I am more of a vision-casting, preaching, pastoral care pastor. Respect and admire if they are capable, yes. Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. Progressive Baptist Church. He teaches preaching at Wheaton College and serves as an Affiliate Professor of the Baylor University George W. Truett Theological Seminary and as Affiliate . Also, while there are many people in the comment section who rightfully call him to repent over it, there are plenty of others, including names such as Lecrae and Kyle J Howard, who tweeted their approval of his use of the slur. He was elected in March by an overwhelming majority, the largest vote received by any pastor in Progressive's rich history. This workshop will cover everything from home buying basics to the most important step, funding and loan process. Dates, 41, graduated from Salems now-shuttered Christian Academy. 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. 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. The church actually changed the face of that community, he says. The mega church concept is already troublesome. That was the message Sunday from the Rev. When we make one man or woman our everything, bad things are bound to happen. As for me and the Progressive Baptist Church, I keep hearing the words of Harriet Tubman: We out.. Charlie Dates named successor to James Meeks at 10K-member Salem Baptist Church of Chicago. 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. 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. That history is enormous. Adoring sounds like its crossed the line into idolatrysomething a lot of these guys at bare minimum do nothing to discourage, and a few outright seek. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! To learn more about how you can begin or deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ, visit us at ProgressiveChicago.org . Pastor Charlie Dates speaks at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Return to homepage. 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.. 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. 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. 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. 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. He shared a vision of revival. We need new ideas. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. 11,909 were here. 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. That was the old Southern Baptists, I promised them and others in our church. 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. Chicago needs the Black church to be her best and brightest self. Raised on the southside of Chicago, he came of age having welcomed Christ into his life early. The backstage conversations at these gatherings promised a new era of advancement on race and theology. 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. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Pretty sure there were no consequences whatsoever for him over it. It seems to me that God has been up to this, directing this well before I could tell. 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. Thanks for the extra info here. To a visitor entering the Northwest Church of Christ in Chicago, Illinois, on a recent Sunday, the assembly might have sounded like, The Rev. To start, Dates will keep his current post as senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church, a 15-minute drive from the House of Hope arena where Salem Baptist meets. It does not store any personal data. If thats idolatry to youwe can disagree. Atlanta pastor John Onwuchekwa left the SBC over the summer due to concerns over its approach to racial issues. I just checked and you can still see the tweet for yourself, he refused to delete it. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Dr. Vance Pitman resigned in December from Hope Church in Las Vegas to lead the SBCs national church-planting organization. Weve already started the conversation that, at some point, the goal is to raise up leaders to do more work. This isnt something that I read or something that I watched; this is a ministry that I participated in and had a front row seat to as a kid, said Dates, who grew up at Salem and attended its former school, Salem Christian Academy. None of our denominations, Black or white, are as relevant and biblically prophetic as our present age requires. As I prayed through it, Reverend Meeks and I wrestled with it, and he graciously affirmed my sense of discernment. After the neighborhood went dry, Walmart opened a store. 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. Dates, 41, is a graduate of Salem's now-closed Salem Christian Academy. In his June 19 sermon, he told congregants hes retiring as of January 15, 2023, and the Rev. Progressive was once, decades ago, the kind of leading force of churches on the South Side. The Rev. I plan to lead through leaders. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The only outcome can be from their life experience, which really ignores the broader family of Southern Baptists.. Charlie earned an M.Div. Pastor Charlie Dates speaks at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. And while we are kind of watching this great falling away, we dont have to merely watch it. 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. James Meeks faltered for just a moment at the end. Brian Facebook/Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, Pastor Charlie Dates (R) and Rev. 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I also understand how a personal relationship strengthens that love; that is the importance of us having relationships in the body of Christ. 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. "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.". Ive seen healthy and unhealthy churches of all sizes. We want to walk with you and your family in every step of the way. Photo courtesy of Charlie Dates. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". What lessons or advice has he already passed along about leading Salem Baptist? And I have loved various pastors like family; some have ministered to my family for DECADES, and have baptized, married, counseled, and even eulogized GENERATIONS of my family. Its time for a young generation to come forward with new challenges facing us.. I dont come out of thin air to either church; you can trace my lineage. His wife Kirstie also followed up to pray with me and further encourage me. 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. Dates response to the controversy was that its not racist because its between black people. 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. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Charlie E. Dates, is a. 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. @progressivechicago | @charliedates |. Their seminaries have hosted outstanding guest faculty and chapel speakers outside of their norm. SERVICE TIME 9:30 AM CST Watch Live "It's Alright to Cry"| Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago Watch on Latest Sermon 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. How do you use that significance, and history of these two churches in the city, to drive the future? 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. My response to the above is that that kind of filling of your personal needs, i.e. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. He hijacked the affirmation meeting of the Baptist Faith & Message, turning it into a conservative resurgence revival. Preachers and teachers are there to instruct and shape us much like secular, academic teachers/professors. Im not saying that Im perfect, forever, for both churches. While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall.. "We want to see our church be vibrant. Charlie is the senior pastor a Chicago's Progressive Baptist Church. 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. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. 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. 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. For the second time in two days, a prominent Black pastor has publicly quit the Southern Baptist Convention over its seminary presidents' campaign against Critical Race Theory. . The statement on critical race theory and intersectionality has soiled that good faith.. We need new ideas. 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. Im not sure I understand your point. But some have grown frustrated with their position in a denomination that remains largely white (African Americans make up just 6 percent of Southern Baptists, according to Pew Research Center). Its not making me feel good; warm and fuzzy. Perhaps I need to know whats defined as a megachurch? It's time for us to bring in young people. What kind of repentance did he show and how has he made amends? Please click here to learn how. I ADORE Charlie Dates. Chicago has rich Black churches throughout the South and West sides, in particular. Both Meeks and Dates also have a connection to the Moody Bible Institute. "I sense God performing a work of His Spirit that connects Salem to churches that need revitalization. Dates explained he saw rejecting CRT as part of a continuing heritage of dangerous conservatism.. And Progressive only has one location. View Charlie Dates' profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. and Ph.D. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity . And while Progressive is a large congregation (around 1000 members), it doesnt come close to Salem (which has about 10,000). Charlie has 1 job listed on their profile. We meet every second Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 am. 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. The two churches will remain separate, and he plans on preaching two sermons each Sunday. Its important to highlight that this is not conventional. I dont know why; perhaps thats an attitude YOU need to pray about. Both have spoken at Moodys annual Founders Week conferences. Now we have 2 churches thinking only one particular man can lead them. Its a sensitive time for both congregations, and I want to convey as they read this my love for both of them. Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. What challenges do you anticipate with the dynamic of pastoring two congregations? Another thing is I dont think this dual assignment is in perpetuity. With teary eyes, I just told them I hope that they accept my recommendation when that time comes. The hard reality of the seminary presidents statement is that Black people will never gain full equality in the Southern Baptist Convention. 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. Both of them have produced some stalwart Christian leaders and teachers. "The Kingdom work is never to stop with one generation. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I want to say it is an honor to even be considered, let alone asked, to succeed the Reverend James T. Meeks. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. . 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. How will your role there look different? When did the theological architects of American slavery develop the moral character to tell the church how it should discuss and discern racism? Something is lost when a pastor becomes distanced from 99% of his church. 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. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. . 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. And thats part of the beauty I think of this story. On March 27-28, Dates will give a sermon and lecture at Samford University for the Department of Biblical and Religious Studies annual Dotson M. Nelson Lecture. Thats not always the case when you assume a pastorate. 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. "Not only is he called, but he is qualified or educated. And Saddleback Church founder Rick Warren is retiring this September. Sign up now ! 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. 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. Here it was, I thought, further proof that the old SBC was fading. They are good men who are sending a big message to the SBC, said Marshal Ausberry. It's time for us to bring in new families. So we decided to cooperate and join our church to the SBC in what is known as a dual affiliation. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The 65-year-old has been a pastor for 42 years and said he feels like hes got 42 more years in me. But Meeks added hes learned from King Davids life when its time to come off the battlefield.. 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. Charlie Dates serves as the senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church and teaches at Moody Bible Institute as an adjunct professor. When did those who have yet to hire multiple Black or brown faculty at their seminaries assume ethical authority on the subject of systemic injustice? Yeah thats in bad form. In all that, he can never be criticized within his ranks. In addition, the 41-year-old also served under Meeks as primary preaching assistant, pastor of adult ministries, and director of church operations at Salem Baptist before becoming senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church in 2011. Rev. Its one thing to adore someone you dont have any personal relationship with. I also want to suggest that Chicago, and America, needs churches that are developing and reproducing young pastors, that we become more intentional about it. Hi. ), Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service. Its the same approach that created President Donald Trump, that makes sure that no Republican leader will challenge him publicly. We want to see our church grow. . Dr. Charlie Dates will take his place. Its fair to say that I understand the dynamics of congregational leadership and development in both churches. Meeks serves on the Moody Bible Institute Trustee Board, and Dates has worked as an adjunct professor there. In 2011, Reverend Dates became the youngest Senior Pastor to serve the historic Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, which saw exponential growth under his leadership. 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)? We need new opportunities," Meeks told his cheering congregation. Show Progressive Baptist Church Podcast, Ep Great Expectations | Joshua 14:6-15 | Pastor Bryan Carter - Jul 26, 2022 You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. To invite Dr. The young people I met that week shocked me with the warmth and enthusiasm with which they embraced the subject matter. Rev. Do you know what I mean by ministering to me? We meet every second Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 am. 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. Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago and serves on the board of TCP. 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. 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. 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). 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? Meeks has led the African American congregation, now at nearly 10,000 members, since its founding in 1985. Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month. 2023 ChurchLeaders.com, All rights reserved. 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. But you seem determined to dismiss or belittle it in some sort of attempt to insult the Dates and me. 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.. 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 have younger leadership. They are ready to see their young adopt the very vestiges of hate that enslaved us in the name of Gods authoritative word. James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Churchone of Chicagos biggest megachurches. But the church left in 2020 after SBC leaders rejected critical race theory en masse. While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall. I will admit to knowing very little about Charlie Dates, but what Gus Chiggins posted is extremely concerning. 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. He is a contributing author to the 2014 book Letters To A Birmingham Jail, and the 2019 book, Say It: Celebrating Expository Preaching in The African American Tradition. 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. 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. 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. 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. I was shocked, but not surprised, when Mohler endorsed President Trump and watched the two men on Reformation Day celebrate each other on Twitter. Calling him "the greatest young preacher in our nation today," Rev. I adore Charlie Dates BECAUSE of how he and his wife PERSONALLY ministered to me when I needed it. 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. Charlie Edward Dates became the youngest Senior Pastor in Progressive's rich 95-year history. Dates preaches at the 2019 African American Preaching Conference. Dateswho spoke at several national SBC events before and after deciding to affiliate with the denominationwrote that the statement was a final straw.. 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. 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. 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. 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. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. We are partnering with The Chicago Partnership to present this opportunity to the South Side! 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. . And the same for Salem, which might still have it. Neither am I saying that hes the only significant influence in my life. Galatians 5: 13-14 | Pastor David Swanson, Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago. Part of what Im learning and discerning about Gods direction for ones life is to pay close attention to the bend of ones spiritual biography. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I had to tell my church I was wrong. No. Dates graduated from Salem Baptists Christian school, which has since closed. 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. I adore Charlie Dates BECAUSE of how he and his wife PERSONALLY ministered to me when I needed it. Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He is married to Kirstie Dates and is the proud father of their children, Charlie Edward Dates II & Claire Dates. Meeks, a former state senator, founded Salem Baptist 38 years ago. He announced Sunday hell preach his last sermon to the 10,000-member church on January 8, 2023. That is exactly what I am objecting to though the fact that there is no way he can minister to 11,000 people in the way that he ministered to you.