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Articles by Charlie Dates
Excerpt | ‘What Hath Justice to Do with Righteousness? Reclaiming the Intersection of Protest and Prayer’
by | Jul 29, 2026 | Opinion Stock Photo Illustration (Credit: /Unsplash/ Cropped/ https://tinyurl.com/3xpkxk9x) The greatest contradiction throughout the history of American Christianity is that many of those who profess right doctrine about God are the ones who are most opposed to social justice in his name. It happens far too often.
The Nexus of Emotion and Proclamation
Preaching is a perilous enterprise. It is fraught with unexpected hazards. The very nature of its work, i.e. God speaking through humankind, makes its dangers particularly risky and its mishaps fatal. The need for emotion There are many things one should avoid in preaching. A list of them could easily overwhelm. And yet, there is an essential ingredient that must mark our preaching. That ingredient, in a word, is emotion.
Juneteenth is a Chance to Rethink Our Gun Culture
On May 14, I joined a group of pastors from Brooklyn leading a march through Chinatown, Manhattan. I’m a member of the 67th Precinct Clergy Council—also known as the “GodSquad”—which has long worked to prevent gun violence in our neighborhood of East Flatbush through street engagement, education, leadership training, neighborhood organizing, targeted interventions, victim services, and more.
Drug Addiction Was Bad in America. The Pandemic Made it Worse.
For 50 years, Toby Nigh had what he describes as the perfect life. He had a good job, a happy family, and if you had asked him, he would have told you that he was really lucky. “Everything always seemed to work out for me,” the Kirksville, Missouri, man said. Then his perfect life fell to pieces in 2018. One day at work he picked up a 30-pound machine and blew out the L4-L5 disc in his back. A surgery led to an infection, which required another surgery, and then another. He was left weak and in pain.
Churches Are Putting the ‘Hospital’ Back in Hospitality
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jane Waln waited at home as her husband declined in hospice, restricted from visitors by lockdown. She’d lovingly nursed Dennis through the years as dementia stole him from her, but new health protocols were undermining her hopes for the end she thought they would be able to face together. When Jane returned to church after Dennis’s death in the summer of 2020, she found no hands reaching out to hold her in her time of sorrow.
Why In-Person Church Will Never Go Out of Style
An Associated Press poll last year reported that three-quarters of churchgoers in the US plan to resume regular in-person attendance as the pandemic subsides. The pastors I know are looking out at the empty seats with their fingers crossed, hoping that prediction will eventually come true. I confess that during the lockdown I rather enjoyed watching church services online while lounging in my bathrobe, sipping coffee, and controlling the pace with a remote.
New & Noteworthy Books
A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad: Answering Thirty Key Questions Ayman S. Ibrahim (Baker Academic) What can we know about the Islamic prophet Muhammad—about his historical profile and his religious teachings? In a follow-up to his 2020 volume A Concise Guide to the Quran, Ayman S.
Secularism Doesn’t Have to Be Bad
Most Christians have a negative impression of the word secularism. Can it be rescued from its association with antireligious animus? Michael F. Bird, a theologian teaching at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia, attempts this balancing act in Religious Freedom in a Secular Age: A Christian Case for Liberty, Equality, and Secular Government. Natasha Moore of the Centre for Public Christianity (also in Australia) spoke with Bird about the place of faith in pluralistic societies.
Why America needs the Black church for its own survival
This is part of a series from The Washington Post exploring “The Future of the Black Church.” Susan Robinson is a 100-year-old Black woman and lifelong member of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, where I am senior pastor. When she was born, Black disenfranchisement was not hidden nor was it cloaked in dog-whistle politics.
Who Killed Mars Hill?
In 2014, after more than a decade of tremendous growth and ministry, Mars Hill Church imploded with the resignation of its lead pastor, Mark Driscoll. Once a hub for those disenfranchised with cultural Christianity, Mars Hill’s characteristic “punk rock spirit” became its downfall as power, fame, and spiritual trauma invaded the ministry. But how did things fall apart? Where did Mark Driscoll take a wrong turn? Who could be held responsible for the hurt and disillusionment that resulted?
Essay: Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict might be an exodus for America
22 April 2021 CHARLIE DATES Via RNS The first thing my daughter Claire asked when she came home from school on Tuesday was, “Dad, what does a guilty verdict mean?” I thought of the passage in the Book of Joshua: “This shall be a sign among you; when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’then you shall say to them, ‘That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.” London Williams, 31, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, bursts into...
Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict might be an exodus for America
(RNS) — The first thing my daughter Claire asked when she came home from school on Tuesday (April 20) was, “Dad, what does a guilty verdict mean?” I thought of the passage in the Book of Joshua: “This shall be a sign among you; when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’then you shall say to them, ‘That the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.” The 12 stones, set to block the flow of the Jordan, allowed the Israelites to...
Charlie Dates on why his church is leaving the SBC over rejection of critical race theory
(RNS) — In 2018, something happened at the MLK50 Conference in Memphis, an event co-hosted by the Southern Baptist Convention’s policy arm and The Gospel Coalition. It was the first time to my knowledge that white evangelicals had celebrated in concert the life, memory and work of the Rev. Martin L. King Jr. On the eve of the 50th anniversary of his assassination, it was as if they had come to reckon with the ghosts of their past and the theological underpinnings that ignored his ministry.
Listening to Podcasts Makes Us Better Preachers
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend may seem like odd preparation for preaching. But I’ve found the podcast to be a helpful elixir as I get out of the world of sermons, commentaries, books, and conferences to think about engaging with people on Sunday. In his conversations with other comedians, Conan gets into the pathos behind entertainers’ acts and the hard work it takes to produce a simple laugh.
Week 1: He Will Come Again in Glory
Jump to the daily reading: Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday. Sunday: In Between Today’s Reading: Revelation 1:4–9; 19:11–16; 21:1–5, 22–27; 22:1–5 Almost immediately, the opening chapter of Revelation lifts our eyes up to gaze at a glory that utterly transcends our earthly circumstances. “I am the Alpha and the Omega ... who is, and who was, and who is to come’” (1:8).
Semaine de l'Avent 1 : Il reviendra dans la gloire
Sauter à la lecture quotidienne : Dimanche | Lundi | Mardi | Mercredi | Juedi | Vendredi | Samedi : Entre-deux Lectures du jour : Apocalypse 1.4-9 ; 19.11-16 ; 21.1-5, 22-27 ; 22.1-5 Presque d’emblée, le chapitre qui ouvre l’Apocalypse élève notre regard afin qu’il contemple une gloire qui surpasse radicalement notre condition terrestre : « Je suis l’Alpha et l’Oméga… celui qui est, qui était et qui vient… » (1.8).
第一周：他将在荣耀中再来
[Read in Traditional Chinese] 跳至每日阅读: 周日 | 周一 | 周二 | 周三 | 周四 | 周五 | 周六 ：两者之间 今日读经：启示录1:4-9；19:11-16；21:1-5，22-27；22:1-5 《启示录》的开篇几乎立刻就让我们抬起眼目，注视一种完全超越我们世间环境的荣耀。 “我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛，是昔在、今在、以後永在的全能者。”（1:8）。 “爱我们， ...
第一周：他將在榮耀中再來
[Read in Simplified Chinese] 跳至每日閱讀: 週日 | 週一 | 週二 | 週三 | 週四 | 週五 | 週六 : 兩者之間 今日經文：啟示錄1:4-9；19:11-16；21:1-5，22-27；22:1-5 《啟示錄》的開篇幾乎立刻就讓我們抬起眼目，注視一種完全超越我們世間環境的榮耀。 “我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛，是昔在、今在、以後永在的全能者。 ”（1:8）。 “愛我們， ...使我們脫離罪惡”的救主_將會再來_；“看哪，他駕雲降臨！眾目要看見他”（1:5，7-8）。 約翰接著描述了關於基督本人的奇妙異象——這種經歷是如此令人敬畏，以至於約翰“仆倒在他腳前，像死了一樣”（17節）。 但就在這兩段榮耀的經文中間，有一句話我們可能很容易忽略：約翰對自己的生活及其書信收信人生活的簡單描述。 約翰寫道，他是“在耶穌的患難、國度、忍耐裡一同有分” （9節）。 約翰在放逐中寫下了《啟示錄》，它在一個面臨壓力、迫害，正在受苦的教會中流傳，而在未來的幾十年中，這種迫害只會越來越嚴重。...
첫째 주: 그가 영광스럽게 다시 올 것입니다
일일 묵상으로 이동: | | | | | | : 그 사이에서 오늘의 말씀: 요한계시록 1:4-9, 19:11-16, 21:1-5, 22:27, 22:1-5 요한계시록의 첫 장 시작부터 성경은 이 땅에서 우리가 처한 상황을 완전히 초월하여 눈을 들어 영광을 바라보게 합니다. “나는 알파와 오메가라 이제도 있고 전에도 있었고…” (1:8). “우리를 사랑하시고 우리의 죄에서 우리를 해방하시고,” “볼지어다 그가 구름을 타고 오시리라 각 사람의 눈이 그를 보리라” (1:5, 7-8). 요한은 그리스도를 보았을 때 너무 놀라 “죽은 자 같이” (17절) 되었다고 언급하며, 그리스도에 대한 경이로운 비전을 묘사합니다. 하지만 바로 이 두 영광스러운 구절의 사이에는 우리가 쉽게 놓칠 수 있는 구절이 있습니다. 요한의 삶과 그의 서신을 받은 사람들의 삶에 대한 간략한 묘사입니다. 요한은 자신이 “예수의 환난과 나라와 참음에 동참하는 자” (9절)라고 일컬었습니다. 요한은 수감 중에 계시록을 기록했습니다.
Hope Is More Than a Feeling. It Focuses on Christ’s Future Coming.
What does it mean to have hope amid trying times? Hope is more than a feeling; it isn’t simply being perpetually optimistic or having a “hopeful” attitude. Scripture offers us an understanding of hope that is much more robust. Christian hope has heft, endurance, and purpose—and God is its source. God, “in his great mercy … has given us new birth into a living hope” (1 Pet. 1:3). And it is our “God of hope” who enables us to “overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 15:13).
I Can’t Breathe: A Sermon by Charlie Dates
The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. Charlie Dates: “I can’t breathe.” What a striking sound to come from a human being. “I can’t breathe.” God stepped out onto space and he looked around and he said, “I’ll make me a world.” And as far as the eye of God could see, darkness covered everything, blacker than a hundred midnights down in a cypress swamp.
PODCAST – I Can't Breathe | Charlie Dates
“Such a cry as ‘I can’t breathe’ is not merely anthropological, but it is theological. The problem with White supremacy – killing Black women and Black men in America – is an error of theology. It is a failure of the White mind and the White power structure to remember from where breath really comes.” On a special episode of the CPT Podcast, we share a sermon given by Rev. Dr. Charlie Dates, Senior Pastor of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago.
Is My Church Unfriendly?
Is My Church Unfriendly? Three sermon series ideas that may boost our friendliness. Image: Design Genesis / Lightstock Editor’s Note: We asked Matthew Kim to film a brief introduction to this article. So check it out, as he welcomes us into his backyard! As we begin to re-open our churches I want to pose a question to you: Is your church friendly or unfriendly? Most pastors would immediately toot, “Of course, my church is friendly!” Well, what’s the alternative? Unfriendliness?
Sex Offenders Groom Churches Too
A man who had long sexually abused children sat in front of his pastor, wanting to confess his crimes. He began cautiously, mentioning that there had been accusations against him. He got no further, as his minister broke in, “Well, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of,” the minister said quickly. “You’re the last person I’d believe that of. End of conversation.” This true account was shared in Anna C. Salter’s 1991 book, Predators, Pedophiles, Rapists, And Other Sex Offenders.
Looking for Ancient African Religion? Try Christianity.
It’s ironic that as I crossed the Walt Whitman Bridge to attend an urban apologetics conference in Philadelphia I encountered the very religious pluralism that makes conferences such as these a necessity. As my weathered SUV pulled up to the stoplight, I could see the Marcus Garvey–inspired Pan-African flag pirouetting in the wind, and I could hear the amplified, yet muffled, sound of a man’s raspy voice through a bullhorn.
Metaphors and the Gospel
Metaphors and the GospelStart each week with this encouragement to show and share the love of Jesus. | Ed Stetzer Christina Walker, associate director of academic programs at the Billy Graham Center, talks about metaphors for the gospel and how those can influence our evangelism and discipleship. As heirs of God, how are we using our influence and relationship with our Father to inform our gospel witness?
3 Ways to Pray for Las Vegas: It’s a Powerful (Not Political) Act for Christians
This morning, most Americans are waking up to news of another mass shooting—this time in Las Vegas—and, this time, the worst in our country’s history. We will sit in front of the TV, our regular morning routine put on hold as we see the all-too-familiar images of police setting up barricades, victims being evacuated, and a slowly increasing casualty count scrolling across the bottom of the screen.
The Biblical Call for Justice: Mass Incarceration and the Role of the Church
A single mother is arrested and held in jail overnight for driving with a suspended license that she could not afford to renew. A prisoner with mental illness is languishing in solitary confinement. A young man who paid his debt for a drug offense and wants to start fresh can’t find a job or housing because of his criminal record. Crime demands a response, but are we missing the mark in our pursuit of justice in America?
God, Guns, and Oil
One of the first things that Richard Parks learned after moving into South Central Los Angeles is that Bible studies and liquor stores don’t mix. In 1992, Parks and a few friends moved to LA following the riots sparked by the acquittals in the Rodney King trial. It was an act of faith, inspired by Parks’s experience as a summer intern with John Perkins and the Voice of Calvary Ministries in Mississippi.
The Color of Preaching
The benefits of preaching with aesthetic value. “They that walked in darkness sang songs in the olden days—Sorrow Songs—for they were weary at heart … a haunting echo of these weird old songs in which the soul of the black slave spoke to men. Ever since I was a child these songs have stirred me strangely. They came out of the South unknown to me, one by one, and yet at once I knew them as of me and of mine.
A Message for China's Policy-Makers: Love Doesn't Stop at Two
For more than three decades, China has enforced draconian restrictions on family size. Now, after a sudden shift announced in late October, China will enforce slightly less draconian restrictions. The country’s notorious one-child policy has become a two-child policy. It’s a modest retreat from the oppressive status quo, stopping far short of the full dismantling that opposition groups rightly demand. Even so, there’s an understandable urge to celebrate.
Progressive Baptist Church: Blog
It just happened again. There he sat in my office looking for answers. He is a young twenty-something black male freshly graduated from a predominantly white evangelical Bible college. He is also an aspiring theologian, pastor, and churchman. He grew up in the hood and came to faith in a black church. But before college was over he felt a strange disorientation, a tug to disavow the black church. His story is not so uncommon. More of his tribe is increasing each passing spring semester at graduation.
Breaking News: 2 Billion Christians Believe in Traditional Marriage
News and reality are not always the same. Take the matter of marriage. When a prominent evangelical leader, like Tony Campolo, announces his support for gay marriage, it’s likely to get reporters’ attention. It is indeed news, in that it is still unusual to hear an otherwise orthodox Christian announce heterodox views on sexuality. But in the case of Campolo, it may not be the kind of news that garners much attention.
We Are More Than '21'
*Please note that the video referenced in the article is extremely violent, and should only be viewed by adults.* Last week I saw something gruesome, but then something beautiful. I forced myself to watch the execution of 21 Coptic men by ISIS members in Libya. It was one of the most nightmarish things I have ever witnessed. I did not do this because I relish violence in any way, but because I felt it was important to be reminded of what true persecution is.
Is This the End for Mideast Christianity?
For Christians in the Middle East, 2014 has been a catastrophe. The most wrenching stories have come from Iraq, where the nascent Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL in news reports) has savagely persecuted ancient Christian communities, including Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Syrian Orthodox. Iraqi Christians have declined rapidly in number since the first Gulf War in 1991, but survivors long believed they could maintain a foothold around Mosul. This past summer, that hope collapsed.
How Boko Haram's Murders and Kidnappings Are Changing Nigeria's Churches
In recent weeks, Boko Haram, the Sunni terrorist group in northern Nigeria, has doubled down in its ongoing killing spree, taking the lives of Christians by the hundreds and also declaring an Islamic caliphate in the region, local church leaders report. In April, the group’s kidnapping of 276 girls, mostly Christians, from a school in Chibok drew global outrage. But 219 of those girls are still missing as are hundreds of other abducted children.
Parenting in the Haze of Legalized Marijuana
I got out of my minivan, and I could smell it in the rec center parking lot. Minutes later, my 11-year-old could, too. Our first discussion about the new Colorado law that legalizes marijuana began with her asking, "What's that smell?" It forced a conversation we needed to have anyway about marijuana, its effects on behavior, and the new laws that might make that smell more common.
Fox News’ Highly Reluctant Jesus Follower
Just seven years ago, if someone had told me that I'd be writing for Christianity Today magazine about how I came to believe in God, I would have laughed out loud. If there was one thing in which I was completely secure, it was that I would never adhere to any religion—especially to evangelical Christianity, which I held in particular contempt. I grew up in the Episcopal Church in Alaska, but my belief was superficial and flimsy.
When Good Things Happen to Bad People
Introduction One of the strangest lawsuits in US court history was filed on September 14, 2007. Nebraska Senator Ernie Chambers—one of the first African-American senators in Nebraska history—was seeking to stop evil and injustice in the world, and he actually filed a lawsuit against God. The lawsuit sought a permanent injunction against God's interference in this world.
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