For questions or to reach his office, please email booking@progressivechicago.org. As for me, I will always be grateful. Neither is it a premeditated desire of mine. 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. Charlie is the senior pastor a Chicago's Progressive Baptist Church. Our seminaries, many of them are in decline. Show Progressive Baptist Church Podcast, Ep Great Expectations | Joshua 14:6-15 | Pastor Bryan Carter - Jul 26, 2022 Chicago has rich Black churches throughout the South and West sides, in particular. If Charlie Dates indeed used a racial slur (just last year), that does call into fitness his ability to do any of the above. 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. Welcome to the weekly podcast of Progressive Baptist Church with Pastor and Author, Dr. Charlie Dates. Im not saying that Im perfect, forever, for both churches. 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. We are partnering with The Chicago Partnership to present this opportunity to the South Side! Meeks and his wife say they don't want to stand in the next generation's way. Its fair to say that I understand the dynamics of congregational leadership and development in both churches. We need new ideas. Meeks recalls meeting Dates when Dates was in the 5th grade. How are you hoping to continue to cultivate that with both congregations? James Meeks faltered for just a moment at the end. The average member was around before Charlie (hes been there ~10 years) and knows hes not the only one who can lead them. "It's time for Salem to move forward. 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. But there is nothing wrong with loving those who I do have personal relationships with, and have really left an impact on my faith, family, and heart. With teary eyes, I just told them I hope that they accept my recommendation when that time comes. Something is lost when a pastor becomes distanced from 99% of his church. James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Churchone of Chicagos biggest megachurches. His decision came two days after West made a similar argument in a Baptist Standard op-ed. Charlie Edward Dates became the youngest Senior Pastor in Progressive's rich 95-year history. 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. Yesterday, Charlie Dates, the Senior Pastor at Chicago's Progressive Baptist Church, gave a powerful biblical message addressing the recent killings of Auhmad Aubrey, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. How has God moved and worked in ones life? He teaches preaching at Wheaton College and serves as an Affiliate Professor of the Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary and as Affiliate . 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. 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. @progressivechicago | @charliedates |. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? 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. We want to walk with you and your family in every step of the way. Pastor Charlie Dates speaks at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. 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. That was the last straw for Dates, he wrote in a column for Religion News Service. 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 . 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. I also understand how a personal relationship strengthens that love; that is the importance of us having relationships in the body of Christ. Charlie Dates Current Workplace. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. They are good men who are sending a big message to the SBC, said Marshal Ausberry. On one hand, Progressive is what I would call progressively traditional, and Salem is traditionally progressive. Speaking with CT, Dates drew parallels to Paul and Timothy, referencing Pauls instructions to the younger leader based on what he had witnessed firsthand in ministry. . He is a contributing author to Letters To A Birmingham Jail and Say It: Celebrating Expository Preaching in the African American Tradition, and is currently working on his first single-authored book on Christianity and Social Justice. September 3, 2021 at 1:54 p.m. EDT. Its evangelism, its benevolence, its disciple-making have all been very Christo-centric and rooted in the Scriptures. So we decided to cooperate and join our church to the SBC in what is known as a dual affiliation. Respect and admire if they are capable, yes. Photo courtesy of Charlie Dates. 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. I have, by the grace of God, the DNA of both churches.. Pretty sure there were no consequences whatsoever for him over it. Progressive has asked me, when the time comes, to help them to find their next pastor. The Rev. I ADORE Charlie Dates. The statementposted on the anniversary of the 13th amendment abolishing slaverycalled for collective repentance and criticized those who would downplay SBCs racial history or label others as critical race theorists for acknowledging systemic injustices. "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." No. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. 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. 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. Learn more. Thanks for the extra info here. Im just saying that at the juncture were in and being a son of the soil of Chicago and a son of Salem, and now having pastored Progressive, I just think I have a unique understanding and relational dynamic with both churches. Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. My approach at Salem will be similar once I have learned again the way of the land. Here it was, I thought, further proof that the old SBC was fading. We need new ideas. When we make one man or woman our everything, bad things are bound to happen. What other things do you want to highlight to your current and future congregations and the readers of CT? He also told him hes still willfully acting like hes a slave because he rejects CRT. 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.. It is going to take an academic mind and a saved heart.". If tons and tons of people love them and how they make them feel thats pretty much a sign that they are doing the *opposite* of the Great Commission. Meeks has led the African American congregation, now at nearly 10,000 members, since its founding in 1985. The SBCs power structure wants to maintain white dominance. My acknowledgement of this is not a statement of submission, but an act of defiance. Sign up for our newsletter: 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. And God has blessed us with our own son as the churchs next pastor. Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas. Its humorous, its rewarding, and its worth more than the price of gold or platinum. To invite Dr. What I will say is that Progressive and Salem demonstrate the spectrum of Black churches in Chicago. The two churches will remain separate, and he plans on preaching two sermons each Sunday. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Both have spoken at Moodys annual Founders Week conferences. The backstage conversations at these gatherings promised a new era of advancement on race and theology. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Dr. Charlie Dates will take his place. 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. 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. The church actually changed the face of that community, he says. Charlie E. Dates was presented to the church in February 2011. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As for me and the Progressive Baptist Church, I keep hearing the words of Harriet Tubman: We out.. The theory came up in a controversial resolution that passed at the SBCs 2019 annual meeting, when Greear was elected. Thats the good ol boys club. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Charlie E. Dates, is a. 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. It took a while for it to reimagine and revitalize and become relevant again. and pro football. 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. But I do sense and feel that a lot of the progress that Ive been able to make in the pastorate is connected in some way to his tutelage, his leadership, and his spiritual fathering, so to speak. When I came to Progressive, it took me a while to actually get my feet under me because of some of the history and nature of the church, and it required a lot of patience and long-suffering initially. 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. Cancel culture is wrong but shouldnt we have heard something about it at least? In accepting the role, Dates said he sees Salem Baptist Church of Chicago as a global church. Children are a gift from God. Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. Earlier this month, Saddleback Church co-founders Rick Warren and his wife, Kay, named Andy Wood of Echo.Church in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Stacie, as their successors, starting in September. Book your appointment here. 3658 SOUTH WENTWORTH AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL, 60609, 773-268-6048 | INFO@PROGRESSIVECHICAGO.ORG. For questions or to reach his office, please email booking@progressivechicago.org. Brian 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. Ive learned there is an unwritten rule in the SBC: Dont criticize an entity head. RELATED: Southern Baptist seminary presidents nix critical race theory. I think part of this is connected to what attracted me to Salem Baptist. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Its one thing to adore someone you dont have any personal relationship with. Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church. Chicago needs the Black church to be her best and brightest self. James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church one of Chicago's biggest megachurches. Dates graduated from Salem Baptists Christian school, which has since closed. Some in our ranks inappropriately use the label of CRT! to avoid legitimate questions or as a cudgel to dismiss any discussion of discrimination. Calling him "the greatest young preacher in our nation today," Rev. Rev. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately?. To donate, click here. 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. (Dr. Charlie Edward Dates is the senior pastor at Chicagos Progressive Baptist Church. From your posts (especially the prior one to this), it almost seems like your biggest qualification for a pastor is whether he or she makes you feel good; warm and fuzzy. Rev. In a video message to Progressive, Dates said the two churches will stay distinct, though hell pastor them both. The resistance, especially from some of our elderly membership, was swift and sincere. Im not in the weeds at Progressive. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. Our PBC Teens are highly engaged in biblical teaching and discussion on how to navigate a Christian life amongst their peers. When Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Seminary, said the only politically moral option for Christians was the Republican Party, I asked other SBC leaders, good Christian men, to challenge him. He shared a vision of revival. Many cannot even define what CRT is, he tweeted. At the emergence of the pandemic, the SBC donated to our emergency effort to provide online food delivery services for Chicagoans with SNAP benefits. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. 53 min; FEB 8, 2023 "Can't Turn . When I came back home to Southwestern, I even encouraged other ministers to do the same. 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? Dates wrote in an op-ed Friday for the Religion News Service. In his June 19 sermon, he told congregants hes retiring as of January 15, 2023, and the Rev. In 2011, at age 30, he became the youngest Senior Pastor in Progressive's rich 99-year history. Shouldnt a competent, strong, wise pastor stir and challenge his flock, make their complacency seem uncomfortable? Dates preaches at the 2019 African American Preaching Conference. Thats not always the case when you assume a pastorate. Wow, I never knew this, did TRR ever do an expose of this incident? They are ready to see their young adopt the very vestiges of hate that enslaved us in the name of Gods authoritative word. Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. . 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. All rights reserved. But as 2020 went on, I grew increasingly uneasy. 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. Preachers and teachers are there to instruct and shape us much like secular, academic teachers/professors. I respect the importance of Christian denominations, the accountability and resources they provide for the larger body. 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. To donate, becoming Progressives youngest-ever senior pastor, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Chicago Unity Service Brings Together Christians Across Ethnic Lines, Chicago Pastor James Meeks Bids Tearful Farewell After 38 Years at Salem Baptist, Tennessee Charity Walk to Fund Needed Wells Persists Despite Rainy Conditions, Eden Village Ministry Aims to End Homelessness Through Tiny Home Communities, Gateway Seminary to Fund Short-Term Mission Trips for All Students, Vineyard Pastor Resigns, Wont Cooperate With Probe Into Sons Alleged Misconduct, Why Businessman Peter Chung Matters for the Future of The Kings College. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. To a visitor entering the Northwest Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, on a recent Sunday, the assembly might have sounded like, The Rev. 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. 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. 11,909 were here. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately? That history is enormous. Susan Robinson is a 100-year-old Black woman and lifelong member of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, where I am senior . I dont know if Id recommend this to anybody. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. The specter of racial animus and theological arrogance was giving way to a new era of Christian leadership, I suggested. I want to be clear though, Im not saying Im the only Timothy he has, in the same way that Paul had others. Saddleback Church doubles down on support for female pastors, Mormonisms slow shift away from demonizing working mothers, Faith leaders urge Biden to sign executive order for reparations study by Juneteenth, For many congregations, wiping out medical debt has become a popular calling. But there is nothing wrong with loving those who I do have personal relationships with, and have really left an impact on my faith, family, and heart.. I dont come out of thin air to either church; you can trace my lineage. We meet every second Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 am. Im not sure I understand your point. Progressive Baptist Church, a century-old historically Black congregation, was briefly part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). When did the theological architects of American slavery develop the moral character to tell the church how it should discuss and discern racism? As I prayed through it, Reverend Meeks and I wrestled with it, and he graciously affirmed my sense of discernment. He and his wife, Kirstie, have two children. 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. Conservatism is, and has always been, the god of the SBC. We meet every second Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 am. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. None of our denominations, Black or white, are as relevant and biblically prophetic as our present age requires. . The leaders of two majority-black megachurches in major cities announced this week that they will no longer affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention. On one hand, the legacy has to continue. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Some worry that a systemic view of racism, where a person is considered privileged or disadvantaged in society because of their race, conflicts with Christian beliefs about forgiveness or people holding equal value before God. Dates, 41, is a graduate of Salem's now-closed Salem Christian Academy. Do you know what I mean by ministering to me? Well, the Stewardship Ministry at ProgressiveChicago is excited to partner with The YWCA and Liberty Bank to offer a 6 hour in-person or virtual homebuyer's workshop. The statement on critical race theory and intersectionality has soiled that good faith.. A religious liberty newsletter that is a must-read for people of faith. The recent departures caught the attention of Southern Baptist leaders who were disappointed to see them go, particularly fellow African Americans. Great! I dont know why; perhaps thats an attitude YOU need to pray about. . The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. It's time for us to bring in young people. Neither am I saying that hes the only significant influence in my life. Butand this is no secretfor years it stayed in the vein of its history. As I prayed about it, I got no inkling that it was time, just yet, to walk away from Progressive. Vance Pitman resigned in December from Hope Church in Las Vegas to lead the SBCs national church-planting organization. It seems to me that God has been up to this, directing this well before I could tell. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The first challenge is getting the churches to sense that where God gives a vision, theres always provision. If we in the SBC had shown as much sorrow for the painful legacy that sin has left as we show passion to decry CRT, we probably wouldnt be in this mess., Critical race theory isnt clearly defined, but generally refers to an approach to racism as systemic and embedded in society. 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. (I cant imagine having NEVER met your pastor one-on-one). 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?" 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 . What challenges do you anticipate with the dynamic of pastoring two congregations? While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall.. He also teaches at Wheaton College and has delivered chapel sermons at various institutions, including The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If, however, I fail to get the churches to see that our history serves our present and inspires our future, then Im in trouble. Rev. . 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 .