign up for our newsletter: 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. Platt begged church members who support the Woke regime to adjust vacation plans to be at the special meeting. Facebook; Twitter; visit the YouTube Channel. Those dissident members argued that church leaders, including senior pastor David Platt, a best-selling author, had violated the churchs constitution. 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. 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. ROACH: Thank you, Steve. 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. Video screen grab via MBC. Platt is a polarizing figure. McLean Bible Church, originally nondenominational, is a recent member of the Southern Baptist Convention. In response, Platt accused his critics in a sermon of spreading disinformation and stuffing the ballot box with votes from former members and inactive church members. For Ravi Zacharias, it was the fact that he was having a sexting affair.For Mark Driscoll's latest shenanigans, it was Mars Hill, and before that falling out there were several ignored reports about his leadership.James MacDonald is remarkably similar to Mark Driscoll, with his fall from Harvest Bible Church in . 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. The church approved a 2021 budget slashing $2.5 million from what it budgeted in 2020. Putting it off is only going to make it worse. The entire Sunday, July 4, 2021, sermon was filled with David Platts performative outrage. This year, the church had an election of three church elders, which would normally be a sleepy affair. Read More FILE - Stacie Wood and her husband, Andy Wood, stand for a portrait on Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Stacie Wood, the woman pastor at the center of . The weeks between the two votes were tumultuous. Online posts on blogs, Facebook, and email charged Platt with pushing critical race theory, revising biblical teaching on sexuality, and aligning with the SBC despite McLeans constitutional prohibition of affiliating with any denomination. 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.. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. God give him wisdom.. 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 lawsuit brought by McLean Bible Church dissidents on Friday to reverse the results of an election for church leaders (elders) was dismissed by a court in Fairfax County, Virginia. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. A series of controversies and the countrys growing political polarization have caused a rift at McLean Bible Church, where former International Mission Board president and author David Platt is pastor. His emphasis on incorrect definitions of justice caused widespread criticism among McLean members. DAVID ROACH: It is a megachurch in the Washington, D.C., area. INSKEEP: I was astonished by some of the conspiracy theories that you described that surfaced during that election campaign. The Evangelical Church Is Breaking Apart. Explanation Videos. 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. 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. Also, Sadly, within evangelicalism, and the MBC pulpit, we see the following principle at work: the presence of preaching/teaching based on the wrong assumptions, resulting in wrong conclusions, thereby leading to the wrong solutions. The church was rocked by controversy in 2019 when President Donald Trump stopped by the service for prayer . Platt and other leaders, they say, have abused their power by violating the churchs constitution. You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Is this David Platts Stop the Steal moment? You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. Platt has angered other members for maintaining the churchs reputed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Is it to be humble? But then you have some of the younger evangelicals who say, look. Less than 25 percent of members were part of the vote Wednesday night, Platt said. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Further, much CRT terminology continues to be used at MBC, the concerned leaders told Platt. INSKEEP: David Roach is pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Ala., and also writes for Christianity Today. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. Evangelical Seminary Explains Why It Enrolled First Muslim Student, I Was the Proverbial, Drug-Fueled Rock and Roller, Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Beautiful Mystery of Gods Silence. Many of its members come from the top ranks of government, media, and business. It is a mega church in the DC area with 5 locations and claims an attendance of 13,000 each weekend. It's great to be with you. 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. It is no secret that David Platt promotes Social Justice causes. The Local Church Wins Out in David Platt's Decision. Former President Trump even . One former Mclean member said, He (Platt) gave a sermon that essentially said, If you cant unite with us find a new church. So, people did., 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 is harming McLean Bible Church with Woke Social Justice Theology, David Platt turned a blind eye to his staff marching in a Black Lives Matter (BLM) event in Washington, DC, Platt seemed to apologize for publicly praying with Donald Trump, One of the churchs pastors expressed outrage over it, Platts own book legitimizing Christians who vote for Pro-Abortion Democrats, Dr. James White dissected David Platts errors in a podcast examining that T4G sermon, Solomon signed the Dallas Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel, ERLC, Russell Moore raise questions about trusting the trustees, ANOTHER: Georgia Baptist chief says Russell Moore lied, SBC Elites defend credibly accused standard to ruin lives, Bart Barber flipflops on pledge to bring vote to ban Women Pastors in SBC, Evangelical Elites lied you to about the origins of Covid, Woke SBC Elites Delete History To Hide Their Schemes. But a series of controversies and the countrys growing political polarization have turned Platts dream into a nightmare. The July 18 vote has been surrounded by controversy, with some decrying what they saw as creeping liberalism within the church's . Boyer said courts are often reluctant to get involved in church disputes. 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. The flashpoint in the last year included a special course on Social Justice called The Gospel, The Church, Justice and Race. (RNS) A yearlong legal battle over a contested election at a prominent Washington, D.C.-area church appears to be over for now. | YouTube/McLean Bible Church Growing tensions between disgruntled longtime members of McLean Bible Church in Virginia and the "liberal" direction they allege their Lead Pastor David Platt has been taking the congregation erupted in a lawsuit over a recently held controversial election of new elders some fear . 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. Thats led to accusations that Platt and others have become woke and liberal. Earlier this year, McLean Bible Church released a draft for a discipleship resource designed for church members and leaders which is basically a baptized version of Critical Race Theory which obfuscates the issues of racism and individual sin.. The largely conservative northern Virginia church across the Potomac from Washington had . However, that is not the only vote of no confidence in David Platts Social Justice Gospel. A follow-up election held this past Sunday was held under new rules. They gave out some provisional ballots. So they scheduled that vote for Sunday, July the 18. On June 30, 2021, McLean Bible Church (MBC) in Vienna, Virginia, held a members meeting to affirm three new elders via vote.MBC is pastored by former Southern Baptist's International Mission Board (IMB) president and bestselling author David Platt. The course lasted about 15 hours of direct discipleship teaching. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin). 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. RELATED: At Founders event, Southern Baptists urged to choose the Bible over CRT. Last Updated: February 2023. Platt made further allegations that people came from places as far away as Florida and Maine to vote. 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. 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. But he argued that Virginia law does require churches to follow rules outlined in their constitutions. NO VIDEOS! This letter urged Platt and the current elders to reject the Woke path. There were some who expressed the thought that David Platt and the other leaders were soft on issues like abortion and sexuality. He also warned against letting tensions swell. Thousands have fled the church since it was taken over by David Platt. But to others, Platts message represented a fault line. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Attendance began to decrease significantly after the first class as attendees realized the Woke content. Any church member on McLeans inactive list was given a provisional ballot. Often times with disgraced megachurch pastors, there were several warning signs. McLean stated in a Q&A on its website that Kelseys son held a poster that read, Black Lives Matter to God.. Frazer also believes church leaders disqualified people who they thought would vote the wrong way. Since the ballots included church member names, he said, leaders would know how church staff and other members voted, opening them up to retaliation. No current McLean elders signed the document. . And then there was some question as to who is eligible to vote as a McLean member and who is not. CBN-backed candidate Mike Stone received 48 percent of the vote in last months SBC presidential election, finishing second to Alabama pastor Ed Litton. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Nope. July 20, 2021. 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. During a sermon on July 4, David Platt very intentionally addressed some of those concerns. 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. 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. See more. There has been a lot of confusion and misinformation about the whole process, and there many who are troubled by this development. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In the course, Platt fuses Christian teachings with the worldview assumptions of Critical Race Theory. This is extremely important, Platt said with the sound of desperation. However, the church continues to promote and use secular sociology books that promote CRT. 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. In fact, this book was required reading for Platts course. All rights reserved. The letter warned, "Thabiti Anyabwile, despite promoting progressive talking points at the . He presently works as a pastor-teacher at McLean Bible Church. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. However, this is a lie. Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. AD FREE! No. Platt said the dissident group claimed it was using the elder vote as part of a constitutional process to retake control of the church. And the candidate backed by the Conservative Baptist Network at the most recent SBC annual meeting got 48% percent of the vote. Meanwhile, leaders like Platt see the pushback as its own sort of coup and remain concerned about the influence of opposition fueled on social media and watchdog blogs. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. McLean Bible Church is one of the most influential churches in the United States. 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. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. THE EARLY YEARS McLean Bible Church was founded in 1961 by five families in Northern Virginia. 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. By. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Doing that in a large church is difficult, Barber said, as McLean is discovering. 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. It is unclear whether McLean Bible Church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention or an independent congregation. Platts 2020 book Before You Vote also drew criticism from some church members as being soft on traditional evangelical issues like abortion and sexuality. We're teaching everything that the Bible teaches. After my seminary and doctoral work, I fully . It never goes away on its own.. He was senior pastor at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, from 2006 to 2014. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Many of its members come from the top ranks of government, media, and business. Both moves raised questions for some members. 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.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. That comes with attendance issues and budget cuts. McLean Bible Church, the multisite megachurch in McLean, Virginia near Washington, D.C. where David Platt pastors, confirmed three new elders Sunday in a revote where members labeled their ballots with their names. Net Worth in 2023: $2 million. The Bible speaks of individual responsibility and personal motivation and the Bible speaks to unjust systems and discrimination. degree in chemistry (1971) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Th.M. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. No matter what you've been through or where you've come from, you are welcome here. 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. A series of controversies and the country's growing political polarization have caused a rift at McLean Bible Church, where former International Mission Board president and author David Platt is pastor. [Picture was posted on Facebook, but was removed after a couple months]. 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. We want MBC to be a place where people with all kinds of convictions on matters of conscience can thrive, the Q&A stated. But its pastor says a group . Under the "woke" new pastor who succeeded the legendary Lon Solomon, however, it may soon not even rank as the biggest church in McLean. Assume this is true for a moment, wouldnt that make someone pause and ask what is going on here? 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. The church leadership was forced to embrace the Woke Social Justice rhetoric. Are the culture wars changing how Christian students choose colleges? There is some resistance from what some would consider the old guard in evangelical circles to younger guys accused of being soft on doctrine in an effort to reach a more diverse audience, Hannaford said. 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. 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. These leaders were also worried about Mike Kelseys promotion of the Black Lives Matter movement on social media. Under founding pastor Lon Solomon, McLean launched a church planting partnership with the SBCs North American Mission Board in 2016 while remaining nondenominational. The heart of the complaint really comes down to truth, transparency, and a free, open, and uncoerced process, said plaintiffs attorney Rick Boyer. Strange events are afoot at McLean Bible Church, a multisite megachurch in Washington D.C. pastored by David Platt. We have to address conflict intentionally and face to face, Hannaford said. Platt came to McLean in 2017, while he was still president of the Southern Baptist Conventions International Mission Board. 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. Platt and his family are members of the Washington, D.C., area church, where Platt also serves as elder. The heart of the complaint really comes down to truth, transparency, and a free, open, and uncoerced process, plaintiffs attorney Rick Boyer told RNS. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. [ This article is also available in Some say it is now a running joke that McLean refugees are showing up in other area churches looking for the truth and the Gospel instead of racial identity politics. A password reset link will be e-mailed to you. David Platts dreams for McLean Bible Church sour as members file lawsuit over elder vote, Woke war: How social justice and CRT became heresy for evangelicals. Platt lied about the extent that Critical Race Theory and the Black Lives Matter movement influences McLean Bible Church leadership. Join us to see why God's family is no ordinary family. And he said that there was a group that was trying to take over the church. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. 13-minute video summary, pastor Kelsey talking about "torching all white people" 51-minute detailed presentation, The sacred duty, and the money trail of . Of course, not. Things began to change. A drop of 39%. At the congregational meeting on 12/9/20, David strongly disavowed Critical Race Theory. 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. with Max McLean: C.S. (RNS) A yearlong legal battle over a contested election at a prominent Washington, D.C.-area church appears to be over for now. 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. 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. 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.. 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. And depending on how the provisional ballots were adjudicated, those elder nominees got either just below or just above the 75% threshold. Some reports indicate it is, while others indicate it isn't. . These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. Video screengrab via MBC. Just like the Democrats blame racists, so too David Platt. The latest controversy revolves around who was eligible to participate in a June 30 vote on elders and has resulted in a lawsuit. Why is David Platt undermining elections? Platt chose to ignore those entreaties and promote divisive teachers and divisive concepts like Critical Race Theory. Sal Cordova (church member &. David Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church near Washington, D.C., and founder of Radical, a resource ministry that serves churches, preaches during the second session of the two-day 2019 Pastors' Conference held June 9-10 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. 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