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. Ive seen healthy and unhealthy churches of all sizes. "It's time for Salem to move forward. And Im not sure how bringing up holy men of other faiths comes into it I was at a Christian event seeking Biblically-rooted ministry, and thats what Pastor Dates and his wife provided. Im not saying that Im perfect, forever, for both churches. Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church. Now we have 2 churches thinking only one particular man can lead them. Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read. Dates also served on Salem's ministry team for a while before leaving in 2011 to serve as the leader of Progressive Baptist Church. Dates preaches at the 2019 African American Preaching Conference. Rev. 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. James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Churchone of Chicagos biggest megachurches. In all that, he can never be criticized within his ranks. Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago and serves on the board of TCP. Calling him "the greatest young preacher in our nation today," Rev. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. So we decided to cooperate and join our church to the SBC in what is known as a dual affiliation. Its time for a young generation to come forward with new challenges facing us.. If thats idolatry to youwe can disagree. Yeah thats in bad form. Ill become senior pastor of both the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and remain that at Progressive.. The congregation has grown into one of the largest black churches in the city. I cant speak much about Salem Baptist Church (other than its known in the Black community here in Chicago due to its sheer size), but I do know Progressive. Some in our ranks inappropriately use the label of CRT! to avoid legitimate questions or as a cudgel to dismiss any discussion of discrimination. We are partnering with The Chicago Partnership to present this opportunity to the South Side! COMMENTARY: Six white men shouldnt decide Southern Baptist position on race. Dr. Were living in a time where so many young people are walking away from the church and where church attendance numbers are in the dumps. 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. September 3, 2021 at 1:54 p.m. EDT. Charlie Dates is the Senior Pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, IL. The only outcome can be from their life experience, which really ignores the broader family of Southern Baptists.. No. Wow, I never knew this, did TRR ever do an expose of this incident? Rev. From 2016 to 2019, too, I preached on the campuses of four of the SBC seminaries and had been invited to another. Im not in the weeds at Progressive. Nationally known pastor Rev. (Dr. Charlie Edward Dates is the senior pastor at Chicagos Progressive Baptist Church. Perhaps I need to know whats defined as a megachurch? After the retirement of its founder James Meeks, fellow South Side pastor Charlie Dates will become senior pastor of one of Chicagos biggest megachurches, Salem Baptist Church, returning to the ministry that shaped him as a kid and succeeding one of his greatest mentors in the faith. What I will say is that Progressive and Salem demonstrate the spectrum of Black churches in Chicago. I think part of this is connected to what attracted me to Salem Baptist. Charlie E. Dates is the senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church and Progressive Baptist Church, two of the oldest and largest historically Black churches in Chicago, Illinois. 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. That was the old Southern Baptists, I promised them and others in our church. Charlie Dates preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017. 99% of these megachurch icons and celebrities were nowhere near as righteous as Smith to start with, and only continue to deteriorate from that starting point, with time and fame. Image courtesy of Baptist Press. So it is Biblical for a leader to have a large flock. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. He opposed the legalization of gay marriage,called for a boycott over funding disparities at Chicago Public Schools, and once served as spiritual adviser to disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly. I dont know if Id recommend this to anybody. Butand this is no secretfor years it stayed in the vein of its history. That was the message Sunday from the Rev. Charlie is the senior pastor a Chicago's Progressive Baptist Church. We want to celebrate YOU. Vance Pitman resigned in December from Hope Church in Las Vegas to lead the SBCs national church-planting organization. That was the last straw for Dates, he wrote in a column for Religion News Service. Wheaton Koinonia | Yesterday, Charlie Dates, the Senior Pastor at How has he influenced you? The other thing is, in terms of preaching, I plan on preaching two services on Sunday morning: one at Progressive and one at Salem. 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. Sign up for our newsletter: Our History Progressive Baptist Church It's time for Salem to have younger leadership. @progressivechicago | @charliedates |. You see many people who are guilty of holding onto positions too long, he says. Progressive Baptist Church. - Charlie Dates, pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, a church aligned with the Progressive National Baptist Convention, a mostly Black denomination, and also with the Illinois Baptist State Association, which is an SBC affiliate. Wests The Church Without Walls (originally Brookhollow Baptist Church) has ranked among the 100 biggest in the country and averages 9,000 people in weekly attendance, according to its site. When did the theological architects of American slavery develop the moral character to tell the church how it should discuss and discern racism? Both Meeks and Dates also have a connection to the Moody Bible Institute. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". . These have been disciple-making churches with an emphasis on Christian education. He is a contributing author to the 2014 book Letters To A Birmingham Jail, and the 2019 book, Say It: Celebrating Expository Preaching in The African American Tradition. "Give Me My Mountain" | Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago Last month, Dates joined the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast to talk about the need for solid Christian preaching during tough times. It is the work of that church, but its also Reverend Meeks, the pastor of that church. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago Pastor: Dr. Charlie E. Dates Website: www.progressivechicago.org Giving/Donations: https://progressivechicago.org/give IG: I plan to lead through leaders. And thats part of the beauty I think of this story. I had to fight all of my flesh not to just walk away. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately? He teaches preaching at Wheaton College and serves as an Affiliate Professor of the Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary and as Affiliate Professor of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. 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. Progressive Baptist Church Chicago - YouTube When I came back home to Southwestern, I even encouraged other ministers to do the same. A graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and adjunct at Baylor Universitys Truett Theological Seminary, West said he planned to withdraw from his current doctoral studies at Southwestern and will not associate with the SBC any longer. 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. We want to see our church grow. Services Progressive Baptist Church 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. Rev. "We believe now that the time has come for us to step aside, for us to yield to new younger leadership," Meeks said. Sign up for our newsletter: Comment below and let us know where you're watching fr. Dates, 41, is a graduate of Salem's now-closed Salem Christian Academy. James Meeks, founder and longtime senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church on the citys far South Side. Weve already started the conversation that, at some point, the goal is to raise up leaders to do more work. "And God has blessed us with our own son who has agreed starting January 15th, 2023, to be the next pastor of the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago.". 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. SBC events and church planting have grown more diverse over the past decade as leaders made a concerted effort to feature and invest in non-Anglo pastors. For questions or to reach his office, please email booking@progressivechicago.org. Dates response to the controversy was that its not racist because its between black people. And while we are kind of watching this great falling away, we dont have to merely watch it. None of that is contingent upon Biblical Christianity (indeed, you say its not because of a sermon or book, meaning theology I assume). It's to multiply in every generation and right now the church in Chicago needs fresh dynamic trained Gospel fire leaders. 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). Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. And God has blessed us with our own son as the churchs next pastor. Our seminaries, many of them are in decline. Sign up now ! It took a while for it to reimagine and revitalize and become relevant again. I dont come out of thin air to either church; you can trace my lineage. He was also on staff at Salem Baptist for five years as Meeks preaching assistant before becoming Progressives youngest-ever senior pastor at age 30. Nationally known pastor Rev. In 2011, Reverend Dates became the youngest Senior Pastor to serve the historic Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, which saw exponential growth under his leadership. I just checked and you can still see the tweet for yourself, he refused to delete it. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. And, yes, nothing good ever comes out of megachurches and rock-star pastors. (Perhaps due to my rarely being on social media for my own sanity). I had to tell my church I was wrong. I have, by the grace of God, the DNA of both churches.. Two Prominent Pastors Break With SBC After Critical Race T | News Our Team THE CHICAGO PARTNERSHIP 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. Charlie Dates Returns to the Chicago Church that Shaped Him Thats the good ol boys club. 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. 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., He came out of our church, says Meeks, and its time for young people to step up and be given a chance.. Meeks serves on the Moody Bible Institute Trustee Board, and Dates has worked as an adjunct professor there. 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. Theres just no way you can pastor a church that big being involved in all of the details, right? 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. Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. "Charlie is called, and I believe all ministry starts with a calling," Meeks said. That Salem is a loving church ready to work. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Charlie E. Dates, is a. Charlie Dates named successor to James Meeks at 10K-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. In 2011, at age 30, Rev. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Progressive was around WAY before Charlie Dates; it was not founded or based on his teachings alone. Rev. Dates teaches at several universities and seminaries, including Wheaton College, and is popular on the speaking circuit. But we can actually press into the current culture and lead our young people and train them to lead a revolution for the kingdom and the glory of God. The Social Justice Ministry is here to help through our Gospel Justice Center Legal Clinic. They would not. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. It seems to me that God has been up to this, directing this well before I could tell. They are ready to send their young students to the very seminaries that are both vestiges of racial animus and also the places where these harmful attitudes are perpetuated. If you have legal questions, attorneys will be available to help you at the legal clinic. The specter of racial animus and theological arrogance was giving way to a new era of Christian leadership, I suggested. Join us before worship service on Sunday, March 19th directly following service. If you have legal questions, attorneys will be available to help you at the legal clinic. Progressive Baptist Church, a century-old historically Black congregation, was briefly part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). As I prayed about it, I got no inkling that it was time, just yet, to walk away from Progressive. Meeks and his wife say they don't want to stand in the next generation's way. In his response, current SBC president Greear asked that fellow members of the denomination consider their concerns and suggested that there are things we can learn from worldly philosophies like critical race theory., Last week, prior to West and Datess announcements, Ausberry, who serves as SBC first vice president and head of the denominations National African American Fellowship, responded to the seminary presidents statement by saying that systemic racism exists and there are theories and constructs that help us to see and discover otherwise undetected, systemic racism in institutions and in ourselves., Especially for those of us who have experienced the brunt of systemic racism in our daily lives, our seminary presidents are good men and they had good intent, Ausberry said in an interview with Baptist Press, but the optics of six Anglo brothers meeting to discuss racism and other related issues without having ethnic representation in the room in 2020, at worst it looks like paternalism, at best insensitivity. James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church one of Chicago's biggest megachurches. . 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. Its the same approach that created President Donald Trump, that makes sure that no Republican leader will challenge him publicly. It's time for us to bring in new families. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. We need new ideas. Heavily influenced by the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, W.E.B. Are there things at Progressive you will have to step away from? The pastor of Progressive at the time, his name was Reverend T. Brown, he was such a dynamic leader in the city that he was able to tell [former Chicago mayor] Richard J. Daley, No. And live to tell about it. 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. . 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. 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.