Platt doubles down on his Woke Social Justice agenda. In recent years, Platt, like other high-profile evangelical pastors, including former SBC President J.D. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. (RNS) David Platt had a dream for the future of McLean Bible 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. 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. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Platts 2020 book Before You Vote also drew criticism from some church members as being soft on traditional evangelical issues like abortion and sexuality. 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.. But conspiracy theories and arguments over wokeness divided the congregation. His emphasis on incorrect definitions of justice caused widespread criticism among McLean members. These leaders were also worried about Mike Kelseys promotion of the Black Lives Matter movement on social media. Lon Solomon began serving as MBC's fourth pastor in 1980. . But to others, Platts message represented a fault line. David Platt is so desperate to cling to powerthat he will portray a diverse group of conservative McLean Bible Church members as racists. 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?. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. There were some who expressed the thought that David Platt and the other leaders were soft on issues like abortion and sexuality. We're teaching everything that the Bible teaches. 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. When Platt began preaching at McLean, the church was identified as an SBC church in press accounts. Over the last several years, weve watched David take the churchthe church we built, the church we love, the church weve poured are hearts and souls and lives intoand turned it into a political, stripped-down version of what it used to be, wrote former elder Mark Gottlieb, who is encouraging members of a group called Save McLean Bible Church to admit defeat and walk away after the July 18 vote. 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. The church was rocked by controversy in 2019 when President Donald Trump stopped by the service for prayer. 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. CRN offers a lifeline to conservative people of faith. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. And so I think I simply put into words what many people were already sensing.. Six people are part of the lawsuit, including both members and former members. (RNS) David Platt had a dream for the future of McLean Bible Church. Thus, McLean is spending about $4 million less in 2021 than in 2019. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Frazer said the confusion over McLean's relationship with the SBC and the election controversy reflect a bigger problem with the church. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. If you *really* care about gospel unity, racial reconciliation, and the least of these, do better.. David Platt, pastor at McLean Bible Church in Virginia, speaks at the Pastor's Conference at the Southern Baptist Convention on Monday in Birmingham. Thanks so much. 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. RELATED: At Founders event, Southern Baptists urged to choose the Bible over CRT. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. We are zealous in the present not to prolong or replicate in any way racial injustice from the past. INSKEEP: I was astonished by some of the conspiracy theories that you described that surfaced during that election campaign. 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. 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. June 27, 2022. And the church has not regularly tracked individual attendance for years, he added. It was an exercise in eisegesis (p. 121). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Attendance is down about 40-percent year-over-year. 'At the end . 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. The Bible speaks of individual responsibility and personal motivation and the Bible speaks to unjust systems and discrimination. Who knew two nonverbal rocks had so much to say? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. 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. Just like the Democrats blame racists, so too David Platt. God give him wisdom.. The stated purpose of the church is "that people far from God will be raised to life in Christ . 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. Once the first vote for the elders failed, Frazer believes that Platt and leaders should have stopped and listened to the congregations concerns. Net Worth in 2023: $2 million. But he argued that Virginia law does require churches to follow rules outlined in their constitutions. McClean Bible Church Pastor David Platt addresses his congregation on July 4, 2021. . 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. for less than $4.25/month. 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. The dispute at McLean centered around a failed June 30, 2021, election. 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. 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. Elevation Church was founded by Furtick in 2006 with just fourteen members. COVID-19, Frazer said, has made that rule unenforceable. By. 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. However, this is a lie. 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. DAVID ROACH: It is a megachurch in the Washington, D.C., area. So those are some of the manifestations that show this is a larger discussion among evangelicals. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Every time this lawsuit has been filed or amended or refiled, it has resulted in a dismissal, he said. Church members are asked for their opinions on things like what color to paint the womens bathroom, he said; why not ask their opinion on more substantive matters such as CRT or joining the SBC? 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.