He's trained to fight the giants that we're dealing with today. 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 . This workshop will cover everything from home buying basics to the most important step, funding and loan process. 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. The leaders of two majority-black megachurches in major cities announced this week that they will no longer affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention. 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. 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. I ADORE Charlie Dates. In 2011, at age 30, he became the youngest Senior Pastor in Progressive's rich 99-year history. Galatians 5: 13-14 | Pastor David Swanson, Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago. I understand both sides, but havent thought about it enough to have a strong opinion, probably because I dont use those terms. How has God moved and worked in ones life? Its fair to say that I understand the dynamics of congregational leadership and development in both churches. 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. Religion News Service reported that Fred Luter, the only black SBC president, signed on in agreement. RELATED: Southern Baptist seminary presidents nix critical race theory. Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago and serves on the board of TCP. Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church I respect the importance of Christian denominations, the. What specifically attracted you about this role at Salem Baptist? The Rev. Perhaps I need to know whats defined as a megachurch? Its humorous, its rewarding, and its worth more than the price of gold or platinum. "Not only is he called, but he is qualified or educated. The first challenge is getting the churches to sense that where God gives a vision, theres always provision. That is a concerning statement. On one hand, Progressive is what I would call progressively traditional, and Salem is traditionally progressive. My relationship with him is dynamic. Weve already started the conversation that, at some point, the goal is to raise up leaders to do more work. These have been disciple-making churches with an emphasis on Christian education. To invite Dr. Meeks has led the African American congregation, now at nearly 10,000 members, since its founding in 1985. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". And I dont even go to Progressive, which is less than 15 minutes from my home (closer than my current church home). We need new ideas. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago Pastor: Dr. Charlie E. Dates Website: www.progressivechicago.org Giving/Donations: https://progressivechicago.org/give IG: I just hate to see us automatically dismiss a pastor, church or ministry due to size. I do pray Pastor Dates is not spread too thin and that he has the support needed to lead such a large flock effectively. 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. I think thats a blessing, especially when I see a lot of superficial relationships between pastors and their flock. 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. 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. 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. I was shocked, but not surprised, when Mohler endorsed President Trump and watched the two men on Reformation Day celebrate each other on Twitter. . Pastor Charlie Dates is the Senior Pastor of The Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois. Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. No One Knows. Meeks and his wife, Jamell, founded the church in 1985. 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. Both Meeks and Dates also have a connection to the Moody Bible Institute. Dates response to the controversy was that its not racist because its between black people. The hard reality of the seminary presidents statement is that Black people will never gain full equality in the Southern Baptist Convention. Nationally known pastor Rev. You know, at one point, Progressive had the strongest and largest Christian discipleship ministry in the city. 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. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago, under the leadership of Charlie E. Dates, is a. Rev. What other things do you want to highlight to your current and future congregations and the readers of CT? I had the privilege of not only hearing him preach as a guest speaker at my church, but also meeting him after a singles event hosted by Progressive. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately?. 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. Hi. After 11 years at Progressive and watching more than 1,000 people join that church in that time, its fair to say that I carry the DNA of both churches. If, however, I fail to get the churches to see that our history serves our present and inspires our future, then Im in trouble. I go where God leads me not Charlie Dates. 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. Logos of the six Southern Baptist Convention seminaries. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Over the summer, Dates discussed with CT his frustration with the lack of diversity among SBCs recently appointed entity heads, all of whom are white men, and the inconsistent support for racial justice causes. SERVICE TIME 9:30 AM CST Watch Live "It's Alright to Cry"| Pastor Charlie Dates | Progressive Chicago Watch on Latest Sermon Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read. 2023 ChurchLeaders.com, All rights reserved. Dates to speak at your next event, please complete the Speaker Request form. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. 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. I plan to lead through leaders. My acknowledgement of this is not a statement of submission, but an act of defiance. Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. He announced in June that he will give his last sermon on January 8, 2023. Progressive Baptist Church, a century-old historically Black congregation, was briefly part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). To learn more about how you can begin or deepen a relationship with Jesus Christ, visit us at ProgressiveChicago.org . Progressive was around WAY before Charlie Dates; it was not founded or based on his teachings alone. He announced Sunday he'll preach his last sermon to the 10,000-member church on January 8, 2023. Ive learned there is an unwritten rule in the SBC: Dont criticize an entity head. We need new opportunities," Meeks told his cheering congregation. 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.. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred. 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. While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall. Theres a danger when the person idolized has a position of power and authority, particularly in a religious sense. . You see many people who are guilty of holding onto positions too long, he says. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. In 1998, Meeks led a push to close 26 liquor stores in a 19-block radius near Salem. "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.". Sad, but not at all surprising. Dateswho spoke at several national SBC events before and after deciding to affiliate with the denominationwrote that the statement was a final straw.. The average member was around before Charlie (hes been there ~10 years) and knows hes not the only one who can lead them. Chicago has rich Black churches throughout the South and West sides, in particular. Charlie Dates is the Senior Pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, IL. I wonder how many of them provide full time paychecks. 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. Charlie Dates and Ralph D. West spoke out in response to a controversial statement released by seminary presidents. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Meeks, a former state senator, founded Salem Baptist 38 years ago. We want to see our church grow. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Meeks recalls meeting Dates when Dates was in the 5th grade. These churches are a gift. I will admit to knowing very little about Charlie Dates, but what Gus Chiggins posted is extremely concerning. 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. 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. Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas. . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Thanks for the extra info here. Charlie Dates Has Led Progressive Baptist To choose a successor Meeks says he and his wife, First Lady Jamell Meeks, prayed and fasted. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church. It's time for us to bring in young people. The two churches will remain separate, and he plans on preaching two sermons each Sunday. On one hand, the legacy has to continue. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service. Dr. Charlie Dates became the youngest senior pastor at Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago in 2011 at age 30. Dr. Charlie Edward Dates is Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, IL. 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? I think part of this is connected to what attracted me to Salem Baptist. Let us know how we can pray for you and your family. Sign up for our newsletter: 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.. Rev. But we can actually press into the current culture and lead our young people and train them to lead a revolution for the kingdom and the glory of God. Senior Pastor at Progressive Baptist Church - Chicago . Photo courtesy of Charlie Dates. 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. 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. 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 young pastor said he had to convince his members that joining the denomination for the sake of mission partnerships would be a good move. Could you describe your relationship with Meeks? Feel free to watch our services online! They would not. Meeks, who plans to stay involved with Hope of House, Salems philanthropic organization, is one of the latest longtime U.S. church leaders to step down. Respect and admire if they are capable, yes. Wow, I never knew this, did TRR ever do an expose of this incident? Its no longer that waywe are very much in the community nowbut thats the way it was. So it is Biblical for a leader to have a large flock. Please click here to learn how. When I came back home to Southwestern, I even encouraged other ministers to do the same. The SBC experienced a 43 percent jump in majority-black churches between 1998 and 2002, compared to 11 percent over the most recent four years. 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 more than just Progressive and Salem. To choose a successor Meeks says he and his wife, First Lady Jamell Meeks, prayed and fasted. While I do not know much about Charlie Dates, it has becoming increasingly true that the higher you rise the harder you fall.. Their stand against racism rings hollow when in their next breath they reject theories that have been helpful in framing the problem of racism, he wrote, disappointed that the presidents would come together to speak out against it rather than turning their criticism toward other ills such a racism itself. Perhaps you are taking on a worldly definition of love? And Progressive only has one location. My response to the above is that that kind of filling of your personal needs, i.e. Book your appointment here. Its important to highlight that this is not conventional. 99% of these megachurch icons and celebrities were nowhere near as righteous as Smith to start with, and only continue to deteriorate from that starting point, with time and fame. "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.". We want to walk with you and your family in every step of the way. There is no such thing as the Old Southern Baptists.. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. James Meeks faltered for just a moment at the end. He served three terms as an Illinois state senator, was chairman of the state board of education, and ran in Chicagos 2011 mayoral race. Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church. With teary eyes, I just told them I hope that they accept my recommendation when that time comes. 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.. Marin Its time for Salem to have younger leadership . 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., He came out of our church, says Meeks, and its time for young people to step up and be given a chance.. Their seminaries have hosted outstanding guest faculty and chapel speakers outside of their norm. For questions or to reach his office, please email booking@progressivechicago.org. The recent departures caught the attention of Southern Baptist leaders who were disappointed to see them go, particularly fellow African Americans. Who will pay for the SBCs abuse reforms over the long term? And, yes, nothing good ever comes out of megachurches and rock-star pastors. 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. Charlie Dates preaching at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017. I didnt say Pastor Dates was the ONLY person who could minister to me; I dont have anyone in my life like htat. 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. Charlie E. Dates is the senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church and Progressive Baptist Church, two of the oldest and largest historically Black churches in Chicago, Illinois. COMMENTARY: Six white men shouldnt decide Southern Baptist position on race. 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. Its been anchored in the community. He shared a vision of revival. Brian 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. Now we have 2 churches thinking only one particular man can lead them. Return to homepage. Butand this is no secretfor years it stayed in the vein of its history. Pretty sure there were no consequences whatsoever for him over it. Im not sure I understand your point. Progressive Baptist Church is part of the Organizations industry, and located in Illinois, United States. He is married to Kirstie Dates and is the proud father of their children, Charlie Edward Dates II & Claire Dates. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately? Perspective by Charlie Dates. Charlie Dates Returns to the Chicago Church that Shaped Him While continuing to lead Progressive Baptist, the 41-year-old pastor was named the successor to James Meeks at Salem Baptist. Our seminaries, many of them are in decline. His wife Kirstie also followed up to pray with me and further encourage me. Welcome to the weekly podcast of Progressive Baptist Church with Pastor and Author, Dr. Charlie Dates. The specter of racial animus and theological arrogance was giving way to a new era of Christian leadership, I suggested. Pastoral leadership is a storied pillar in both of these churches. 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