Tullian TchividjianThe 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.
