It's time for Salem to have younger leadership. Pretty sure there were no consequences whatsoever for him over it. 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. I would think its a good thing that I can speak from personal experience with the Dates, instead of some sort of I read his book fan club adoration. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. I plan to lead through leaders. While West says he cannot offer a full affirmation of the theory, he does not see it as incompatible with the gospel. 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. The statement on critical race theory and intersectionality has soiled that good faith.. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Rev. If you have legal questions, attorneys will be available to help you at the legal clinic. A religious liberty newsletter that is a must-read for people of faith. I go where God leads me not Charlie Dates. I left that conference feeling hopeful. In accepting the role, Dates said he sees Salem Baptist Church of Chicago as a global church. The mega church concept is already troublesome. 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. Neither is it a premeditated desire of mine. Rev. From 2016 to 2019, too, I preached on the campuses of four of the SBC seminaries and had been invited to another. "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.". If I can help these churches recognize Gods hand in their past as a kind of indication of God, of what God wants to do in the future, then I think I can hand it off to the next generation in good fashion. That Salem is a loving church ready to work. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. James Meeks faltered for just a moment at the end. But it would be foolish to assume its humanly possible to do this in and of myself. I do know it is a debate in the Black community about using certain colorist or racially-charged terms against each other. Return to homepage. 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Our PBC Teens are highly engaged in biblical teaching and discussion on how to navigate a Christian life amongst their peers. and Ph.D. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity . The SBCs power structure wants to maintain white dominance. Meeks recalls meeting Dates when Dates was in the 5th grade. 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. They are ready to see their young adopt the very vestiges of hate that enslaved us in the name of Gods authoritative word. Some in our ranks inappropriately use the label of CRT! to avoid legitimate questions or as a cudgel to dismiss any discussion of discrimination. Here it was, I thought, further proof that the old SBC was fading. That was the last straw for Dates, he wrote in a column for Religion News Service. . Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. September 3, 2021 at 1:54 p.m. EDT. My acknowledgement of this is not a statement of submission, but an act of defiance. 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. To learn more about how you can begin or deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ, visit us at ProgressiveChicago.org . On March 27-28, Dates will give a sermon and lecture at Samford University for the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies annual Dotson M. Nelson Lecture. Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. Shes ready to work. In addition, the 41-year-old also served under Meeks as primary preaching assistant, pastor of adult ministries, and director of church operations at Salem Baptist before becoming senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church in 2011. 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. I am more of a vision-casting, preaching, pastoral care pastor. Thanks for the extra info here. 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?" I adore Charlie Dates BECAUSE of how he and his wife PERSONALLY ministered to me when I needed it. The congregation has grown into one of the largest black churches in the city. He graduated with a PhD in historical theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. How will your role there look different? But dozens of majority-black churches are joining the SBC each year, so the numbers are still growingjust not as fast as they once were. I had the privilege of not only hearing him preach as a guest speaker at my church, but also meeting him after a singles event hosted by Progressive. (Dr. Charlie Edward Dates is the senior pastor at Chicagos Progressive Baptist Church. 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. Comment below and let us know where you're watching fr. Raised on the southside of Chicago, he came of age having welcomed Christ into his life early. ), Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. Rev. He hijacked the affirmation meeting of the Baptist Faith & Message, turning it into a conservative resurgence revival. Heavily influenced by the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, W.E.B. Image courtesy of Baptist Press. Dates explained he saw rejecting CRT as part of a continuing heritage of dangerous conservatism.. Brian 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 resolution clarified the theory could be employed, but only subordinate to Scripture.. But the bones are good. And I dont even go to Progressive, which is less than 15 minutes from my home (closer than my current church home). The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. True authentic faith is going to be limited to a tiny remnant in the last days; the separation of wheat and tares is being done as we speak. Its time for Salem to move forward, he told his congregants. Facebook/Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, Pastor Charlie Dates (R) and Rev. 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? Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago | Chicago IL Pastor Charlie Dates speaks at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. If that is YOUR definition of ministering to someone (because that is the language I used, and you jumped to that conclusion), YOU need to revisit it. 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. 11,909 were here. 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. 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. The hard reality of the seminary presidents statement is that Black people will never gain full equality in the Southern Baptist Convention. Dates new role will mean others will take on some of what Dates does now at Progressive, he said. Rev. Its important to highlight that this is not conventional. @progressivechicago | @charliedates |. Our seminaries, many of them are in decline. Progressive was once, decades ago, the kind of leading force of churches on the South Side. 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. Charlie Dates serves as the senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church and teaches at Moody Bible Institute as an adjunct professor. Weve got to be able to have our 12 stones from our Chicago Jordan River, with a keen eye on the hills and mountains of Jericho and the other cities in Canaan. Ill become senior pastor of both the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and remain that at Progressive.. I want to say it is an honor to even be considered, let alone asked, to succeed the Reverend James T. Meeks. I had to tell my church I was wrong. 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. Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read.. Both have spoken at Moodys annual Founders Week conferences. That was the old Southern Baptists, I promised them and others in our church. I wonder how many of them provide full time paychecks. They are selectively conservative. Dates added that the transition will start in January 2023. While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall. Pastor Charlie Dates speaks at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. Preachers and teachers are there to instruct and shape us much like secular, academic teachers/professors. It's time for us to bring in young people. Neither am I saying that hes the only significant influence in my life. Its more than just Progressive and Salem. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Charlie E. Dates was presented to the church in February 2011. I completely understand your concern, Tricia. And I have loved various pastors like family; some have ministered to my family for DECADES, and have baptized, married, counseled, and even eulogized GENERATIONS of my family. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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 also understand how a personal relationship strengthens that love; that is the importance of us having relationships in the body of Christ. Let us know how we can pray for you and your family. 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. I respect the importance of Christian denominations, the accountability and resources they provide for the larger body. 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. It is going to take an academic mind and a saved heart.". Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago Pastor: Dr. Charlie E. Dates Website: www.progressivechicago.org Giving/Donations: https://progressivechicago.org/give IG: Charlie Dates is the Senior Pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, IL. He teaches preaching at Wheaton College and serves as an Affiliate Professor of the Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary and as Affiliate . I had to fight all of my flesh not to just walk away. He told his trustees to uphold the slaveholder for whom his college is named. Meeks serves on the Moody Bible Institute Trustee Board, and Dates has worked as an adjunct professor there. So Im not in a position to speak on that. Warren announced his intention to retire last year after over 40 years of ministry and began the search for "the next-generation pastor.". But as 2020 went on, I grew increasingly uneasy. He served three terms as an Illinois state senator, was chairman of the state board of education, and ran in Chicagos 2011 mayoral race. It does not store any personal data. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Charlie E. Dates, is a. I returned to our Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago with a bit of sophomoric optimism. How do Salem Baptist and Progressive Baptist compare, and what makes you a fit for both congregations at this moment? 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. Thats not always the case when you assume a pastorate. Ive seen healthy and unhealthy churches of all sizes. He announced Sunday he'll preach his last sermon to the 10,000-member church on January 8, 2023. 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. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. With teary eyes, I just told them I hope that they accept my recommendation when that time comes. COMMENTARY: Six white men shouldnt decide Southern Baptist position on race. That is a concerning statement. Chicago has rich Black churches throughout the South and West sides, in particular. Butand this is no secretfor years it stayed in the vein of its history. 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. Meeks, a former state senator, founded Salem Baptist 38 years ago. Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church I respect the importance of Christian denominations, the. Do you know what I mean by ministering to me? The recent departures caught the attention of Southern Baptist leaders who were disappointed to see them go, particularly fellow African Americans. I am on assignment to lead the church forward in Chicago. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas. Rev. Pastoral leadership is a storied pillar in both of these churches. Meeks called Dates the greatest preacher in our nation. Progressive Baptist Church is part of the Organizations industry, and located in Illinois, United States. Its humorous, its rewarding, and its worth more than the price of gold or platinum. Sign up for our newsletter: In 2011, at age 30, he became the youngest Senior Pastor in Progressive's rich 99-year history. 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. Its time for a young generation to come forward with new challenges facing us.. It was the first time to my knowledge that white evangelicals had celebrated in concert the life, memory and work of the Rev. 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. He announced Sunday hell preach his last sermon to the 10,000-member church on January 8, 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. That was the message Sunday from the Rev. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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.