The most recent megachurch feud to make headlines has pitted the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham vs. the daughter of D. James Kennedy, the late statesman of the Religious Right and Presbyterian minister-broadcaster extraordinaire. Billy Graham’s grandson Tullian Tchividijan was elected in March, 2009 (91% of vote) to become the senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Fort Lauderdale, succeeding the Rev. D. James Kennedy who passed away in September 2007.
According to news reports, a group of Kennedy loyalists including Kennedy’s own daughter are upset with Tchividijan and have called for his ouster. Thus far, six of those calling for Tchividijan to be fired have been banned from stepping foot on the Coral Ridge campus. Kennedy’s daughter is among the six.
Here’s a snippet from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
Internal divisions at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church burst into the open this past weekend as six members were ordered to stay off the premises.
The six have called for the ouster of the Rev. W. Tullian Tchividjian, saying he is deserting the heritage of his revered predecessor, the Rev D. James Kennedy. In reply, the Fort Lauderdale church has accused them of spreading rumors and disrupting church unity. Among the six is Kennedy’s daughter, Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy.
…Tchividjian, 37, a grandson of evangelist Billy Graham, was elected March 15 as pastor at Coral Ridge, which had lacked a leader since Kennedy died in September 2007. But if he thought he had a mandate for change, the small but vocal coterie of critics has hotly disagreed. They have mass-mailed accusations to congregants, accusing Tchividjian of heavy-handed tactics such as downplaying the church’s traditional service in favor of contemporary worship. They’ve criticized Tchividjian for replacing some Coral Ridge staff with his own people, and planning to sell land at the church’s west campus “to make up for budget shortfalls.”
Their recommended solution: a petition to put an end to Tchividjian’s 4-month-old pastorate. More than 1,600 copies of the petition were mailed to church members on July 24.
The church sent the six a letter on Aug. 4, saying that if they step onto church property, they will be considered trespassers.
Tchividijian’s rationale for the ban?
No church government can tolerate such an insurrection from those who will not listen to admonition, refuse all counsel, and will stop at nothing until they have overthrown legitimate authority and replaced it with their own.”
whether presbyterian, baptist, you name it faith community, leadership competence is often assumed if one is also good with other insights. a troubling assumption that often leads to unresolvable conflict. authoritarian leaders rarely change, but if the authoritarian behavior is more stylistic than based in one’s need (e.g., personality), it would not be unusual for said leader to eventually become cognizant of one’s managerial immaturity and misuse of power. becoming self-aware is a beautiful thing.
“They have mass-mailed accusations to congregants, accusing Tchividjian of heavy-handed tactics such as downplaying the church’s traditional service in favor of contemporary worship.”
The leading cause of church splits! (I’m serious).
This probably would have happened to whomever the successor turned out to be.