That was the old Southern Baptists, I promised them and others in our church. 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. That is a concerning statement. The Social Justice Ministry is here to help through our Gospel Justice Center Legal Clinic. These churches are a gift. 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. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? Conservatism is, and has always been, the god of the SBC. Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. COMMENTARY: Six white men shouldnt decide Southern Baptist position on race. And, yes, nothing good ever comes out of megachurches and rock-star pastors. It actually makes me think of Moses, who was advised on how to make leading the growing number of Israelites more manageable by placing them into groups and delegating. 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. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Warren announced his intention to retire last year after over 40 years of ministry and began the search for "the next-generation pastor.". Thats their choice. 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. Progressive Baptist Church. Meeks and his wife say they don't want to stand in the next generation's way. 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. 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). She loves the Word and words, is a binge reader and grammar nut, and is fanatic (as her family can attest) about Jeopardy! I dont know if Id recommend this to anybody. How will your role there look different? Charlie Dates preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017. On one hand, Progressive is what I would call progressively traditional, and Salem is traditionally progressive. Its time for a younger generation to assume leadership at one of Chicagos largest churches. Its time for a young generation to come forward with new challenges facing us.. 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. "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.". From 2016 to 2019, too, I preached on the campuses of four of the SBC seminaries and had been invited to another. 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. The two churches will remain separate, and he plans on preaching two sermons each Sunday. Blessed to serve in the city in which he was born, Reverend Dr. Charlie E. Dates is Chicago through and through. Thats the good ol boys club. Its evangelism, its benevolence, its disciple-making have all been very Christo-centric and rooted in the Scriptures. They do not understand themselves to be beneficiaries of a system that marginalizes people of color.". 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 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 dont know why; perhaps thats an attitude YOU need to pray about. Progressive Service Time 9:30am 3658 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago Coming Up. Ill tell you: abolition, the womens suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, a Black U.S. president who was initially against partial-birth abortion, non-white male faculty at their seminaries and now a theory that uncovers our nations de jure and de facto segregation. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. 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. I just only pray he does not become spread too thin by leading two large churches. If you sense the malaise around Christian denominations, then you already yearn for a new vision and a new standard. 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. 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. 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?" We need new ideas. It is good that you were ministered to personally by your pastor. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The beauty of this narrative is that the Lord, in his kindness and his grace, has taken pastors and churches to develop me. Sign up for our newsletter: That history is enormous. 3658 SOUTH WENTWORTH AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL, 60609, 773-268-6048 | INFO@PROGRESSIVECHICAGO.ORG. 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. 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. Logos of the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries. Charlie is the senior pastor a Chicago's Progressive Baptist Church. No One Knows. The mega church concept is already troublesome. Chicago Pastor James Meeks to Retire, Pass Baton to Rev. Meet Our Pastor Progressive Baptist Church Legal Clinic The Social Justice Ministry is here to help through our Gospel Justice Center Legal Clinic. Atlanta pastor John Onwuchekwa left the SBC over the summer due to concerns over its approach to racial issues. 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. 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. But the church left in 2020 after SBC leaders rejected critical race theory en masse. I took President Adam Greenways invitation to return as a statement of good faith, that the seminary wanted to welcome me and many other Black ministers to contribute to its legacy, he wrote. 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. In his June 19 sermon, he told congregants hes retiring as of January 15, 2023, and the Rev. "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." Their seminaries have hosted outstanding guest faculty and chapel speakers outside of their norm. I go where God leads me not Charlie Dates. The average member was around before Charlie (hes been there ~10 years) and knows hes not the only one who can lead them. 11,909 were here. 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. Chicago Pastor James Meeks to Retire, Pass Baton to Rev. Charlie Dates 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. 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. Who will pay for the SBCs abuse reforms over the long term? However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Dates graduated from Salem Baptists Christian school, which has since closed. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church - Chicago . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". . Charlie has 1 job listed on their profile. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. RELATED: Southern Baptist seminary presidents nix critical race theory. If you have legal questions, attorneys will be available to help you at the legal clinic. Rev. Great Communicator Series: Powerful Insights for Preachers and Bible So Im not in a position to speak on that. Charlie Dates Returns to the Chicago Church that Shaped Him Dates new role will mean others will take on some of what Dates does now at Progressive, he said. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Learn more. 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. He is married to Kirstie Dates and is the proud father of their children, Charlie Edward Dates II & Claire Dates. The SBCs power structure wants to maintain white dominance. Rev. Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. But what a blessing to the members of both congregations. 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 . He and his wife, Kirstie, have two children. The young pastor said he had to convince his members that joining the denomination for the sake of mission partnerships would be a good move. 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. Our Team THE CHICAGO PARTNERSHIP Charlie Dates named successor to James Meeks at 10K-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. View Charlie Dates' profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. The mega church concept is already troublesome. Theres just no way you can pastor a church that big being involved in all of the details, right? Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church I respect the importance of Christian denominations, the. I imagine they provide cover for the SBC leadership to further alienate Black and brown Christians who do not ascribe to their heritage of dangerous conservatism. What kind of repentance did he show and how has he made amends? 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. He teaches preaching at Wheaton College and serves as an Affiliate Professor of the Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary and as Affiliate . 'We out': Charlie Dates on why his church is leaving the SBC over 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. 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.