David Platt (pastor)

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David Platt
David Platt.jpg
Platt in 2010
Born (1978-07-11) July 11, 1978 (age 47)
Occupation(s)Pastor, religious writer, university teacher
Years active2005–present
Notable workRadical
Radical Together
Follow Me
Counter Culture
SpouseHeather
Children6
Theological work
EraEarly 21st century
Tradition or movement

David Joseph Platt is an American evangelical Baptist pastor. He was senior pastor at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, from 2006 to 2014. At the time he was the youngest megachurch pastor in the United States. From 2014 to 2017, Platt was president of the International Mission Board. He became pastor-teacher at McLean Bible Church in 2017. He is the author of the 2010 New York Times Best Seller Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream .

Contents

Education

Platt earned a B.A. from the University of Georgia, where he majored in journalism. [1] He also earned a M.Div, Th.M, and PhD in Preaching from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. [2] [3]

Career

He served at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as Dean of Chapel and Assistant Professor of Expository Preaching and Apologetics. He was serving at Edgewater Baptist Church in New Orleans when the parsonage where he lived flooded during Hurricane Katrina. [4]

In 2006, Platt was introduced as the new senior pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama. [5] At age 27, he became the youngest megachurch pastor in the United States. [2]

In 2014, Platt was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. [6] The International Mission Board is one of the largest missionary sending organizations in the world. [7]

In February 2017, Platt began serving as interim teaching pastor at McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia. During this time he continued in his primary role as president of the International Mission Board. [8] In September of that year, Platt was introduced as pastor-teacher of McLean Bible Church. In February 2018, he announced his resignation from the IMB on the hiring of his successor. [9]

In June 2019, Platt made national headlines when then president Donald Trump visited the church unannounced during a Sunday service and Platt prayed for him on stage [10] [11] [12] . Also during Platt's tenure at McLean, the church underwent a legal dispute regarding its financial ties and partnership with the Southern Baptist Convention. [13]

References

  1. "MBC Teaching Pastors". McLean Bible Church. February 12, 2017. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Brooks, David (September 7, 2010), "The Gospel of Wealth", The New York Times, New York, p. 25, retrieved December 8, 2012
  3. Meet Our Pastor, The Church at Brook Brook Hills, archived from the original on August 19, 2014, retrieved December 8, 2012
  4. Garrison, Greg (August 15, 2006). "At 28, Pastor Has Five Degrees and a 4,300-Member Flock". Christianity Today. Religion News Service. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  5. Hansen, Collin (June 16, 2017). "Platt Commissioned by Brook Hills in Final Sunday as Senior Pastor". The Gospel Coalition.
  6. "imbConnecting". Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  7. "Pastor David Platt succeeds Tom Elliff as IMB president". Baptist Press. August 27, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2016.
  8. Michael Gryboski, David Platt Joins McLean Bible Church as Interim Pastor; Megachurch's Senior Pastor Stepping Down, christianpost.com, USA, March 22, 2017
  9. McGowan, Julie (September 14, 2018). "Platt to step down from IMB; Meador named interim president". imb.org.
  10. Morin, Rebecca. "Virginia pastor explains sudden decision to pray for Trump, after some 'hurt' by it". USA TODAY. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  11. Shellnutt, Kate (June 3, 2019). "David Platt Asks God to Grant Trump 'All the Grace He Needs to Govern'". News & Reporting. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  12. Green, Emma (June 3, 2019). "On Praying for the President". The Atlantic. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  13. "David Platt's Church Sued Again by Members Seeking New Leadership". December 15, 2022.