Hi. 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. Rev. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Charlie E. Dates, is a. The mega church concept is already troublesome. Charlie Dates Current Workplace. He graduated with a PhD in historical theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. "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.". But the bones are good. Shes ready to work. In all that, he can never be criticized within his ranks. Nationally known pastor Rev. The backstage conversations at these gatherings promised a new era of advancement on race and theology. He announced Sunday he'll preach his last sermon to the 10,000-member church on January 8, 2023. To learn more about how you can begin or deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ, visit us at ProgressiveChicago.org . 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. 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. 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. The leaders of two majority-black megachurches in major cities announced this week that they will no longer affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention. I had to fight all of my flesh not to just walk away. RELATED: Southern Baptist seminary presidents nix critical race theory. The recent departures caught the attention of Southern Baptist leaders who were disappointed to see them go, particularly fellow African Americans. Both of them have produced some stalwart Christian leaders and teachers. Ive learned there is an unwritten rule in the SBC: Dont criticize an entity head. What challenges do you anticipate with the dynamic of pastoring two congregations? 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 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. We were already working with the SBC on a training program at our church, and almost all of the Illinois Baptist State and SBC national leaders I had met seemed aware that their forefathers fell woefully short of any standard of biblical justice. 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. I just checked and you can still see the tweet for yourself, he refused to delete it. 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. Meeks has led the African American congregation, now at nearly 10,000 members, since its founding in 1985. If Charlie Dates indeed used a racial slur (just last year), that does call into fitness his ability to do any of the above. The resolution clarified the theory could be employed, but only subordinate to Scripture.. SERVICE TIME 9:30 AM CST Watch Live "It's Alright to Cry"| Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago Watch on Latest Sermon After the retirement of its founder James Meeks, fellow South Side pastor Charlie Dates will become senior pastor of one of Chicagos biggest megachurches, Salem Baptist Church, returning to the ministry that shaped him as a kid and succeeding one of his greatest mentors in the faith. Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church - Chicago . I dont know why; perhaps thats an attitude YOU need to pray about. 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. Its one thing to adore someone you dont have any personal relationship with. Dates called him an Uncle Ruckus on twitter, which is a derogatory slur used to describe a black man that embraces the whiteness of society instead of resisting it. I think thats a blessing, especially when I see a lot of superficial relationships between pastors and their flock. 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.. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. My response to the above is that that kind of filling of your personal needs, i.e. 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. They are ready to see their young adopt the very vestiges of hate that enslaved us in the name of Gods authoritative word. Another thing is I dont think this dual assignment is in perpetuity. I need to say that this is not an ambition of mine. 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. I adore Charlie Dates BECAUSE of how he and his wife PERSONALLY ministered to me when I needed it. Sad, but not at all surprising. Learn more. . On Dec. 1, all six of the SBC seminary presidents without one Black president or counter opinion among them told the world that a high view of Scripture necessarily required a corresponding and total rejection of critical race theory and intersectionality. But what a blessing to the members of both congregations. They are to us what the Electoral College is to the United States: a body that no longer produces what it originally promised. I had to tell my church I was wrong. Great! Dates graduated from Salem Baptists Christian school, which has since closed. Charlie Edward Dates became the youngest Senior Pastor in Progressive's rich 95-year history. Do you have a birthday or anniversary next month? At the emergence of the pandemic, the SBC donated to our emergency effort to provide online food delivery services for Chicagoans with SNAP benefits. So for me, what attracted me was God. 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. Its time for a younger generation to assume leadership at one of Chicagos largest churches. Progressive Baptist Church is part of the Organizations industry, and located in Illinois, United States. Progressive Baptist Church, a century-old historically Black congregation, was briefly part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. Conservatism is, and has always been, the god of the SBC. Ill be here every Sunday and through the week as I normally am, Dates said. Its been anchored in the community. And thats part of the beauty I think of this story. 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. The statement on critical race theory and intersectionality has soiled that good faith.. We meet every second Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 am. Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. and Ph.D. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity . But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Through his passion for learning, living, and teaching the Gospel, Dr. Charlie serves as an Affiliate Professor at Baylor University- George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Wheaton College. Vance Pitman resigned in December from Hope Church in Las Vegas to lead the SBCs national church-planting organization. The two churches will remain separate, and he plans on preaching two sermons each Sunday. Sign up now ! Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I will admit to knowing very little about Charlie Dates, but what Gus Chiggins posted is extremely concerning. Thats the old SBC. The only outcome can be from their life experience, which really ignores the broader family of Southern Baptists.. It's to multiply in every generation and right now the church in Chicago needs fresh dynamic trained Gospel fire leaders. Meeks, a former state senator, founded Salem Baptist 38 years ago. I cant speak much about Salem Baptist Church (other than its known in the Black community here in Chicago due to its sheer size), but I do know Progressive. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Facebook/Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, Pastor Charlie Dates (R) and Rev. 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. They both, in that regard, have a history of absolutely incredible pastors. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. The mega church concept is already troublesome. He teaches preaching at Wheaton College and serves as an Affiliate Professor of the Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary and as Affiliate Professor of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Every church that lives in the past is already anchoring itself in the graveyard of history. And I think we can develop a platform, a pipeline to invite those who feel that burden of call to grow them and to release them to do that," he added. Blessed to serve in the city in which he was born, Reverend Dr. Charlie E. Dates is Chicago through and through. I returned to our Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago with a bit of sophomoric optimism. "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.". 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. Sure, there were more battles to be won before legitimate change would warm the hearts of African American churches like ours, but thats why our movement felt almost prophetic. My relationship with him is dynamic. 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. We need new opportunities," Meeks told his cheering congregation. Logos of the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries. Marin Two things. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. I am more of a vision-casting, preaching, pastoral care pastor. And if you think it feels good, warm and fuzzy to be confronted about your sin when youre in the middle of grief, you are VERY mistaken. After the neighborhood went dry, Walmart opened a store. Dates added that the transition will start in January 2023. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. Im working to discern Gods direction as it relates to timing of when to conclude. 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.