Services Progressive Baptist Church SUNDAYS AT PROGRESSIVE We'd love for you to join us at our Sunday Services! . Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. In 2011, he became the youngest senior pastor at Chicagos Progressive Baptist Church. 3658 SOUTH WENTWORTH AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL, 60609, 773-268-6048 | INFO@PROGRESSIVECHICAGO.ORG. If I idolized him, dont you think Id have followed him to his church YEARS ago when I first me him? Would a right-wing famous pastor like Voddie Baucham or Rob Jeffress be able to get away with using racial slurs??? Something is lost when a pastor becomes distanced from 99% of his church. Pastor Charlie Dates speaks at Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. I am more of a vision-casting, preaching, pastoral care pastor. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. 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. He hijacked the affirmation meeting of the Baptist Faith & Message, turning it into a conservative resurgence revival. And while Progressive is a large congregation (around 1000 members), it doesnt come close to Salem (which has about 10,000). "We believe now that the time has come for us to step aside, for us to yield to new younger leadership," Meeks said. (I cant imagine having NEVER met your pastor one-on-one). We meet every second Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 9:00 am. 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. Do you have a birthday or anniversary next month? RELATED: Southern Baptist seminary presidents nix critical race theory. @progressivechicago | @charliedates |. Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago Pastor: Dr. Charlie E. Dates Website: www.progressivechicago.org Giving/Donations: https://progressivechicago.org/give IG: Learn more. Yeah thats in bad form. "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.". 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. Meeks recalls meeting Dates when Dates was in the 5th grade. They would not. Progressives buildings were built without a dime of debt at a time where Black people could not get a loan from a bank. Chicago Pastor James Meeks to Retire, Pass Baton to Rev. 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. Rev. They both, in that regard, have a history of absolutely incredible pastors. Again, amen to that. 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. Our city and our nation need the black church to be her best and brightest self and now is the time for churches to be strong," he said. Progressive Baptist Church. Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. In 2011, at age 30, he became the youngest Senior Pastor in Progressive's rich 99-year history. Rev. Charlie has 1 job listed on their profile. Gleannings aggregates what others are reporting. 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 cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". He is married to Kirstie Dates and is the proud father of their children, Charlie Edward Dates II & Claire Dates. The average member was around before Charlie (hes been there ~10 years) and knows hes not the only one who can lead them. 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. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred. 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. Thats the old SBC. 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. "It's time for Salem to move forward. 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.. I didnt say Pastor Dates was the ONLY person who could minister to me; I dont have anyone in my life like htat. Great Communicator Series: Powerful Insights for Preachers and Bible Photo courtesy of Progressive Baptist Church. It's time for Salem to have younger leadership. The mega church concept is already troublesome. The specter of racial animus and theological arrogance was giving way to a new era of Christian leadership, I suggested. Charlie Dates Current Workplace. Show Progressive Baptist Church Podcast, Ep Great Expectations | Joshua 14:6-15 | Pastor Bryan Carter - Jul 26, 2022 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. Not because of a sermon I heard from a distance or book that I read.. Our PBC Teens are highly engaged in biblical teaching and discussion on how to navigate a Christian life amongst their peers. 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. Dates response to the controversy was that its not racist because its between black people. Charlie Dates - Senior Pastor - Progressive Baptist Church - LinkedIn Sarah Einselen is an award-winning writer and editor based in Texas. 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. 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 go where God leads me not Charlie Dates. We need new ideas. Biblical and Religious Studies Host Chicago Pastor for 2023 Dotson M Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. Charlie Dates is the senior pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. Charlie Dates is set to succeed Rev. Its more than just Progressive and Salem. 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. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service. Our seminaries, many of them are in decline. I completely understand your concern, Tricia. That history is enormous. He graduated with a PhD in historical theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Who will pay for the SBCs abuse reforms over the long term? I ADORE Charlie Dates. Dates graduated from Salem Baptists Christian school, which has since closed. 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. This was why I felt it safe to forge an alliance. No one knows. 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? His decision came two days after West made a similar argument in a Baptist Standard op-ed. 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 . As for me and the Progressive Baptist Church, I keep hearing the words of Harriet Tubman: We out.. 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. . Progressive Baptist Church, a century-old historically Black congregation, was briefly part of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). 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. I left that conference feeling hopeful. Progressive has asked me, when the time comes, to help them to find their next pastor. . Marin 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. 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I had to fight all of my flesh not to just walk away. Who thinks a half a pastor can shepherd a full church adequately?. James Meeks next year as senior pastor of Salem Baptist Churchone of Chicagos biggest megachurches. But it would be foolish to assume its humanly possible to do this in and of myself. Their seminaries have hosted outstanding guest faculty and chapel speakers outside of their norm. Sad, but not at all surprising. 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Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. ), Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago. 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. . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Charlie is the senior pastor a Chicago's Progressive Baptist Church. Meeks has been activeand sometimes controversialin the community. 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. 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. "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.". 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. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. The leaders of two majority-black megachurches in major cities announced this week that they will no longer affiliate with the Southern Baptist Convention. He told his trustees to uphold the slaveholder for whom his college is named. 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. When I came back home to Southwestern, I even encouraged other ministers to do the same. What other things do you want to highlight to your current and future congregations and the readers of CT? Its a sensitive time for both congregations, and I want to convey as they read this my love for both of them. We want to see younger families come to our church and the last thing that we want is to stand in the way of that.". Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. 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). Charlie Dates is the Senior Pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, IL. It took a while for it to reimagine and revitalize and become relevant again. Charlie Dates Has Led Progressive Baptist To choose a successor Meeks says he and his wife, First Lady Jamell Meeks, prayed and fasted. 3658 SOUTH WENTWORTH AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL, 60609, 773-268-6048 | INFO@PROGRESSIVECHICAGO.ORG. But what a blessing to the members of both congregations. They are good men who are sending a big message to the SBC, said Marshal Ausberry. 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. 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 think part of this is connected to what attracted me to Salem Baptist. Warren announced his intention to retire last year after over 40 years of ministry and began the search for "the next-generation pastor.". Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Charlie Dates Returns to the Chicago Church that Shaped Him And how have you begun planning to deal with those challenges? 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. No One Knows. Progressive Baptist Church is part of the Organizations industry, and located in Illinois, United States. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. In 2006, he began serving as the primary . That Salem is a loving church ready to work. Theres a danger when the person idolized has a position of power and authority, particularly in a religious sense. He also teaches at Wheaton College and has delivered chapel sermons at various institutions, including The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If thats idolatry to youwe can disagree. 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. 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. 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. The hard reality of the seminary presidents statement is that Black people will never gain full equality in the Southern Baptist Convention. 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. I recognize this moment is big, and its watershed, but it is not about me. His wife Kirstie also followed up to pray with me and further encourage me. 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. 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. 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 . Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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. . Feel free to watch our services online! 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. That was the old Southern Baptists, I promised them and others in our church. Dates new role will mean others will take on some of what Dates does now at Progressive, he said. So we decided to cooperate and join our church to the SBC in what is known as a dual affiliation. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. Chicago megachurch pastor to retire, names successor | Church Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. The first challenge is getting the churches to sense that where God gives a vision, theres always provision. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. He shared a vision of revival. 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. As I prayed through it, Reverend Meeks and I wrestled with it, and he graciously affirmed my sense of discernment. The church actually changed the face of that community, he says. None of that is contingent upon Biblical Christianity (indeed, you say its not because of a sermon or book, meaning theology I assume). 11,909 were here. "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." 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. I have to lead through my leaders. Some Black Southern Baptists feel shut out by white leaders "I sense God performing a work of His Spirit that connects Salem to churches that need revitalization. Charlie Dates, Named to Succeed Chicago Pastor, Will Lead 2 Churches Butand this is no secretfor years it stayed in the vein of its history. Charlie Dates | moodyaudio.com Dr. Charlie Dates is widely invited to preach at churches, conferences and universities throughout the United States. Its not making me feel good; warm and fuzzy. That is a concerning statement. Charlie Dates and Ralph D. West spoke out in response to a controversial statement released by seminary presidents. Dates explained he saw rejecting CRT as part of a continuing heritage of dangerous conservatism.. Hmm. I want to say it is an honor to even be considered, let alone asked, to succeed the Reverend James T. Meeks. But you seem determined to dismiss or belittle it in some sort of attempt to insult the Dates and me. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I also understand how a personal relationship strengthens that love; that is the importance of us having relationships in the body of Christ. But the church left in 2020 after SBC leaders rejected critical race theory en masse. Charlie Dates Archives - ERLC You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Charlie Edward Dates became the youngest Senior Pastor in Progressive's rich 95-year history. Dates added that the transition will start in January 2023. In all that, he can never be criticized within his ranks. This workshop will cover everything from home buying basics to the most important step, funding and loan process. It's time for us to bring in new families. Vance Pitman resigned in December from Hope Church in Las Vegas to lead the SBCs national church-planting organization. He served three terms as an Illinois state senator, was chairman of the state board of education, and ran in Chicagos 2011 mayoral race. And Progressive only has one location. 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. Our Team THE CHICAGO PARTNERSHIP 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. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? Its time for a younger generation to assume leadership at one of Chicagos largest churches. What is liberalism to the conservative Southern Baptists? None of our denominations, Black or white, are as relevant and biblically prophetic as our present age requires. 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. Weve got to be able to have our 12 stones from our Chicago Jordan River, with a keen eye on the hills and mountains of Jericho and the other cities in Canaan. 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. 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. The beauty of this narrative is that the Lord, in his kindness and his grace, has taken pastors and churches to develop me. The theory came up in a controversial resolution that passed at the SBCs 2019 annual meeting, when Greear was elected. Its important to highlight that this is not conventional. Its fair to say that I understand the dynamics of congregational leadership and development in both churches. 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. Photo courtesy of Charlie Dates. Progressive Baptist Church Chicago - YouTube 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. Sign up now ! Perspective by Charlie Dates. To choose a successor Meeks says he and his wife, First Lady Jamell Meeks, prayed and fasted. Its been anchored in the community. I will admit to knowing very little about Charlie Dates, but what Gus Chiggins posted is extremely concerning. 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. The Social Justice Ministry is here to help through our Gospel Justice Center Legal Clinic. Nationally known pastor Rev. At the emergence of the pandemic, the SBC donated to our emergency effort to provide online food delivery services for Chicagoans with SNAP benefits. Ill tell you: abolition, the womens suffrage movement, the civil rights movement, a Black U.S. president who was initially against partial-birth abortion, non-white male faculty at their seminaries and now a theory that uncovers our nations de jure and de facto segregation. Join us before worship service on Sunday, March 19th directly following service. That philosophy has weakened whatever prophetic potential the SBC has. Pretty sure there were no consequences whatsoever for him over it. Our History Progressive Baptist Church Image courtesy of Baptist Press. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted.