Charlie Dates is a rather high profile liberal pastor. In early 2020, he would host Beth Moore at his church to preach. Dates also serves on the leadership council of the And Campaign. For a while he was a lightning rod liberal figure in the Southern Baptist Convention using Critical Race Theory to liberalize the largest Protestant denomination in America.
However, he would exit the Southern Baptist Convention because of the disingenuous posture Southern Baptist seminary presidents took against Critical Race Theory. Recently, in a panel discussion with Phil Vischer, Charlie Dates opened up about why he joined the Southern Baptist Convention in the first place.
The New Holy Post episode with Charlie Dates is a doozy. Here Dates explains that he led his church to join the SBC with the intent to "turn the light bulb on" to the racism of White Evangelicalism. He says he had cover from well-connected SBC leaders who shared his intent. pic.twitter.com/K17X1wldoA
— Josh Daws (@JoshDaws) October 23, 2024
Phil Vischer exposits that Charlie Dates, then pastor of Progressive Baptist Church, joined the Southern Baptist Convention while also being affiliated with the Progressive National Baptist Convention as a failed experiment. Charlie Dates states that he looks up to “authentically Black” pastors who work with the Southern Baptist Convention. He states that they were optimistic about being able to “move the ball further” to “actually turn the light bulb on for part of the system.” Charlie Dates then credits the “advent of Trump” for highlighting the racism in the convention.
Phil Vischer let slip that Charlie Dates joined the SBC intentionally to subvert it with wokeness. Charlie Dates then blames Trump for his failed experiment.
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Another wolf in sheep’s clothing. What a pity the SBC can’t be more discerning…unless, of course, they simply do not want to be. It has been apparent for years (decades?) that the pews are far more theologically conservative than is the national leadership and the various boards and agencies. Sadly, it is also apparent for years (decades?) that the pews are largely ignorant. Once saved, they sit down and think they are finished – and most preaching is happy to leave them there. They are unprepared for the maelstrom engulfing the true Church in these days.
Between this and the recent final destruction of the United Methodist Church by the godless homosexual lobby, one cannot help but wonder at just how applicable is Jude 1:4 to both the UMC, the SBC, and many other situations in the American church? “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The destruction of the UMC this past summer was the disastrous ending a very dirty wrestling match that surfaced in the 70s, was fully engaged by the 90s, and this past summer finally consumed and destroyed a once powerful denomination – due more to the weakness, indecisiveness, and cowardice of allegedly faithful believers who outnumbered their adversaries but who refused to fight for the Truth and for their denomination with a force greater than that of the evil that sought to destroy it. The UMC was destroyed from within by evil openly aided and abetted by the UMC’s feckless leadership the bishops and other clergy that not only refused to enforce Biblical standards of conduct, and refused to preach against sinful beliefs and behaviors, but actively supported the evil in their midst! Only a very few bishops spoke out against the turn to godless liberalism, and almost all of them retired before the final battle. The only good to come of this very public betrayal of Biblical teaching – and of Christ Himself – is the birth of the more theologically-conservative and faithful to Scripture Global Methodist Church and the separation of approximately one-quarter of the UMC congregations into the new GMC. Ye shall know them by their fruits.
It isn’t just the clergy who are responsible for defending the faith. EVERY individual believer must be ready, able, and willing to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3). If you/I/we are not, then what happened to the UMC can – and will – happen to what is left of the SBC. The cracks in the foundation are already showing and they are widening.
Bonhoeffer did his best to warn us. Like Abel’s, his blood still speaks. God will not hold those guiltless who turn aside to cheap grace and cause others to likewise stumble. How much greater condemnation awaits for those who faithlessly use the Church for their own evil ends? Recall Matt 7:21-23. Christ forewarned us. Choose – and act – wisely, discerning the times.