Temple of Hate?

There's been a lot of trouble at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, since the death of their much-loved minister, Dr. James Kennedy last year. Most pastors could have seen it coming. Churches grieve, just like individuals do. No matter that they appointed an excellent communicator in Tullian Tchividjian, the grandson of Billy Graham, as their new pastor, or that 91% of the congregation voted for him. Some members didn't like it. They didn't like the staff members he brought from his old church, which merged with Coral Ridge. They didn't like the fact that he preached in a sports jacket and tie instead of in clerical robes, unlike his predecessor. They didn't like the new music he introduced. They didn't like that he was not as forthright in political matters. So a small group of members, by some accounts numbering only six, began a campaign to oust the new guy. Sadly, one of the six was the daughter of James Kennedy. How much of their misplaced concern was motivated by grief?



Last Sunday a congregational meeting was held at Coral Ridge, overseen by denominational officials (the church is a member of the Presbyterian Church of America). 400 people voted to have the pastor removed, but almost 1000 wanted him to stay. He's decided to do so, but he will have a lot of fences to mend. The instigators of the attempt to remove him may face church discipline. How sad. A fine young pastor almost has his ministry curtailed. He could easily have thrown up his hands and gone to work for a para-church organization. I'm sure the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association could have found a spot for him! And a great church has suffered damage that will take a generation to heal.

One of our neighboring churches recently lost its senior pastor. He had been there for over 25 years, I believe. Sensibly, the church has decided to employ "an intentional interim." I asked a colleague about this unusual phrase. Apparently it is used to distinguish the job from "an unintentional interim," which is what Tchividjian almost became. Churches need time to heal following times of trauma, even when that trauma is nothing more sinister than a retirement. Coral Ridge would have been wise to have spent longer healing following Dr. Kennedy's death. It would have helped them to avoid some of the problems they have encountered.



I read about the congregational meeting, and its results, in the attached article from the Sun Sentinel. There's an interesting video in which one of the elderly members, clearly distressed, says that Dr. Kennedy was the only man to fill that pulpit. Maybe so, brother, but he no longer can.

One of the many comments attached to the newspiece caught my eye. Someone wrote, simply and starkly, "Tear down this temple of hate!" Presumably the author was expressing his anger against one or more of the political or moral positions championed by Dr. Kennedy and Coral Ridge over the years - maybe the illegitimacy of same-sex relationships, or the anathema of abortion. To the author of the comment, Coral Ridge stood for everything that was hateful, forever interfering in the lives of others, telling them how they should live and whom they could love. The current dispute must be confirming his prejudices. Certainly, he is no more likely to attend Coral Ridge now than before Dr. Kennedy's death. The witness of the church has been damaged by internal squabbling. Only the devil laughs.



Is this how the world really sees us? Is the place I know as an oasis of hope, a sanctuary to which all may come, really so hateful? Is it true that the church, which has love for the loveless as an unnegotiable core value, seen in such a terrible light? Unfortunately, yes it is. I don't think this means that we should change our message to accommodate those who disagree with us; but maybe it does mean that we should try a little harder to love one another, and to show it.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fort-lauderdale/sfl-coral-ridge-b092009,0,1727138.story