We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Failed to subscribe, please contact admin. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. However, this is a lie. Three new elders were approved by about 80% of active member votes. David Roach is a reporter and pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Alabama. 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 . 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. THE EARLY YEARS McLean Bible Church was founded in 1961 by five families in Northern Virginia. Platts 2020 book Before You Vote also drew criticism from some church members as being soft on traditional evangelical issues like abortion and sexuality. If people were motivated to drive from Maine and Florida to McLean Bible Church in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., to vote against David Platts Woke agenda, maybe the problem is not with the dissidents but with David Platt? 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.. At that time, the vote was too close to confirm the new elders because the Church's constitution states it must have at least a 75-percent . The dispute at McLean centered around a failed June 30, 2021, election. AD FREE! Many of its members come from the top ranks of government, media, and business. And the candidate backed by the Conservative Baptist Network at the most recent SBC annual meeting got 48% percent of the vote. 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. One former McLean Bible Church member pointed out that Platts preaching is mostly informed by sociological approaches to race through works that Platt read and promoted like Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Those inclined toward CSJ found it inspiring. 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. 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. This letter urged Platt and the current elders to reject the Woke path. The July 18 vote has been surrounded by controversy, with some decrying what they saw as creeping liberalism within the church's leadership. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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.. Also, there are close ties to the SBC since the NAMB . 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. David Platt is a famous US author and preacher. Platt came to McLean in 2017, while he was still president of the Southern Baptist Conventions International Mission Board. 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 set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". So they scheduled that vote for Sunday, July the 18. Former President Trump even attended a service there once. In June 2019, then-President Donald Trump showed up at a worship service and Platt prayed for him from the stage, an action that drew criticism from some in the church. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The church in question is a prominent one, McLean Bible Church, where many Washington Republicans worship. 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. And the church has not regularly tracked individual attendance for years, he added. 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. Accuracy and availability may vary. We want MBC to be a place where people with all kinds of convictions on matters of conscience can thrive, the Q&A stated. 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 no secret that David Platt promotes Social Justice causes. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. We heard about people driving in from Florida to Maine. And so I think I simply put into words what many people were already sensing.. Platt is a polarizing figure. RELATED: David Platts dreams for McLean Bible Church sour as members file lawsuit over elder vote. There has been a lot of confusion and misinformation about the whole process, and there many who are troubled by this development. 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. So wherever possible, we want to work together to move forward together on mission even with our different perspectives.. 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. INSKEEP: Given that, what makes this story feel like it has a larger significance in your mind? The suit is pending despite the announced vote outcome. 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 flashpoint in the last year included a special course on Social Justice called The Gospel, The Church, Justice and Race. 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. Lon Solomon began serving as MBC's fourth pastor in 1980. . And then there was some question as to who is eligible to vote as a McLean member and who is not. Less than 25 percent of members were part of the vote Wednesday night, Platt said. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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 . Platt said in his July 4 sermon that people told voting members, in person and by email, that the elders up for nomination would have sold the churchs Tysons location to build a mosque, with proceeds going to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Something is wrong here,' he told Religion News Service in a 2013 interview. 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. Similar to Naples, McLean Bible Church recently held a vote to confirm three elders the first vote failed. 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. The best examples are the woke church movement, and the takeover of many seminaries by critical race theory. 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 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. 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. Sal Cordova (church member &. (The Roys Report) 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. A follow-up election held this past Sunday was held under new rules. Wait. I don't think that it was about the specific elders so much as the direction of the church. 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.. Plaintiffs hope that a court will declare Sundays election void and require the church to hold a new election. He became pastor-teacher at McLean Bible . Kelsey is now Pastor of Culture at McLean. We hope you'll consider joining us on Sunday for a worship gathering. McClean Bible Church Pastor David Platt addresses his congregation on July 4, 2021. The plaintiffs also claim a follow-up election at the church this weekend violated the churchs constitution. Platt made further allegations that people came from places as far away as Florida and Maine to vote. Pastor David Platt preaches at McLean Bible Church, July 11, 2021, in Vienna, Virginia. It's great to be with you. for less than $4.25/month. 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 said the dissident group claimed it was using the elder vote as part of a constitutional process to retake control of the church. It took repeated requests from a few conservative Elders to take down Facebook photos of staff holding BLM signs. 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. [Picture was posted on Facebook, but was removed after a couple months]. This internal document was a response to Platts promotion of The Gospel, the Church, Justice and Racism whitepaper. Yes, the typical political ploy used by Democrats in every election cycle has now entered Evangelical megachurches. Hannaford advises pastors not to make changes too quickly and recommends cooperation from both sides, allowing believers to differ on secondary doctrinal and ethical issues. Platt, a bestselling author and speaker, recounted the churchs history in a sermon in the summer of 2019, about a year after he succeeded Solomon as pastor, in whichhe asked: What if our best days as a church are ahead of us, not behind us?. Frank gives an insightful answer to this question and analyzes the recent controversy that started when members of a gym said a special workout in support of "Pride Week" was canceled by gym owners that led to an executive at CrossFit was fired for a tweet on his personal account. 'At the end . If youre the church of Jesus Christ, thats really problematic.. ROACH: On June the 30, McLean Bible Church was to have an election to elect three new elders. In fact, Platt's sloppy moral reasoning was one point of controversy in a letter to leadership from five long-standing members of . From 2014 to 2017, Platt was president of the International Mission Board. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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: I don't think that that is directly the issue, but I think that issue has implications for what has gotten him in trouble. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin). They organized a new election for elders in mid-June 2022, using secret ballots. After my seminary and doctoral work, I fully . Last Updated: February 2023. By. It was an exercise in eisegesis (p. 121). Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Because of the mass exodus McLean cut spending. Platt and other leaders, they say, have abused their. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. INSKEEP: David Roach is pastor of the Shiloh Baptist Church in Saraland, Ala., and also writes for Christianity Today. (RNS) David Platt had a dream for the future of McLean Bible Church. 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. 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. Welcome to the Arlington location of McLean Bible Church. 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. . And rather than try to adjudicate the provisional ballots, they decided the best thing to do would be just to have another vote. Platt took a shot at blogs and social media. degree in chemistry (1971) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Th.M. 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. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Things began to change. 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. Solomon pastored the church from 1980 until becoming pastor emeritus in September 2017. Some may wonder what Lon Solomon thinks about the heretical social justice teachings. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. T he election of the elders of an evangelical church is usually an uncontroversial, even unifying event . Some older evangelicals see it as sort of a coup.. Video screengrab via MBC. Their pastor, David Platt, is very well-known among evangelicals. Putting it off is only going to make it worse. This is extremely important, Platt said with the sound of desperation. 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.