David Platt with Donald Trump praying at McLean Bible Church.

Donald Trump’s visit didn’t cause division; it exposed the bitter fruit of Wokeness growing in Evangelical churches.

McLean Bible Church is roiled over the issue of Wokeness. Church members who are insufficiently Woke, were dressed down in a Facebook post by an associate pastor at the church. The associate pastor praised David Platt and blasted critics upset with church leadership as “insensitive” to people of color and the marginalized.

The associate pastor wrote in a Facebook post, “To those of you (esp. in our church) who have criticized him for acknowledging the hurt his decision caused, and who have even had the calloused audacity to malign those who are hurt, your brash insensitivity is the reason why so many minority and marginalized people struggle to be a part of ‘Evangelical’ churches. If you *really* care about ‘gospel unity’, ‘racial reconciliation’, and ‘the least of these’, do better.”   

Click to enlarge Facebook post

The associate pastor’s Facebook post was forwarded to the Capstone Report by concerned McLean Bible Church members and former members. These sources were not only outraged at the treatment of President Donald Trump over the rudeness they felt the church leadership showed in Platt’s explanatory note, but were shocked at the brazen attack on those who disagree with it as lacking Gospel unity.

The Facebook post reads like a checklist of Wokeness. It insinuates the only people who care about Gospel unity, racial reconciliation and the least of these are those who validate the hurt. Or, let me clarify it—you must validate their Democratic partisan and/or Never Trump partisan views to be a real Christian.

It blames non-minorities for keeping minorities and “marginalized people” away from Evangelical churches. And, if one is not sufficiently chastised, the associate pastor instructs those concerned about the church to “Do better.”

There are some elements to this attack on the non-minorities at McLean Bible Church that bring to mind these words from John Piper about emotional manipulation. Piper said,

Emotional blackmail happens when a person equates his or her emotional pain with another person’s failure to love. They aren’t the same. A person may love well and the beloved still feel hurt, and use the hurt to blackmail the lover into admitting guilt he or she does not have. Emotional blackmail says, ‘If I feel hurt by you, you are guilty.’ There is no defense. The hurt person has become God. His emotion has become judge and jury. Truth does not matter. All that matters is the sovereign suffering of the aggrieved. It is above question. This emotional device is a great evil. I have seen it often in my three decades of ministry and I am eager to defend people who are being wrongly indicted by it.”  (H/T to AD Robles for sharing this quote on Twitter this morning. It perfectly describes the Social Justice rhetorical manipulation.)

Notice the similarity to what is happening at McLean Bible Church and in all of evangelicalism?

Failure to submit to the “Hurt” of someone is failure to be a proper, loving Christian. It makes the non-minority church members into captives of the feelings of the Never Trump, political partisans in the church.

What is the way forward for McLean Bible Church? Some members are contemplating leaving. Many will stay. Whatever the case, church leaders should rebuke those who cause racial division. And the cause of division in the church was not Donald Trump, but the festering Wokeness.

A word of advice: Real healing, real racial reconciliation does not come from making sovereign the feelings of hurt experienced when by a politician received a prayer. Hate for Donald Trump and partisan political views must submit to the unity we all have in Christ. That’s the foundation for healing. Not feels.

33 thoughts on “Division grows at McLean Bible Church in aftermath of Donald Trump visit”

  1. Now the Pastor and the associate pastor both need to resign. I suggest they reach out to Jesus . The Holy Spirit will guide them to real truth and give them both a backbone as they are both weak and spineless and I really believe the associate needs to be born again. His statements reveal that he most definitely has a man pleasing spirit. It is a travesty that this church’s leaders cannot stand for what God says in His Word instead of what unsaved people are pressuring them to think and do. I believe God set them up to expose their hypocrisy and make an example of what the church in the United States has become….Laodicean…to the max. If God had put Obama in front of me for prayer even though I disagreed with 99% of what he did and who he was I would have prayed wholeheartedly for him and stood up to those in the pews who disagreed. This pastor lost all credibility when he backtracked from the Word of God.

    1. This may be the most ridiculous comment I have ever read online regarding God’s Church from someone who professes Christ. Your comment is not only untrue and simply unbiblical, but also divisive and hateful. The only person here that needs to resign is you and your “woke” friends from the woke movement that is destroying and dividing. Praying for leaders, including presidents, is 100% Biblical and had Platt not done that then, and only then, would he have been backtracking from the Word.

  2. Harriet Caraway DeMint, your comment makes no sense. The pastor and associate pastor did/are doing the right thing. The pastor prayed for President Trump. Some in the congregation got upset. The associate pastor chastised them. What’s wrong with any of that?

    1. The Associate Pastor is actually chastising those who thought it was absurd for anyone to be “hurt” that the church prayed for President Trump.

      1. And the associate pastor is right to chastise those who are hurt that the church prayed for the president. The Bible clearly in 1 Timothy tells all Christians to pray for our leaders and those in positions of authority. This is not an option. It is a directive to all Christians who believe in the teachings of the Bible. Note that it doesn’t say you have to agree with the leader, but you should pray for them regardless. You can be hurt at the way the church presented the prayer in public (and David Platt did address this in his sermon today on 06/09 and acknowledged that it is a valid hurt among certain people in the church), but to be hurt that the church prayed for the president is against Biblical teachings which David Platt made clear. The associate pastor is correct in this instance.

        1. The associate pastor is not chastising those who who are “hurt” (read: angry) about praying for our president, he’s chastising the rest of the congregation who believe it’s the right thing to do to pray for our leaders as 1 Timothy commands. He’s basically saying they’re only supposed to feel hurt too, or at least sorry that some people were hurt. Actually veering toward accusations of racism.

          1. Race has nothing to do with it…..they have HATE in their hearts for President Trump.

  3. The church I attend is a small rural church. The congregation is mostly conservative to the point that I doubt that any member voted for Barack Obama for President. Yet every Sunday morning our pastor lifted President Obama up in prayer. Not one member ever voiced a complaint.

    Anyone professing Christ as their savior should never have a problem with their pastor praying for anyone whether it be the President or a homeless person from the street. In the same manner, no pastor should ever have to explain why he/she prayed for anyone whether it be the President or a homeless person from the street.

    After all, Jesus’ final words were a prayer to the Father to forgive those who killed him,

  4. Those who are “hurt” over the pastor praying for our President, need to do some soul searching and really pray to God for what God wants, not what their feelings are. Gods truth should come first and foremost for anyone who calls themselves a Christian. After all the Bible says to pray for those in authority.

    “1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior…” -1 Timothy 2:1-3.

    People need to wake up, grow up, and quit feeling hurt over what God wants us to do.

  5. President Donald Trump has nominated the first African-American woman for promotion to general in the U.S. Marine Corps. https://time.com/5237828/first-african-american-woman-general/
    A black woman employed by Trump: Lynne Patton, a former party planner for the Trump Organization and current Housing and Urban Development official. http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/02/mark-meadows-lynne-patton-michael-cohen-testimony-hearing-trump-is-racist-black-people.html
    Omarosa: I’m Black, Female, and Donald Trump Is My Friend https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/omarosa-im-black-female-donald-trump-is-my-friend-guest-column-952487
    Black Female Trump Executive Slams Critics in Viral Video ‘The Trump Family I Know’ https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/05/06/black-female-trump-executive-slams-critics-in-viral-video-the-trump-family-i-know/

  6. That church is part of a larger NWO push to accept the agenda of Satan. The left has infiltrated the body of Christ for the sole purpose of dividing it. Wake the &_$# up.

  7. Anyone at a church that prayed for President Trump and is hurt by it is not a saved person. The need to get down on their knees and ask God to come and live in them to cleanse them of their sins and to start following Christ and not man or feelings!

  8. Wow! Please open your Bible! If you are free of sin, then you can cast the first stone! Our President is only human and is not free of sin, but neither are you or me!

  9. Anyone who is upset and/or hurt by Platt praying for the president
    1. Has priorities out of order. Their politics mean more to them than their Christianity.
    2. Are more than likely not truly born again. Blatantly and willingly ignoring Scripture is not a practice true Christians follow.
    Sometimes God purges His Church. Let these people go because they are a detriment to and a millstone around the neck of the kingdom of God.
    Of course, if/when these people repent of their sin they should absolutely be welcomed back.

  10. Love EVERYONE. Pray for EVERYONE. It’s extremely clear throughout the Bible. All ya gotta do is read it.
    I’m praying for those who allow themselves to be hurt by prayers for ANYONE.

  11. 1 Tim. 2:1-2a: “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority.”

    1. Are Christians to pray for those in authority? Yes or No

    2. Did Mr. Platt do that?

    3. WHY would those who call themselves Christians NOT endorse what the inspired (2 Tim. 3:16-17) apostle Paul commanded us to do…?

    4. WHY did Mr. Platt apologize for doing what the Bible teaches?

    Looking for honest answers…

    1. I will do the best I can to answer your questions. I pray that my answers are clear.

      1. Yes! The bible clearly states that we have to pray for all our leaders.

      2. Yes! He followed God’s Word.

      3. People are not opposed to the pastor praying for the president. They are upset that he was called on stage and prayed over.

      4. He never apologized. he explained himself. Today’s sermon was clear that he never apologized.

      I urge you to go the MBC’s website and see today’s sermon. I don’t think it’s up right now. It will be 30-40 minutes of your time but it is well worth it.

      MBC is NOT a church divided as the news reports.

      1. The pastors apology says all I need to know about him and the congregation of this church
        To apology for praying with or for anyone is unbelievable!

      2. Sadly MBC is very divided and not just over this. Hundreds have left due to David Platt’s theology, MBC joining the SBC, friends with Russell Moore, I could go on. Platt is a liberal leaning, social justice warrior at best.

  12. Is this church Baptist? if so I’m appalled. That’s about all I can say! Lord help them..

  13. Shame on these people who tried to use racism as a tool to get their way! Don’t give into their self-victimization as it allows them to bully others and escape personal responsibility. The church needs to be free from this type of lie!

  14. Finally nailed the very Self’s righteousness, that has used and abused the gospel for many years. Remember JUDAS was the social justice warrior from the twelve. H worried how things looked and how much money was being used for what! Jesus came to give eternal
    Life to
    Trump or the social justice wannabe. Get over your SELVES Nd rest in Gor’s righteousness for all. JESUS

  15. Michael patterns himself after race hustlers. Do gooderism has infected the church, convinced the racial disparities of DC will dissolve away with sufficiently wokeness and white self-flagellation. A clear sign of a church turning away from the bible and making idols of social justice and worldly culture.

  16. How to address the emotional person vs the Spirit of Christ is at the heart of Christian profession and Christian possession. Only God knows a persons Heart

  17. Wokeness is a condition that occurs in a person who realizes that all this world has to offer is for not.

  18. Wokeness is a condition that occurs in a person who realizes that all this world has to offer is for not.

  19. What a sad day we are living in, when Christians (falsely so called) are willing to divide over racism. This is what the devil has been provoking in the media for many years now, and true born again Christians are not deceived by this, but the lukewarm and unsaved have fallen for this deception.

  20. It pains me to see that so many commenting here are missing the point of the article. Please, re-read and focus on the quote from John Piper about Emotional Blackmail. It is a teaching moment.

  21. The pastors apology says all I need to know about him and the congregation of this church
    To apology for praying with or for anyone is unbelievable!

  22. Wow, there are a lot of people judging the actions of a lot of other people. I attend MBC and have been a party to sermons by Platt and Kelsey. Unless you actually take the time to listen to all the sermons in context and really understand what’s going on, maybe you should withhold comment. The fact is, many people are dealing with issues of the flesh, something we ALL know something about, and our church is doing the best that it can to remain unified over the VERY FACT that we all need Grace over our struggles with the flesh. This has been a hard season in our country and the political issues are magnified in the DC metro area. If you are a believer, rather than criticize, maybe pray for our church, and the church at large, that we CAN remain unified over the gospel in order to spread God’s love throughout the rest of the world.

Comments are closed.