So for me, what attracted me was God. . As a highly sought-after speaker, he is widely invited to preach at churches and speak at retreats, conferences, and universities throughout the United States and abroad. Again, amen to that. 53 min; FEB 8, 2023 "Can't Turn . ), Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. Two things. 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. 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.. We need new opportunities," Meeks told his cheering congregation. 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. 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. 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.. 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. 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. Heavily influenced by the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, W.E.B. Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. I dont come out of thin air to either church; you can trace my lineage. 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.. I adore Charlie Dates BECAUSE of how he and his wife PERSONALLY ministered to me when I needed it. Its one thing to adore someone you dont have any personal relationship with. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. In 2011, he became the youngest senior pastor at Chicagos Progressive Baptist Church. 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. Pastor Charlie Dates is the Senior Pastor of The Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois. That somehow God grants the capacity and that God grants the resources and support. Its important to highlight that this is not conventional. Charlie has 1 job listed on their profile. 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. We want to see our church grow. 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. Theres just no way you can pastor a church that big being involved in all of the details, right? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In op-eds announcing their decisions to leave, Charlie Dates of Chicagos Progressive Baptist Church and Ralph D. West of Houstons The Church Without Walls both criticized SBC seminary presidents declaration that critical race theory was incompatible with the denominations statement of faith. SERVICE TIME 9:30 AM CST Watch Live "It's Alright to Cry"| Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago Watch on Latest Sermon This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Both of them have produced some stalwart Christian leaders and teachers. 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. "I sense God performing a work of His Spirit that connects Salem to churches that need revitalization. Since then, conservative groups have been more vocal about what they see as an embrace of critical race theory and secular thinking by seminaries and denominational leaders, with the newly formed Conservative Baptist Network being among the most vocal opponents. We meet every second Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 am. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Wow, I never knew this, did TRR ever do an expose of this incident? Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church. Rev. It seems to me that God has been up to this, directing this well before I could tell. 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. I had to fight all of my flesh not to just walk away. RELATED: Southern Baptist seminary presidents nix critical race theory. 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. Respect and admire if they are capable, yes. I just only pray he does not become spread too thin by leading two large churches. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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?" My acknowledgement of this is not a statement of submission, but an act of defiance. 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. That philosophy has weakened whatever prophetic potential the SBC has. Progressive Baptist Church. When we make one man or woman our everything, bad things are bound to happen. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. This workshop will cover everything from home buying basics to the most important step, funding and loan process. 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. I want to say it is an honor to even be considered, let alone asked, to succeed the Reverend James T. Meeks. Chicago has rich Black churches throughout the South and West sides, in particular. Its humorous, its rewarding, and its worth more than the price of gold or platinum. Dates, 41, is a graduate of Salem's now-closed Salem Christian Academy. How do you use that significance, and history of these two churches in the city, to drive the future? Dates graduated from Salem Baptists Christian school, which has since closed. It does not store any personal data. When I came back home to Southwestern, I even encouraged other ministers to do the same. Progressive Service Time 9:30am 3658 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago Coming Up. Perhaps I need to know whats defined as a megachurch? To invite Dr. No One Knows. @progressivechicago | @charliedates |. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately?. Let us know how we can pray for you and your family. I think part of this is connected to what attracted me to Salem Baptist. "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.". 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. 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. The SBCs power structure wants to maintain white dominance. Our seminaries, many of them are in decline. 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. 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. 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. Blessed to serve in the city in which he was born, Reverend Dr. Charlie E. Dates is Chicago through and through. Its no longer that waywe are very much in the community nowbut thats the way it was. Im not in the weeds at Progressive. He continued his education with a Master of Divinity and a PhD in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Thats their choice. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago Pastor: Dr. Charlie E. Dates Website: www.progressivechicago.org Giving/Donations: https://progressivechicago.org/give IG: Chicago Pastor James Meeks to Retire, Pass Baton to Rev. 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. All rights reserved. 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. In 2006, he began serving as the primary . Image courtesy of Baptist Press. Sign up now ! I see the Pauline example in the Gospel of teachers/leaders being figures that we seek and respect for guidance and direction and boundaries, and not necessarily the same functions that friends and family (in or outside of the church) perform. "We want to see our church be vibrant. 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. Cancel culture is wrong but shouldnt we have heard something about it at least? Meeks, a former state senator, founded Salem Baptist 38 years ago. I respect the importance of Christian denominations, the accountability and resources they provide for the larger body. I like my pastor; I dont love him. And while we are kind of watching this great falling away, we dont have to merely watch it. 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.. Its one thing to adore someone you dont have any personal relationship with. Dates preaches at the 2019 African American Preaching Conference. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. On one hand, Progressive is what I would call progressively traditional, and Salem is traditionally progressive. While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall.. View Charlie Dates' profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Meeks, a former state senator, founded Salem Baptist 38 years ago. The leaders of two majority-black megachurches in major cities announced this week that they will no longer affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention. My response to the above is that that kind of filling of your personal needs, i.e. No matter what age, PBC Kids offers fun, age-appropriate programming that help your children connect with God. If Charlie Dates indeed used a racial slur (just last year), that does call into fitness his ability to do any of the above. If you have legal questions, attorneys will be available to help you at the legal clinic. 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. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Churchone of Chicagos biggest megachurches. The resolution clarified the theory could be employed, but only subordinate to Scripture.. It's time for us to bring in new families. In January 2023, Reverend Dates became the Senior Pastor of the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. I will admit to knowing very little about Charlie Dates, but what Gus Chiggins posted is extremely concerning. Gleannings aggregates what others are reporting. Its evangelism, its benevolence, its disciple-making have all been very Christo-centric and rooted in the Scriptures. 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. It took a while for it to reimagine and revitalize and become relevant again. 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 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. What kind of repentance did he show and how has he made amends? So he is going to pastor two large churches in addition to teaching at several colleges. 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. Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church - Chicago . I adore Charlie Dates BECAUSE of how he and his wife PERSONALLY ministered to me when I needed it. 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. Shes ready to work. Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. Ill be here every Sunday and through the week as I normally am, Dates said. Here it was, I thought, further proof that the old SBC was fading. He was elected in March by an overwhelming majority, the largest vote received by any pastor in Progressive's rich history. 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. "Charlie is called, and I believe all ministry starts with a calling," Meeks said. He holds a PhD in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Preachers and teachers are there to instruct and shape us much like secular, academic teachers/professors. 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. Meeks called Dates the greatest preacher in our nation. Thats the good ol boys club. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. That history is enormous. The two churches will remain separate, and he plans on preaching two sermons each Sunday. and pro football. In a video posted Monday, Meeks called Dates the greatest preacher in our nation., The Bible says one man planteth and another man watereth, and God giveth the increase, he said in the video, with his wife Jamell Meeks, director of Salems womens ministries, at his side. 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.