Thoughts on the Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Controversy

I have been saddened by the recent controversy at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (CRPC) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I’ve waited a while to express my thoughts on what has taken place. The reason I am so close to the action is that I grew up worshiping at CRPC. My parents were members of CRPC ever since they moved to Florida from Ohio in the late 70′s. They both taught at Westminster Academy, a private, Classical Christian school started by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, who was the minister at CRPC from its inception up until he died a few years ago.

Since I was homeschooled through 2nd grade, most of the friends I made early on were from Sunday School and children’s choirs at CRPC. I was very involved in Gangway, the youth ministry at CRPC, from the drama team to Youth Evangelism Explosion, including many mission trips along the way. After graduating high school, I interned as a youth leader, leading the junior high boys Bible study, planning and attending youth retreats, and alternating teaching nights with another intern. After going away to Florida State University, I would still return to South Florida to visit my family and worship with the church that helped my parents bring me up in the Christian faith. CRPC was truly a covenant family to me.

When Dr. Kennedy died in 2007, a pulpit nominating committee was elected to search for a new minister, someone who would pastor the flock in a new era at Coral Ridge. The process took months, and it wasn’t until the spring of 2009 that Tullian Tchividjian was voted to take the role as CRPC’s new preaching elder. There was much excitement, as Tchividjian brought with him youth and passion, which is what I felt CRPC needed at the time.

Pastor Tullian Tchividjian

My history with Pastor Tchividjian is very brief, but I was immediately impressed with him. When I was attending university and home on a break, I heard about his ministry with New City Church. Curiously, I attended a worship service and met Pastor Tchividjian afterwards, as my parents knew him from his days when he attended Westminster Academy. Since I was going to be searching for work after graduation, I emailed him to ask if they were looking to begin a youth and student ministry. He emailed me back and said he would love to sit down and chat over a coffee. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to have that chat, as I was away at university for most of the year. But my point in this story is that Pastor Tchividjian was a very approachable, down-to-earth pastor. And I liked that, coming from a big church like CRPC, where chats with Dr. Kennedy were few and (very) far between.

When New City Church merged with Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and Pastor Tchividjian became CRPC’s new preaching elder, my parents were impressed with how personable he was. He remembered their names (which may not sound like much, but growing up in one of the first Presbyterian megachurches and under the care of Dr. Kennedy, we hadn’t known a lead minister that could remember our names). He preached with passion and conviction. He was what everyone at CRPC thought we needed.

But something changed. CRPC went from a church filled with joy and excitement and hope to a church filled with sadness and many question marks. This was all in a matter of only a few months. Staff members who had been at CRPC for years were fired without apology. The contemporary worship team was replaced with New City’s worship team. A half dozen members even called for a petition to dissolve the relationship of CRPC with Pastor Tchividjian. Just last Sunday a formal congregational meeting was called to vote on whether or not to keep Pastor Tchividjian as CRPC’s preaching elder. While the vote was in favor of Pastor Tchividjian, over 30% of the congregation voted against him. And you don’t have to be an expert on church politics to know that if 30% of your congregation is not with you after over 90% voted to hire you, then something has gone terribly wrong.

My post today is not to point fingers. It’s not spread rumors or gossip. I am across the Atlantic from CRPC, and I haven’t seen or heard what many others have. But I am sad for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I am sad for Pastor Tchividjian. I am sad for those who were fired from CRPC. I am sad for the music director and organist who felt they needed to resign. I am sad for the Christian church as a whole, because it is times like these where the world looks at the church, sees division and anger and bitterness, shakes its head, and wants nothing to do with her.

I believe the church is imperfect. And if our mission was to proclaim the church, it would be nearly impossible. But, fortunately, that is not our mission. Our mission is to proclaim Christ, and him crucified for our sins. Our mission is to point people to a holy, righteous, and sovereign King – one who bled, and died, and beat death to secure everlasting life for all those who believe. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not about how good we can be but about how good he is to us, displaying his infinite love and grace.

Imperfect churches are made of imperfect people – people who follow their convictions and may even think that what they are doing is right when, in fact, it is not. However, as Christians, we must not lift up the banner of imperfection and stand behind it every time we sin. We must not cling to the fact that we are still in the sinful flesh. As a friend of mine once wrote, “Like a pair of tight pants after the holidays, our holiness doesn’t suit us during the week if we’re used to leaving it behind on Sundays.” Holiness isn’t something that we can shrug off and say, “Ah, I’m not perfect.” It is something we must always be reaching for. The beauty of the gospel is in grace and forgiveness of sins, but it’s also in the fact that we are made new. We have been born again into a new life with the Spirit. And we must not let the flesh of old control us, but we must seek righteousness and sanctification in our Lord.

I pray for reconciliation at Coral Ridge. I know many have left already, not because they are divided over fellow worshipers, but because they feel they cannot sit under the current leadership. Much has been written about the dissenters at Coral Ridge – some of it true, but most of it incomplete. But regardless of what has taken place in the past, may all who were involved move on to find peace with each other and peace with our Lord.