Because of its proximity to Washington, D.C., many government officials, Capitol Hill staffers, and thought leaders are members. Many of its members come from the top ranks of government, media, and business. 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.. Attendance at the church was steady for most of the early period of the COVID pandemic; however, following the racism class and David Platts book on the voting, attendance began a precipitous decline. Platt mishandled the aftermath of the prayer. 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.. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. We're teaching everything that the Bible teaches. Lon Solomon made one statement in opposition to the Social Justice heresy. Platt and his family are members of the Washington, D.C., area church, where Platt also serves as elder. 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. 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. Platt also accused the dissident group of being racist. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Under the "woke" new pastor who succeeded the legendary Lon Solomon, however, it may soon not even rank as the biggest church in McLean. We hope you'll consider joining us on Sunday for a worship gathering. 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. Platt taught the course to about 1,000 church members. This year, the church had an election of three church elders, which would normally be a sleepy affair. This is a lie. 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.. We have to address conflict intentionally and face to face, Hannaford said. 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 lied about the extent that Critical Race Theory and the Black Lives Matter movement influences McLean Bible Church leadership. Because of the nature of a lawsuit, unfortunately, we cannot provide any further comment at this time, the elders said in a statement. Controversy at McLean Bible Church boils over as members file lawsuit over elder vote. Something is wrong here,' he told Religion News Service in a 2013 interview. They have several campuses. In fact, Platt's sloppy moral reasoning was one point of controversy in a letter to leadership from five long-standing members of . Platt plans to hold a called special business meeting to affirm the elders on July 18 during morning worship services, he told the church. He also warned against letting tensions swell. Many former elders have left McLean Bible Church since David Platts takeover of the church. Opponents of McLeans current leadership wrote in a blog posted by the right-wing Capstone Report that Plattwho became pastor of the DC church full time in 2018was attempting to purge conservative members., Platt also described one email circulating that claimed MBC is no longer McLean Bible Church, that its now Melanin Bible Church., I know its so ugly and painful to even hear, but I want to point out the approach thats being used by people giving leadership to this group in these meetings, he told the congregation, calling the claims made about him and the incoming elders unquestionably untrue and in many cases completely unreasonable.. 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. 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. Solomon would forfeit his retirement package if he spoke out about the problems. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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. I think were going to work through this, he said. The document says that Platt says one thing about Critical Race Theory but clearly does another. 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. We want to move forward in unity and we do not believe any appellate court would restrict us from doing that., RELATED: Woke war: How social justice and CRT became heresy for evangelicals, Pastor David Platt preaches at McLean Bible Church, July 18, 2021, in Vienna, Virginia. 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. Platt came to McLean in 2017, while he was still president of the Southern Baptist Conventions International Mission Board. The Evangelical Church Is Breaking Apart. ], Subscribe to CT 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. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Critics say the Virginia church's leadership has . Platt was presented with multiple documents from many respected past and present McLean Bible Church members over the last two years that connected concerns about racial identity politics with proper biblical application. In recent years, Platt, like other high-profile evangelical pastors, including former SBC President J.D. 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. We want MBC to be a place where people with all kinds of convictions on matters of conscience can thrive, the Q&A stated. 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. Lon Solomon began serving as MBC's fourth pastor in 1980. . McLean Bible Church, originally nondenominational, is a recent member of the Southern Baptist Convention. According to sources close to McLean Bible Church, Platt was told about this many times and seemed unconcerned about it, but finally complied with the demand to remove the divisive political photograph. Platt made further allegations that people came from places as far away as Florida and Maine to vote. Michael Kelsey rebuked people offended that some were upset at praying for the President of the United States. However, Solomon cannot state his opinions publicly because of a separation agreement he signed with the church. Solomon signed the Dallas Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel. 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! Attendance began to decrease significantly after the first class as attendees realized the Woke content. 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. One of the churchs pastors expressed outrage over it. People who were actively serving at other churches.. Platt, the author of Radical, is known for his passionate call to evangelism, missions, and Scripture. He was senior pastor at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, from 2006 to 2014. 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. 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. 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. June 27, 2022. 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. His emphasis on incorrect definitions of justice caused widespread criticism among McLean members. [ This article is also available in God give him wisdom.. Assume this is true for a moment, wouldnt that make someone pause and ask what is going on here? No matter what you've been through or where you've come from, you are welcome here. A password reset link will be e-mailed to you. But a series of controversies and the countrys growing political polarization have turned Platts dream into a nightmare. 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. 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 . Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit echo Frazers concerns, saying that the ballots used by the church violated McLeans constitution. And so the church had never before failed to elect elder nominees that were recommended. It's great to be with you. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. It does not store any personal data. It's little outside of Washington, D.C., in Virginia. 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 . All rights reserved. Lon Solomon the legendary pastor of McLean Bible Church has not set foot in McLean for a worship service since becoming pastor emeritus. [Picture was posted on Facebook, but was removed after a couple months]. David Roach has been following this. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". We're glad you're here! But conspiracy theories and arguments over wokeness divided the congregation. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. Plaintiffs hope that a court will declare Sundays election void and require the church to hold a new election. Instead of defending President Trumps visit, Platt seemed to apologize for publicly praying with Donald Trump. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. Even before Dr. Bauchams book, other Christians were critiquing the David Platts Social Justice sermon. Thanks so much. Both moves raised questions for some members. That follows the 2020 budget being about $1.5 million below the 2019 budget, according to a member of McLean Bible Church. David Joseph Platt is an American evangelical Baptist pastor. 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. Platt chose to ignore those entreaties and promote divisive teachers and divisive concepts like Critical Race Theory. After my seminary and doctoral work, I fully . Pastor David Platt preaches at McLean Bible Church, July 11, 2021, in Vienna, Virginia. It must be an unprecedented group of divisive liars and racists! Thousands have fled the church since it was taken over by David Platt. Which enabled a small group, just to put it in perspective, less than seven percent of our current membership on Wednesday night, including some people who we know are not actually members, less than seven percent kept elders from being overwhelmingly affirmed by our church family for the first time in our history.. By. David Platt asked the remaining Elders to approve the GCJR course curriculum as the main theological underpinning of all other teaching and worship activities at McLean Bible Church. The flashpoint in the last year included a special course on Social Justice called The Gospel, The Church, Justice and Race. She added that she is not familiar with the specific policies and procedures at McLean. The Bible speaks of individual responsibility and personal motivation and the Bible speaks to unjust systems and discrimination. Back at McLean, Platt and his fellow elders are urging the church in that direction. Wait. 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. Video screen grab via MBC. 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. So wherever possible, we want to work together to move forward together on mission even with our different perspectives.. 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. Its first service was held on Easter Sunday at Chesterbook Elementary School in McLean with Pastor J. Albert Ford. The GCJR will be the focus going forward and all staff will be required to fall inline. Platts 2020 book Before You Vote also drew criticism from some church members as being soft on traditional evangelical issues like abortion and sexuality. Their pastor, David Platt, is very well-known among evangelicals. RELATED: At Founders event, Southern Baptists urged to choose the Bible over CRT. 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. The stated purpose of the church is "that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ . 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. Under founding pastor Lon Solomon, McLean launched a church planting partnership with the SBCs North American Mission Board in 2016 while remaining nondenominational. Some reports indicate it is, while others indicate it isn't. . 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.. 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. Wade Burnett, a pastor on McLeans leadership team, said the congregation decided to move forward together in a difficult time. Let us know how we can help, and we'll direct your inquiry to the right person. 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. Bob Smietana. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. There are other internal documents providing similar extensive theological arguments. The church in question is a prominent one, McLean Bible Church, where many Washington Republicans worship. Nope. The latest controversy revolves around who was eligible to participate in a June 30 vote on elders and has resulted in a lawsuit. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The heart of the complaint really comes down to truth, transparency, and a free, open, and uncoerced process, plaintiffs attorney Rick Boyer told RNS. 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. ROACH: It was a tumultuous time. 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. There were not enough provisional ballots to change the outcome, according to an email from church leaders. 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. McClean Bible Church is or . 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. It took repeated requests from a few conservative Elders to take down Facebook photos of staff holding BLM signs. A follow-up election held this past Sunday was held under new rules. Platt said the dissident group claimed it was using the elder vote as part of a constitutional process to retake control of the church. The suit is pending despite the announced vote outcome. We heard about people driving in from Florida to Maine. 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. This is pretty shocking, even if you have been reading our warnings (here, here, and here - to start) about the apparent in-coming embrace of LGBTQ+ among Southern Baptist Elites.Eric Saunders, Pastor of McLean Bible Church of Arlington, MD, has released a video in which he claims Jesus experienced a kind of body dysphoria like that experienced by transgender claimants. #302 Falls Church, VA 22042 866-788-7770 Platt doubles down on his Woke Social Justice agenda. 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. Last Updated: February 2023. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. The social justice controversy has erupted in church business meetings at McLean Bible Church and has gained national attention. But then you have some of the younger evangelicals who say, look. 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. He also wrote an article equating support for President Trump and support for BLM as equally acceptable for a Christian.. 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. Apparently, amid the controversy with Calvinism that Lon and the elders initially rejected, they added that position statement on Calvinism. 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. We glorify God by making disciples and multiplying churches among all nations beginning in greater. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. degree in chemistry (1971) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Th.M. But he argued that Virginia law does require churches to follow rules outlined in their constitutions. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. 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. Further, much CRT terminology continues to be used at MBC, the concerned leaders told Platt. 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 . Accuracy and availability may vary. Platt has angered other members for maintaining the churchs reputed ties with the Southern Baptist Convention. 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. But its pastor says a group . 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. CRN offers a lifeline to conservative people of faith. 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. Net Worth in 2023: $2 million. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. But at the same time, he wants to say that there is not one voting requirement for being a follower of Jesus Christ. Who knew two nonverbal rocks had so much to say? 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. 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. Until a chance encounter with my moms old Bible opened my eyes. 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 sermon was maligned by many Protestants and praised by many Catholics, with speculation as to whether Chan is moving toward . 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. All six elders on the ballot received at least 86% approval. 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. 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. 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.
controversy at mclean bible church