He served three terms as an Illinois state senator, was chairman of the state board of education, and ran in Chicagos 2011 mayoral race. Dates, 41, is senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Churcha position hell keep, despite assuming the pastorate at Salem. I had to fight all of my flesh not to just walk away. Progressive Baptist Church (map) Google Calendar ICS Join us in the sanctuary from 4pmCT -6pmCT as we meet and greet political candidates running to be the mayor of our great city this upcoming Spring. 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. As for me and the Progressive Baptist Church, I keep hearing the words of Harriet Tubman: We out.. Salem Baptist is one of several megachurches whose pastors are passing the baton. The backstage conversations at these gatherings promised a new era of advancement on race and theology. . Mohler, to take one example, endorsed a philandering, racist president, thereby betraying his Black and brown Christian family. How are you hoping to continue to cultivate that with both congregations? But there are others who sit close to power within the SBC and who are silent against the racism that plagues their own congregations. That somehow God grants the capacity and that God grants the resources and support. We need a new vision. I dont know anything about Pastor Dates using a slur I havent heard anything about it, nor do I know anything about the context, response, or outcomes. Dates added that the transition will start in January 2023. She loves the Word and words, is a binge reader and grammar nut, and is fanatic (as her family can attest) about Jeopardy! Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read.. COMMENTARY: Six white men shouldnt decide Southern Baptist position on race. I dont know why; perhaps thats an attitude YOU need to pray about. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. Both Meeks and Dates also have a connection to the Moody Bible Institute. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Thats the good ol boys club. My approach at Salem will be similar once I have learned again the way of the land. We need new opportunities," Meeks told his cheering congregation. 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. I ADORE Charlie Dates. I am more of a vision-casting, preaching, pastoral care pastor. The SBCs power structure wants to maintain white dominance. What I will say is that Progressive and Salem demonstrate the spectrum of Black churches in Chicago. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Its fair to say that I understand the dynamics of congregational leadership and development in both churches. We want to see our church grow. I think history, much like the end of Romans, is meant to teach us what God can do. Raised on the southside of Chicago, he came of age having welcomed Christ into his life early. And the same for Salem, which might still have it. I am on assignment to lead the church forward in Chicago. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Conservatism is, and has always been, the god of the SBC. Comment below and let us know where you're watching fr. Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. I didnt say Pastor Dates was the ONLY person who could minister to me; I dont have anyone in my life like htat. He holds a PhD in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He teaches preaching at Wheaton College and serves as an Affiliate Professor of the Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary and as Affiliate . 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. None of our denominations, Black or white, are as relevant and biblically prophetic as our present age requires. The average member was around before Charlie (hes been there ~10 years) and knows hes not the only one who can lead them. 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. I think the distinction is that I can serve Salem well by loving her through the preaching ministry and pastoral care, and she will follow. Preachers and teachers are there to instruct and shape us much like secular, academic teachers/professors. 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). "It's Alright to Cry"| Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago by Pastor Charlie Dates. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I think thats a blessing, especially when I see a lot of superficial relationships between pastors and their flock. Vance Pitman resigned in December from Hope Church in Las Vegas to lead the SBCs national church-planting organization. . "I sense God performing a work of His Spirit that connects Salem to churches that need revitalization. Sign up for our newsletter: Religion News Service reported that Fred Luter, the only black SBC president, signed on in agreement. Let us know how we can pray for you and your family. 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. Marin 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. And I recognize that. A religious liberty newsletter that is a must-read for people of faith. But Pastor Dates said, I know you probably dont like me right now, I can tell from how youre reacting to what Im saying; but Im not here to get you to like me. How has God moved and worked in ones life? We are hosting our New Member Orientation known as 'Connection Institute.' 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. The pastor of Progressive at the time, his name was Reverend T. Brown, he was such a dynamic leader in the city that he was able to tell [former Chicago mayor] Richard J. Daley, No. And live to tell about it. And Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren is retiring this September. What happend to your, well Jesus called the Pharisees wolves and a whole lot other mean words' defense (like when Trump called people sons of b*tches and a**holes)? 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. Its time for a young generation to come forward with new challenges facing us.. Do you have a birthday or anniversary next month? Thats their choice. 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. Legal Clinic The Social Justice Ministry is here to help through our Gospel Justice Center Legal Clinic. Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. Perhaps you are taking on a worldly definition of love? 2023 ChurchLeaders.com, All rights reserved. All rights reserved. The statement on critical race theory and intersectionality has soiled that good faith.. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. I cant speak for them. If you have legal questions, attorneys will be available to help you at the legal clinic. He shared a vision of revival. He was elected in March by an overwhelming majority, the largest vote received by any pastor in Progressive's rich history. "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." The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. 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. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. "Not only is he called, but he is qualified or educated. I dont know if Id recommend this to anybody. Progressive has asked me, when the time comes, to help them to find their next pastor. (Perhaps due to my rarely being on social media for my own sanity). It was the first time to my knowledge that white evangelicals had celebrated in concert the life, memory and work of the Rev. 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. Atlanta pastor John Onwuchekwa left the SBC over the summer due to concerns over its approach to racial issues. Charlie Dates preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017. We want to walk with you and your family in every step of the way. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. 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. - Charlie Dates, pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, a church aligned with the Progressive National Baptist Convention, a mostly Black denomination, and also with the Illinois Baptist State Association, which is an SBC affiliate. 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. 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? With teary eyes, I just told them I hope that they accept my recommendation when that time comes. Amen to thateven if the pastor in question is the Godliest guy on the planet to start with, which is seldom if ever the case. Every church that lives in the past is already anchoring itself in the graveyard of history. But he added God is extending our platform and our reach to the point where Ill be able to provide pastoral leadership for both churches. Pastoral leadership is a storied pillar in both of these churches. It is good that you were ministered to personally by your pastor. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. He hijacked the affirmation meeting of the Baptist Faith & Message, turning it into a conservative resurgence revival. 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. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Rev. It's to multiply in every generation and right now the church in Chicago needs fresh dynamic trained Gospel fire leaders. There is a HUGE problem with adoring a pastorany pastor, even a truly great one. But in this instance, youre actually bothered (I guess Uncle Ruckus is what crosses your line, but not sons of b*ches or a**holes) AND questioning Charlie Datess salvation? They are to us what the Electoral College is to the United States: a body that no longer produces what it originally promised. The beauty of this narrative is that the Lord, in his kindness and his grace, has taken pastors and churches to develop me. How do you use that significance, and history of these two churches in the city, to drive the future? If I idolized him, dont you think Id have followed him to his church YEARS ago when I first me him? My response to the above is that that kind of filling of your personal needs, i.e. Charlie Dates is pastor of the Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago. Dates, 41, is a graduate of Salem's now-closed Salem Christian Academy. 3658 SOUTH WENTWORTH AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL, 60609, 773-268-6048 | INFO@PROGRESSIVECHICAGO.ORG. When we make one man or woman our everything, bad things are bound to happen. I go where God leads me not Charlie Dates. Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church - Chicago . Its time for Salem to have younger leadership . Its a sensitive time for both congregations, and I want to convey as they read this my love for both of them. It's time for us to bring in new families. I wonder how many of them provide full time paychecks. Last month, Dates joined the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast to talk about the need for solid Christian preaching during tough times. The young people I met that week shocked me with the warmth and enthusiasm with which they embraced the subject matter. 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. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. Dr. Charlie Dates became the youngest senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago in 2011 at age 30. As I prayed about it, I got no inkling that it was time, just yet, to walk away from Progressive. We need new ideas. With no repentance of any kind and such bald-faced pride in his sin, it bears questioning whether Dates ever had a regenerative, salvific transformation in his heart to begin with. The mega church concept is already troublesome. You talked a bit about both churches significance to Chicago. Here it was, I thought, further proof that the old SBC was fading. 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. 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. He and his wife, Kirstie, have two children. Meeks, a former state senator, founded Salem Baptist 38 years ago. Blessed to serve in the city in which he was born, Reverend Dr. Charlie E. Dates is Chicago through and through. 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. Charlie has also led Progressive in being a very put faith into action church here in the Chicago Black community. But as 2020 went on, I grew increasingly uneasy. Sign up now ! As for me, I will always be grateful. Dates also served on Salem's ministry team for a while before leaving in 2011 to serve as the leader of Progressive Baptist Church. So, I propose to you that we need a new organism, not led in full by white men; a Christian collective that makes room for the essentials of the faith and the diversity of the Church; a robust engine that finances the impoverished sides of the Church, speaks justice courageously to the government and cares gently for the oppressed, marginalized and women. Rev. Our PBC Teens are highly engaged in biblical teaching and discussion on how to navigate a Christian life amongst their peers. Dates teaches at several universities and seminaries, including Wheaton College, and is popular on the speaking circuit. To choose a successor Meeks says he and his wife, First Lady Jamell Meeks, prayed and fasted. Meeks called Dates the greatest preacher in our nation. Great! The head of the SBCs National African American Fellowship, which had raised concerns about the critical race theory statement a week ago, said he was saddened by the announcements. Nationally known pastor Rev. 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. Respect and admire if they are capable, yes. Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. Wow, I never knew this, did TRR ever do an expose of this incident? We need new ideas. 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. "We want to see our church be vibrant. Dr. And while we are kind of watching this great falling away, we dont have to merely watch it. To invite Dr. Standing in the pulpit on Sunday at the House of, Feet splashed in puddles on a rainy Sunday afternoon as almost 1,000 people came together in Smyrna, a small town in Middle. SBC events and church planting have grown more diverse over the past decade as leaders made a concerted effort to feature and invest in non-Anglo pastors. These have been disciple-making churches with an emphasis on Christian education. 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. 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.. . He told his trustees to uphold the slaveholder for whom his college is named. He also told him hes still willfully acting like hes a slave because he rejects CRT. No. I returned to our Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago with a bit of sophomoric optimism. I dont come out of thin air to either church; you can trace my lineage. Dates response to the controversy was that its not racist because its between black people. Dr. Charlie Dates . Dates new role will mean others will take on some of what Dates does now at Progressive, he said. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. I think part of this is connected to what attracted me to Salem Baptist. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Thats not always the case when you assume a pastorate. In the early discussion around the seminary presidents statement, which released last month, SBC president J. D. Greear recognized some of the issues with such emphasis on critical race theory (CRT) itself.