No matter what age, PBC Kids offers fun, age-appropriate programming that help your children connect with God. Progressive got insulated at one point. For questions or to reach his office, please email booking@progressivechicago.org. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? Yesterday, Charlie Dates, the Senior Pastor at Chicago's Progressive Baptist Church, gave a powerful biblical message addressing the recent killings of Auhmad Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. Another thing is I dont think this dual assignment is in perpetuity. I also want to suggest that Chicago, and America, needs churches that are developing and reproducing young pastors, that we become more intentional about it. Its one thing to adore someone you dont have any personal relationship with. Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read.. . When Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Seminary, said the only politically moral option for Christians was the Republican Party, I asked other SBC leaders, good Christian men, to challenge him. That philosophy has weakened whatever prophetic potential the SBC has. In accepting the role, Dates said he sees Salem Baptist Church of Chicago as a global church. Dates also is an affiliate professor at Baylor Universitys George W. Truett Theological Seminary in Texas and at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois, according to his bio. He also teaches at Wheaton College and has delivered chapel sermons at various institutions, including The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. We haveI thinka very Paul and Timothy kind of relationship. 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. They both, in that regard, have a history of absolutely incredible pastors. From your posts (especially the prior one to this), it almost seems like your biggest qualification for a pastor is whether he or she makes you feel good; warm and fuzzy. 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. Its humorous, its rewarding, and its worth more than the price of gold or platinum. 3658 SOUTH WENTWORTH AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL, 60609, 773-268-6048 | INFO@PROGRESSIVECHICAGO.ORG. Meeks serves on the Moody Bible Institute Trustee Board, and Dates has worked as an adjunct professor there. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately? If, however, I fail to get the churches to see that our history serves our present and inspires our future, then Im in trouble. With teary eyes, I just told them I hope that they accept my recommendation when that time comes. Ive seen healthy and unhealthy churches of all sizes. I was shocked, but not surprised, when Mohler endorsed President Trump and watched the two men on Reformation Day celebrate each other on Twitter. To be clear, the SBC has some longstanding, credible Black pastors in its tribe, and I dont mean the kind who are tokens or assimilators. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately?. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Charlie Dates is pastor of the Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago. 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. To invite Dr. And I recognize that. Here it was, I thought, further proof that the old SBC was fading. Dates teaches at several universities and seminaries, including Wheaton College, and is popular on the speaking circuit. The resolution clarified the theory could be employed, but only subordinate to Scripture.. fellowship and personal friendship, could have been met by a holy man of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other world religionor by a secular counselor or self-help advocate. Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. All the old leaders stay in place and dont open up and make room for new leadership. Our seminaries, many of them are in decline. "We can multiply that in evangelism, in discipleship, in educating our kids in reducing violence, shutting down liquor stores and opening up new opportunities to help rescue families and that's the church being the church.". Dates's 100-year-old congregation only began affiliating with the SBC last year, joining as a dual affiliate with the Progressive National Baptist Convention, a mainline, African American. We need new ideas. I think thats a blessing, especially when I see a lot of superficial relationships between pastors and their flock. I had to tell my church I was wrong. Calling him "the greatest young preacher in our nation today," Rev. Calling him "the greatest young preacher in our nation today," Rev. Progressive Baptist Church is part of the Organizations industry, and located in Illinois, United States. In 2011, he became the youngest senior pastor at Chicagos Progressive Baptist Church. The two pastors brought up recognizing the reality of systemic racism alongside the truth and authority of Scripture. I dont need to be Einstein to understand that with all these jobs he is not truly doing any of them full time. Meeks, a former state senator, founded Salem Baptist 38 years ago. Nationally known pastor Rev. 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.. Perhaps you are taking on a worldly definition of love? It's time for us to bring in new families. As I prayed through it, Reverend Meeks and I wrestled with it, and he graciously affirmed my sense of discernment. COMMENTARY: Six white men shouldnt decide Southern Baptist position on race. 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). Butand this is no secretfor years it stayed in the vein of its history. Meeks called Dates the greatest preacher in our nation. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Charlie E. Dates, is a. And while Progressive is a large congregation (around 1000 members), it doesnt come close to Salem (which has about 10,000). 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. Salem has not lost its relevance, Salem has not lost its edge, while maintaining a very high view of Scripture and its very Christo-centric approach to ministry. To donate, click here. SERVICE TIME 9:30 AM CST Watch Live "It's Alright to Cry"| Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago Watch on Latest Sermon 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.. 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.". Ive learned there is an unwritten rule in the SBC: Dont criticize an entity head. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. The young people I met that week shocked me with the warmth and enthusiasm with which they embraced the subject matter. What I benefit from is far greater than just a tip from him here or there; its more of a model of a life lived. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. After 11 years at Progressive and watching more than 1,000 people join that church in that time, its fair to say that I carry the DNA of both churches. Chicago has rich Black churches throughout the South and West sides, in particular. Charlie Dates preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017. 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. Rev. I dont know if Id recommend this to anybody. I want to be clear though, Im not saying Im the only Timothy he has, in the same way that Paul had others. I recognize this moment is big, and its watershed, but it is not about me. And thats part of the beauty I think of this story. Salem Baptist is one of several megachurches whose pastors are passing the baton. 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). No One Knows. Meeks, 65, founded Salem in 1985 and grew it from 200 to 10,000 members. Dates, 41, is a graduate of Salem's now-closed Salem Christian Academy. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. You see many people who are guilty of holding onto positions too long, he says. Datess 100-year-old congregation only began affiliating with the SBC last year, joining as a dual affiliate with the Progressive National Baptist Convention, a mainline, African American denomination. Chicago needs the Black church to be her best and brightest self. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. If Charlie Dates indeed used a racial slur (just last year), that does call into fitness his ability to do any of the above. So we decided to cooperate and join our church to the SBC in what is known as a dual affiliation. Their seminaries have hosted outstanding guest faculty and chapel speakers outside of their norm. In 2020, Dates, married with two children, was among a number of black Christian church leaders to cut ties with the Southern Baptist Convention over a statement from the denomination's Council of Seminary Presidents denouncing racism and critical race theory. Rev. Around the country, people run into me and tell me, Oh I got baptized at that church, or Oh, I remember Sunday school at that church. Its legend and its lore is huge. The Rev. To them, a belief in a high view of Scripture must mean an adaptation of Republican politics and, with it, the dismissal of critical race theory and intersectionality because of a fear of liberalism. That said, our church has just as high a view (if not higher) of Scripture as any SBC church, but theirs is an inconsistent epistemology. They are good men who are sending a big message to the SBC, said Marshal Ausberry. Charlie is the senior pastor a Chicago's Progressive Baptist Church. At the emergence of the pandemic, the SBC donated to our emergency effort to provide online food delivery services for Chicagoans with SNAP benefits. Image courtesy of Baptist Press. I understand both sides, but havent thought about it enough to have a strong opinion, probably because I dont use those terms. 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. He hijacked the affirmation meeting of the Baptist Faith & Message, turning it into a conservative resurgence revival. 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. Pastor Charlie Dates of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago lamented, "This is a very tiring conversation, not simply because of the events of recent weeks, but because this has been a 401-year . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Charlie Dates Has Led Progressive Baptist To choose a successor Meeks says he and his wife, First Lady Jamell Meeks, prayed and fasted. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. How did they, who in 2020 still dont have a single Black denominational entity head, reject once and for all a theory that helps to frame the real race problems we face? He told his trustees to uphold the slaveholder for whom his college is named. 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. Martin L. King Jr. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of his assassination, it was as if they had come to reckon with the ghosts of their past and the theological underpinnings that ignored his ministry. The head of the SBCs National African American Fellowship, which had raised concerns about the critical race theory statement a week ago, said he was saddened by the announcements. My response to the above is that that kind of filling of your personal needs, i.e. Just, wow. Progressive Baptist Church (map) Google Calendar ICS Join us in the sanctuary from 4pmCT -6pmCT as we meet and greet political candidates running to be the mayor of our great city this upcoming Spring. Its evangelism, its benevolence, its disciple-making have all been very Christo-centric and rooted in the Scriptures. 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. Dr. Charlie Edward Dates is Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, IL. Perhaps I need to know whats defined as a megachurch? Vance Pitman resigned in December from Hope Church in Las Vegas to lead the SBCs national church-planting organization. Wow, I never knew this, did TRR ever do an expose of this incident? 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. Our PBC Teens are highly engaged in biblical teaching and discussion on how to navigate a Christian life amongst their peers. I want to say it is an honor to even be considered, let alone asked, to succeed the Reverend James T. Meeks. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. I wonder how many of them provide full time paychecks. In his June 19 sermon, he told congregants hes retiring as of January 15, 2023, and the Rev. Rev. The Social Justice Ministry is here to help through our Gospel Justice Center Legal Clinic. How do Salem Baptist and Progressive Baptist compare, and what makes you a fit for both congregations at this moment? None of that is contingent upon Biblical Christianity (indeed, you say its not because of a sermon or book, meaning theology I assume). I plan to lead through leaders. That was the last straw for Dates, he wrote in a column for Religion News Service. Some in our ranks inappropriately use the label of CRT! to avoid legitimate questions or as a cudgel to dismiss any discussion of discrimination. He shared a vision of revival. I dont even know what sort of issue Dates had with whoever (again, Im rarely on social media), but even I can spot your bias here. Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas. James Meeks, founder and longtime senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church on the citys far South Side. What I do sense is that theres still work to be done and vision to accomplish at Progressive at the same time that I begin my assignment at Salem. That history is enormous. And I dont even go to Progressive, which is less than 15 minutes from my home (closer than my current church home). Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. This was why I felt it safe to forge an alliance. Preachers and teachers are there to instruct and shape us much like secular, academic teachers/professors. (RNS) In 2018, something happened at the MLK50 Conference in Memphis, an event co-hosted by the Southern Baptist Conventions policy arm and The Gospel Coalition. To start, Dates will keep his current post as senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church, a 15-minute drive from the House of Hope arena where Salem Baptist meets. In 2006, he began serving as the primary . In a video of the announcement, Meeks said after he and his wife fasted and prayed about the succession of the ministry, they felt confident in selecting Dates. On one hand, the legacy has to continue. Ill be here every Sunday and through the week as I normally am, Dates said. . It is going to take an academic mind and a saved heart.". Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church. The mega church concept is already troublesome. . Meeks, who plans to stay involved with Hope of House, Salems philanthropic organization, is one of the latest longtime U.S. church leaders to step down. If I idolized him, dont you think Id have followed him to his church YEARS ago when I first me him? That is a concerning statement. What specifically attracted you about this role at Salem Baptist? Shouldnt a competent, strong, wise pastor stir and challenge his flock, make their complacency seem uncomfortable? "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." What lessons or advice has he already passed along about leading Salem Baptist? Cancel culture is wrong but shouldnt we have heard something about it at least? 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. The church actually changed the face of that community, he says. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT: After Chaos and Crisis, Beth Moore Still Finds Refuge in the Church, Christian Conservationists Sue to Protect Ghana Forest, I Was the Proverbial, Drug-Fueled Rock and Roller, Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Beautiful Mystery of Gods Silence. You talked a bit about both churches significance to Chicago. He has a bachelor of arts degree in speech communication and rhetoric from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; a master of divinity degree and a Ph.D. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Join us before worship service on Sunday, March 19th directly following service. Dateswho spoke at several national SBC events before and after deciding to affiliate with the denominationwrote that the statement was a final straw.. Its been anchored in the community. Pastoral leadership is a storied pillar in both of these churches. But there is nothing wrong with loving those who I do have personal relationships with, and have really left an impact on my faith, family, and heart. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If you have legal questions, attorneys will be available to help you at the legal clinic. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Pastor Charlie Dates is the Senior Pastor of The Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois. I didnt say Pastor Dates was the ONLY person who could minister to me; I dont have anyone in my life like htat. "It's time for Salem to move forward. @progressivechicago | @charliedates |. Both of them have produced some stalwart Christian leaders and teachers. He also told him hes still willfully acting like hes a slave because he rejects CRT. I adore Charlie Dates BECAUSE of how he and his wife PERSONALLY ministered to me when I needed it. I cant speak for them. We are hosting our New Member Orientation known as 'Connection Institute.' So he is going to pastor two large churches in addition to teaching at several colleges. 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The first challenge is getting the churches to sense that where God gives a vision, theres always provision. Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago and serves on the board of TCP. 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. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. 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. 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. Hmm. He's trained to fight the giants that we're dealing with today. I am more of a vision-casting, preaching, pastoral care pastor. Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church - Chicago . Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? As one Conservative Baptist Network member said, they must constantly repent but can never actually be forgiven., A group of Southern Baptist pastors released a statement Friday voicing their opposition to any movement in the SBC that seeks to distract from racial reconciliation through the gospel and that denies the reality of systemic injustices.. There is a HUGE problem with adoring a pastorany pastor, even a truly great one. They are happy to have a Black chapel speaker, the occasional conservative Black professor whose classes are not taken seriously or a Black employee who never bucks against their notions of superiority. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? His decision came two days after West made a similar argument in a Baptist Standard op-ed. Im working to discern Gods direction as it relates to timing of when to conclude. We are not merging the two churches and Salem is not absorbing Progressive, Dates said. Salem has its own kind of DNA, Progressive her own . Come stop by the north lobby to have your picture and/or video taken on March 19th and the 26th directly following service, As our church family continues to grow, we want to welcome our new members home. James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Churchone of Chicagos biggest megachurches. . Charlie has also led Progressive in being a very put faith into action church here in the Chicago Black community. Logos of the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries. Progressive Service Time 9:30am 3658 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago Coming Up. Every church that lives in the past is already anchoring itself in the graveyard of history. Gleannings aggregates what others are reporting. What kind of repentance did he show and how has he made amends? Respect and admire if they are capable, yes. 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. . Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. Their stand against racism rings hollow when in their next breath they reject theories that have been helpful in framing the problem of racism, he wrote, disappointed that the presidents would come together to speak out against it rather than turning their criticism toward other ills such a racism itself. Everybody loves our old, respected leaders but I want to set an example that its okay to give the next generation an opportunity, Meeks adds. 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. The congregation has grown into one of the largest black churches in the city.