Smoky Mountains Sunrise

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Bitter Feud Erupts at High-Profile Florida Church


Tullian Tchividjian
From OneNewsNow

T
he daughter of the late D. James Kennedy
has been banned from the property of her father's church in the wake of a bitter dispute with the new pastor.

Under the leadership of Kennedy, the former pastor who died in 2007, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church was a strong conservative voice on social issues like homosexuality and abortion.

The new pastor is a grandson of Billy Graham, Tullian Tchividjian. He took over as senior pastor earlier this year -- and while there has been no sign of theological differences with Kennedy, Tchividjian has rejected politics as the most important way to change the country.

But six members of Coral Ridge, including Kennedy's daughter, Jennifer Kennedy Cassidy, have launched a campaign to oust Tchividjian. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the group has 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 newspaper also says the group has criticized Tchividjian for replacing Coral Ridge staff with his own people, and planning to sell land at the church's west campus " to make up for budget shortfalls."

Last month, the group mailed 1,600 copies of a petition to church members, calling for the pastor's ouster.

The newspaper says church officials responded to the petition drive with a letter to the six saying that if they stepped on church property, they will be considered trespassers.


2 comments:

Heidi said...

What a shame to do this after all Dr. Kennedy's pains to uphold our Christian heritage. How else do you fight politics but with politics?

Billy Graham could afford to stay out of politics. He didn't have the evil incarnate government that we have now.

I don't trust this young upstart. Many of the younger evangelicals are going mushy and globalist. They will be the first to tell you that God isn't an American. As if they are not either!

Anonymous said...

this is a classic power struggle!
the older members are only intrested in control, $ and power!
if you have enough $ you can have a plaque put on the wall w your name on it like the Koenig & Kennedy families!
back in the glory days aprox. $60,000,000 a year flowed through this place!
it's only about $ and has nothing to do w Christ!
Tullian is trying to change that and the oldies won't let it go!