David Platt using Cancel Culture techniques to harm church, says former elder Mark Gottlieb.
Former McLean Bible Church Elder: David Platt destroyed church.
According to a former McLean Bible Church Elder, David Platt destroyed the church with his leftist political activism. The former elder, Mark Gottleib said David Platt turned McLean into a “political, stripped-down version” of the church, according to the email obtained by the Capstone Report.
Mark Gottlieb said in a letter to McLean Bible Church members, “Over the last several years, we’ve watched David take the church—the church we built, the church we love, the church we’ve poured our hearts and souls and lives into—and turned it into a political, stripped-down version of what it used to be. Most ministries are gone. The leaders are doing things we disagree with.”
And David Platt’s leftist politics is driving the division.
According to Gottlieb, “The unifying concern among those who knew the church is that David Platt is the wrong pastor for MBC. We were historically a conservative church, and David is left of center—he’s taken our church down paths we never anticipated.”
And David Platt’s arrogance and inability to listen to anyone is why the church faces this crisis—with thousands of members leaving the church (something the Capstone Report told you that McLean attendance was down approximately 40% and is now confirmed.)
Gottlieb said, “Thousands of our brothers and sisters in Christ have left our congregation, some slipping away quietly, with over a hundred writing letters to the Elders as they went. David clearly did not know his flock or listen to them when they shared their concerns.”
Gottlieb details how he attended the last business meeting to vote against Platt’s new elder nominees and how he fought on the inside as an elder to stop Platt’s reckless leadership.
He says that David Platt and church leadership are using “cancel culture” techniques against their fellow Christians.
Gottlieb said, “David, Wade, and the current Elders control the mic. They can influence the masses to hear their version of what is happening. And, in the last few weeks, they’ve done a good job of it. Although probably not intentional, they’re using cancel culture techniques (legal threats, shaming, and taking away platforms) to prevent you from having a voice. You had no voice last week, and you will have none on July 18th.”
A tactic of Platt is to paint his opponents as racist. However, this is a lie. As we reported, the leadership of the Save McLean Bible Church movement is racially diverse and spans generations of MBC members.
Then, Gottlieb’s letter takes an unexpected turn. Gottlieb says he recommends letting David Platt win.
He writes, “Any further escalation on our part will only cause further escalation on their part. And the problem is that at this point, we may harm the reputation of Christ in the eyes of nonbelievers. Just as Paul chastised the Corinthian church for bringing their division and disputes in the public (1 Cor. 6:1-11), so we will bring the name of Christ into disrepute, thanks to the high profile of David Platt. It will likely bring media attention—secular news organizations love seeing evangelical Christians fight and tear each other apart.”
There is a flaw in Gottlieb’s advice. Why should men who are acting in a sub-Christian fashion win?
Is it in the interest of God’s people to allow the Devil to win—and win because you fear the Devil’s minions will escalate this fight?
God forbid.
And Gottlieb fails to recognize that David Platt uses his high profile and his pristine image to mislead thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Christians. Platt’s book on voting was a betrayal of all Christian Ethics. Platt’s embrace of Critical Race Theory will destroy not only America but the unity of the Church—the very group unified through the blood of Jesus Christ.
While victory is never certain, retreat before one faces the enemy is wrong and dangerous.
Even a loss, draws a line and tells the Devil and his servants like David Platt that every inch of ground in the church and in our country will come at a cost.
We must never fear how the world will view us.
We must only ask ourselves, does this action honor Christ?
Despite what the 24-year former MBC elder thinks, standing for truth will not hurt the cause of Christ. Fighting this battle is not hopeless. The battle is not yet over.
Retreat? Surrender? Never
Put on the Armor of God and do not fear the fiery arrows from David Platt’s microphone.
Here is the entire letter Mark Gottlieb sent to members of MBC.
