When I came back home to Southwestern, I even encouraged other ministers to do the same. It is good that you were ministered to personally by your pastor. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately? . Vance Pitman resigned in December from Hope Church in Las Vegas to lead the SBCs national church-planting organization. James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Churchone of Chicagos biggest megachurches. That is a concerning statement. That was the message Sunday from the Rev. Dates called him an Uncle Ruckus on twitter, which is a derogatory slur used to describe a black man that embraces the whiteness of society instead of resisting it. Shouldnt a competent, strong, wise pastor stir and challenge his flock, make their complacency seem uncomfortable? Dates holds a Bachelor's Degree in Speech Communication & Rhetoric from the University of Illinois - Champaign, Urbana, where he met his wife, Kirstie, who not only changed his life, but also elevated his approach to living. He is married to Kirstie Dates and is the proud father of their children, Charlie Edward Dates II & Claire Dates. Before his call to Progressive, he served as an apprentice pastor at New Zion Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois, and as a pastor at Salem Baptist Church in Chicago. And I dont even go to Progressive, which is less than 15 minutes from my home (closer than my current church home). . There is no such thing as the Old Southern Baptists.. Please click here to learn how. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Its time for a younger generation to assume leadership at one of Chicagos largest churches. Sure, there were more battles to be won before legitimate change would warm the hearts of African American churches like ours, but thats why our movement felt almost prophetic. Charlie served as an apprentice to Pastor K. Edward Copeland and started his formal, practical training at the New Zion Baptist Church of Rockford, Illinois. Neither am I saying that hes the only significant influence in my life. September 3, 2021 at 1:54 p.m. EDT. Chuck Smith himself, who started out as every kind of salt and light, found himself tempted by the limelight as he got bigger and bigger, and we saw more and more of his flaws as time went on. But in this instance, youre actually bothered (I guess Uncle Ruckus is what crosses your line, but not sons of b*ches or a**holes) AND questioning Charlie Datess salvation? . Many cannot even define what CRT is, he tweeted. It was the first time to my knowledge that white evangelicals had celebrated in concert the life, memory and work of the Rev. All the old leaders stay in place and dont open up and make room for new leadership. Charlie Dates of the Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, one of the pastors who have already severed ties, said the November statement was "the last straw." "When did the theological architects of American slavery develop the moral character to tell the church how it should discuss and discern racism?" Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Im not sure I understand your point. My approach at Salem will be similar once I have learned again the way of the land. Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read.. Atlanta pastor John Onwuchekwa left the SBC over the summer due to concerns over its approach to racial issues. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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Pastor Dates challenged me in how I was handling my grief, noted my verbal and body language pointed to some unrighteous anger and unforgiveness that I needed to confront in order to move forward in a Godly manner, gave me scriptures to pray and meditate on, and concluded by praying with me and having his wife Kirstie follow up with me. Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church - Chicago . He told his trustees to uphold the slaveholder for whom his college is named. So we decided to cooperate and join our church to the SBC in what is known as a dual affiliation. None of that is contingent upon Biblical Christianity (indeed, you say its not because of a sermon or book, meaning theology I assume). Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. "There is a young man in our midst who is an exceptional preacher," Pastor Meeks told congregants Sunday, calling Charlie Dates both "called" and "qualified." The theory came up in a controversial resolution that passed at the SBCs 2019 annual meeting, when Greear was elected. . If, however, I fail to get the churches to see that our history serves our present and inspires our future, then Im in trouble. I am more of a vision-casting, preaching, pastoral care pastor. Meeks and his wife say they don't want to stand in the next generation's way. You sure seem ready to defend Trump and do the we dont know whats in his heart, only God knows if hes saved song and dance when it comes to explaining away Trumps lack of repentance or remorse for such language. Thats the good ol boys club. Progressive Baptist Church is part of the Organizations industry, and located in Illinois, United States. But some have grown frustrated with their position in a denomination that remains largely white (African Americans make up just 6 percent of Southern Baptists, according to Pew Research Center). For questions or to reach his office, please email booking@progressivechicago.org. I can say Ive been called worse for going to white schools and belonging to white clubs, and Im kinda numb to it at my age. The two pastors brought up recognizing the reality of systemic racism alongside the truth and authority of Scripture. (I cant imagine having NEVER met your pastor one-on-one). (Perhaps due to my rarely being on social media for my own sanity). Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. The first challenge is getting the churches to sense that where God gives a vision, theres always provision. Theres something about the formation of my mind and my theological heart that is directly shaped by and impacted by watching all of that, and working in all of that, as I came of age, he said. That philosophy has weakened whatever prophetic potential the SBC has. I dont see anything wrong with loving those who Christ calls us to love, which includes our brothers and sisters in Christ (that includes pastors). My acknowledgement of this is not a statement of submission, but an act of defiance. He also told him hes still willfully acting like hes a slave because he rejects CRT. It's time for us to bring in young people. Raised on the southside of Chicago, he came of age having welcomed Christ into his life early. Dr. Something is lost when a pastor becomes distanced from 99% of his church. Standing in the pulpit on Sunday at the House of, Feet splashed in puddles on a rainy Sunday afternoon as almost 1,000 people came together in Smyrna, a small town in Middle. I would caution ANYONE who makes ANYONE their everytying including a spouse or child. Woke Wars infiltrate Christian colleges, prof under fire for racial justice unit, Southern Baptists oust Rick Warrens Saddleback Church for naming a female pastor, Professor Joeckel on why his contract, teachings on racial justice are under review, Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. But you seem determined to dismiss or belittle it in some sort of attempt to insult the Dates and me. Calling him "the greatest young preacher in our nation today," Rev. Speaking with CT, Dates drew parallels to Paul and Timothy, referencing Pauls instructions to the younger leader based on what he had witnessed firsthand in ministry. Progressive was around WAY before Charlie Dates; it was not founded or based on his teachings alone. Nationally known pastor Rev. I wonder how many of them provide full time paychecks. Calling him "the greatest young preacher in our nation today," Rev. As I am contemplating leaving my current evangelical church, Progressive is on my list of places Im considering and praying about for a new church home, and a lot of it is due to the Dates family. I think the distinction is that I can serve Salem well by loving her through the preaching ministry and pastoral care, and she will follow. "It's time for Salem to move forward. That was the last straw for Dates, he wrote in a column for Religion News Service. Dr. Charlie E. Dates currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois as well as Affiliate Professor of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and NFL Chaplain for the Chicago Bears. I returned to our Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago with a bit of sophomoric optimism. The Rev. Charlie has 1 job listed on their profile. @progressivechicago | @charliedates |. He is a contributing author to Letters To A Birmingham Jail and Say It: Celebrating Expository Preaching in the African American Tradition, and is currently working on his first single-authored book on Christianity and Social Justice. One of the benefits at Progressive is that the operations of the church and systems and structures of the church, the day-to-day operations, are free to move independent of me. Perspective by Charlie Dates. Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read. 11,909 were here. Hi. Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church. Last month, in a joint statement and individual remarks, the six presidents of SBC seminaries called critical race theory unbiblical and instead emphasized the need to turn to Christian teachings alone, not secular ideas, to confront racism. He teaches preaching at Wheaton College and serves as an Affiliate Professor of the Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary and as Affiliate . So for me, what attracted me was God. Its no longer that waywe are very much in the community nowbut thats the way it was. Rev. So he is going to pastor two large churches in addition to teaching at several colleges. I completely understand your concern, Tricia. While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall.. Meeks has been activeand sometimes controversialin the community. It does not store any personal data. James Meeks announced Sunday that Pastor Charlie Dates of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago will succeed him as leader of the 10,000-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago when he steps out of the role in January 2023. It is the work of that church, but its also Reverend Meeks, the pastor of that church. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Our seminaries, many of them are in decline. This was why I felt it safe to forge an alliance. The statementposted on the anniversary of the 13th amendment abolishing slaverycalled for collective repentance and criticized those who would downplay SBCs racial history or label others as critical race theorists for acknowledging systemic injustices. Meeks, who is now 65 and served three terms as a state senator, told his congregation that he will preach his final sermon on Jan. 8, 2023, just five days before the church's 38th anniversary. The hard reality of the seminary presidents statement is that Black people will never gain full equality in the Southern Baptist Convention. And the same for Salem, which might still have it. The SBC experienced a 43 percent jump in majority-black churches between 1998 and 2002, compared to 11 percent over the most recent four years. I am on assignment to lead the church forward in Chicago. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! As CT reported in August, there werent signs of a trend of majority-black churches leaving in the most recent denomination report from 2018, though the rates of growth year-over-year had slowed after shooting up in the early 2000s. Our PBC Teens are highly engaged in biblical teaching and discussion on how to navigate a Christian life amongst their peers. Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. I will admit to knowing very little about Charlie Dates, but what Gus Chiggins posted is extremely concerning. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. It took a while for it to reimagine and revitalize and become relevant again. Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. View Charlie Dates' profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Their seminaries have hosted outstanding guest faculty and chapel speakers outside of their norm. 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. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. Do you have a birthday or anniversary next month? I think these churches, with the history, the power, and relevance they have, can help shape a pipeline and platform for developing young people, young leaders, teachers, preachers, music ministry leaders, and nonprofit developers that Chicago needs these churches to develop across platforms. In just our brief 15 minute interaction, he really ministered to me as he correctly sensed I was going through a season of loss that was challenging my faith. Both have spoken at Moodys annual Founders Week conferences. Rev. I would rather not compare them, only because I wouldnt want to say the wrong thing and have someone read it and judge my intent. The 65-year-old has been a pastor for 42 years and said he feels like hes got 42 more years in me. But Meeks added hes learned from King Davids life when its time to come off the battlefield.. This isnt something that I read or something that I watched; this is a ministry that I participated in and had a front row seat to as a kid, said Dates, who grew up at Salem and attended its former school, Salem Christian Academy. James Meeks faltered for just a moment at the end. This workshop will cover everything from home buying basics to the most important step, funding and loan process. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. What is liberalism to the conservative Southern Baptists? The two churches will remain separate, and he plans on preaching two sermons each Sunday. Meeks' retirement comes at a time when many longtime church leaders have been transitioning out of leadership as they contend with dwindling attendance and other ministry upheavals laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. For the second time in two days, a prominent Black pastor has publicly quit the Southern Baptist Convention over its seminary presidents' campaign against Critical Race Theory. So Im not in a position to speak on that. Just, wow. I also understand how a personal relationship strengthens that love; that is the importance of us having relationships in the body of Christ. We want to see younger families come to our church and the last thing that we want is to stand in the way of that.". We need new ideas. Charlie Dates is pastor of the Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago. Pastoral leadership is a storied pillar in both of these churches. Dr. Charlie Dates became the youngest senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago in 2011 at age 30. Preachers and teachers are there to instruct and shape us much like secular, academic teachers/professors. ), Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. I think that there is a place in the body of Christ for large and small churches alike; I have been a member of both at various points in my walk with Christ, and can speak to the benefits and challenges of both. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. The leaders of two majority-black megachurches in major cities announced this week that they will no longer affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention. In his June 19 sermon, he told congregants hes retiring as of January 15, 2023, and the Rev. Our city and our nation need the black church to be her best and brightest self and now is the time for churches to be strong," he said. I dont need to be Einstein to understand that with all these jobs he is not truly doing any of them full time. Im here to speak the truth in love to you to keep you from going down a path that may seem comforting to you now, but it will ensnare you.. With no repentance of any kind and such bald-faced pride in his sin, it bears questioning whether Dates ever had a regenerative, salvific transformation in his heart to begin with. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? She loves the Word and words, is a binge reader and grammar nut, and is fanatic (as her family can attest) about Jeopardy! Religion News Service reported that Fred Luter, the only black SBC president, signed on in agreement.

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