That is a concerning statement. I want to say it is an honor to even be considered, let alone asked, to succeed the Reverend James T. Meeks. Shes ready to work. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read.. Its kind of like a kid learning a language; when youre immersed in the language, no one has to tell you what words mean and what signals mean.. And if you have a testimony of the amazing things God is doing in your life through our ministry, please email it to info@progressivechicago.org. 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. I returned to our Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago with a bit of sophomoric optimism. Pastor Charlie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication and Rhetoric at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and both a Master of Divinity Degree and PhD at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School . 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. Just goes to show that even in this day and age, after all thats happened, megachurches still value butts in the seats and the almighty dollar over holding celebrity pastors accountable for their actions and character. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Its time for Salem to have younger leadership . The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Dates, 41, graduated from Salems now-shuttered Christian Academy. I respect the importance of Christian denominations, the accountability and resources they provide for the larger body. "We believe now that the time has come for us to step aside, for us to yield to new younger leadership," Meeks said. 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. Im still surprised Charlie Dates wasnt forced to step down after he publicly used a racial slur against Virgil Walker on social media last year. The specter of racial animus and theological arrogance was giving way to a new era of Christian leadership, I suggested. To learn more about how you can begin or deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ, visit us at ProgressiveChicago.org . 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. Children are a gift from God. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT: Southern Baptist Convention Disfellowships Saddleback Church, Christian Conservationists Sue to Protect Ghana Forest, Everything Everywhere All at Once and the Beautiful Mystery of Gods Silence. 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. I think history, much like the end of Romans, is meant to teach us what God can do. Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church - Chicago . 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. If I idolized him, dont you think Id have followed him to his church YEARS ago when I first me him? Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. If we could look at the current moment and seize the opportunity to develop young people that God has laid his hand upon, then I think the best days of the church, in this critical culture, are in front of us. That somehow God grants the capacity and that God grants the resources and support. I didnt say Pastor Dates was the ONLY person who could minister to me; I dont have anyone in my life like htat. Dates new role will mean others will take on some of what Dates does now at Progressive, he said. The Rev. Charlie Dates and Ralph D. West spoke out in response to a controversial statement released by seminary presidents. James Meeks, founder and longtime senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church on the citys far South Side. Progressive has asked me, when the time comes, to help them to find their next pastor. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service. Comment below and let us know where you're watching fr. "I sense God performing a work of His Spirit that connects Salem to churches that need revitalization. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Sad, but not at all surprising. Adoring sounds like its crossed the line into idolatrysomething a lot of these guys at bare minimum do nothing to discourage, and a few outright seek. Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. It's to multiply in every generation and right now the church in Chicago needs fresh dynamic trained Gospel fire leaders. 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. 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. Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. And Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren is retiring this September. Meeks and his wife say they don't want to stand in the next generation's way. Charlie E. Dates was presented to the church in February 2011. Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas. Dates graduated from Salem Baptists Christian school, which has since closed. That history is enormous. Dr. Charlie Dates will take his place. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. And I recognize that. You see many people who are guilty of holding onto positions too long, he says. Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. 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. Religion News Service reported that Fred Luter, the only black SBC president, signed on in agreement. 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. The recent departures caught the attention of Southern Baptist leaders who were disappointed to see them go, particularly fellow African Americans. Dubois, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Mary Mcloud - Bethune, Dr. Charlies orientation and early formation were significantly bent toward the theological reflection of Black people. Dates explained he saw rejecting CRT as part of a continuing heritage of dangerous conservatism.. Ill become senior pastor of both the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and remain that at Progressive.. We meet every second Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 am. No. Rev. Charlie Dates preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017. You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. Services Progressive Baptist Church SUNDAYS AT PROGRESSIVE We'd love for you to join us at our Sunday Services! My response to the above is that that kind of filling of your personal needs, i.e. Charlie Dates named successor to James Meeks at 10K-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. That is absolutely a legitimate human need but I just dont see it as within the job description of a servant-leader of men in the Epistles. Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Charlie E. Dates, is a. Rev. So he is going to pastor two large churches in addition to teaching at several colleges. Rev. Dr. I left that conference feeling hopeful. (Perhaps due to my rarely being on social media for my own sanity). Dr. Charlie Dates became the youngest senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago in 2011 at age 30 and in January 2023, he became the senior pastor of the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. 11,909 were here. Our PBC Teens are highly engaged in biblical teaching and discussion on how to navigate a Christian life amongst their peers. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I need to say that this is not an ambition of mine. Meeks has led the African American congregation, now at nearly 10,000 members, since its founding in 1985. Dr. Charlie Dates . That is exactly what I am objecting to though the fact that there is no way he can minister to 11,000 people in the way that he ministered to you. I dont know if Id recommend this to anybody. And I dont even go to Progressive, which is less than 15 minutes from my home (closer than my current church home). 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 . And Progressive only has one location. 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. . Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church I respect the importance of Christian denominations, the. 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. Dates preaches at the 2019 African American Preaching Conference. Heavily influenced by the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, W.E.B. Please click here to learn how. 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. 2023 ChurchLeaders.com, All rights reserved. This shaped his approach to preaching and his thoughts about the transformative role the Black church plays in bringing about the flourishing of a people.Dr. Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. Im not saying that Im perfect, forever, for both churches. 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.. 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.. That was the last straw for Dates, he wrote in a column for Religion News Service. 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. How will your role there look different? He served three terms as an Illinois state senator, was chairman of the state board of education, and ran in Chicagos 2011 mayoral race. 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. 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. What lessons or advice has he already passed along about leading Salem Baptist? 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. Calling him "the greatest young preacher in our nation today," Rev. With teary eyes, I just told them I hope that they accept my recommendation when that time comes. The resistance, especially from some of our elderly membership, was swift and sincere. 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. I had to tell my church I was wrong. It's time for Salem to have younger leadership. Its fair to say that I understand the dynamics of congregational leadership and development in both churches. They would not. Progressive was around WAY before Charlie Dates; it was not founded or based on his teachings alone. The only outcome can be from their life experience, which really ignores the broader family of Southern Baptists.. What kind of repentance did he show and how has he made amends? Marin Many cannot even define what CRT is, he tweeted. And how have you begun planning to deal with those challenges? Now we have 2 churches thinking only one particular man can lead them. While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall. While continuing to lead Progressive Baptist, the 41-year-old pastor was named the successor to James Meeks at Salem Baptist Church, one of the citys biggest congregations.