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McLean Bible Church

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McLean Bible Church (MBC)
MBC's Logo
Location8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Virginia
CountryUnited States
DenominationNon-denominational evangelical
Weekly attendance~8,000 (2022) [1]
Websitewww.mcleanbible.org
History
Status501(c)(3)[2]
Founded1961; 63 years ago (1961)
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)Mike Kelsey, Jr., Lead Pastor David Platt, Lead Pastor
Pastor(s)
  • Wade Burnett
    (Executive Pastor)
  • Nathan Reed
    (Tysons Campus pastor)
  • Todd Peters
    (Prince William Campus Pastor)
  • Britten Taylor
    (Loudoun Campus Pastor)
  • Eric Saunders
    (Arlington Campus Pastor)
  • Andrew Martínez
    (Montgomery County Campus Pastor)

McLean Bible Church is a non-denominational evangelical multi-site megachurch based in Vienna, Virginia. It has several locations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

History

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McLean Bible Church was founded in 1961 by five families in Northern Virginia. Its first service was held on Easter Sunday at Chesterbook Elementary School in McLean with Pastor J. Albert Ford.

In 1980, Lon Solomon became the senior pastor.[3]

In September 2017, David Platt was confirmed as the Pastor-Teacher, later "Lead Pastor", replacing Lon Solomon by being the sole candidate offered to the membership.[4] Associate Pastor Dale Sutherland was instrumental in bringing Platt to McLean.[5]

Under the leadership of Platt, McLean has also been the broadcast location for several Radical (David Platt's resource ministry) simulcasts.

In early 2017, McLean weekly attendance exceeded 13,500 people.[5] According to a church census released in 2018, it claimed a weekly attendance of 10,510 people and 5 campuses in different cities.[6] According to the MBC March 2022 Congregational Meeting Report weekly attendance for 2021 was 8,858. This represents a drop of greater than 34 percent under Platt, a mere four-year period.

On June 2, 2019, McLean made national headlines when then-President Donald Trump made an unplanned visit. After playing golf nearby, Trump appeared on-stage at the Tyson's Corner campus after communion. Pastor Platt prayed for him.[7][8][9]

In 2020, in response to the global pandemic, the church moved all their ministry online and met physical needs for people all over greater Washington, DC, giving away boxes of food, toiletries, and soap, totaling 5.6 million meals.[10]

A shared leadership structure for MBC was introduced between two lead pastors, David Platt and Mike Kelsey. Kelsey is the primary leader of the lead pastor team while Platt focuses on Gospel mobilization as a lead pastor.[11][12]

There have been several lawsuits since 2021 concerning the leadership of McLean Bible Church[13] and undisclosed relationships with the Southern Baptist Convention.[14]

  • Signage at Tysons Corner Campus
    Signage at Tysons Corner Campus
  • Rear view of Tyson's Campus facility
    Rear view of Tyson's Campus facility
  • Tyson's Campus Lower Front Entrance with awning-covered walkway
    Tyson's Campus Lower Front Entrance with awning-covered walkway
  • Front, upper entrance at Tyson's Corner Campus
    Front, upper entrance at Tyson's Corner Campus

Scandal has also plagued McLean Bible Church, with church leaders covering up abuse within its 'The Rock' young adult ministry and ignoring congregational concerns over an extended timespan.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "McLean Bible Church". February 2022.
  2. ^ "Mclean Bible Church | EIN: 54-0763526 | Vienna, VA, United States". Tax Exempt Organization Search. Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  3. ^ Michael Gryboski, David Platt Joins McLean Bible Church as Interim Pastor; Megachurch's Senior Pastor Stepping Down, christianpost.com, USA, March 22, 2017.
  4. ^ Michael Gryboski, David Platt Joins McLean Bible Church as Interim Pastor; Megachurch's Senior Pastor Stepping Down, christianpost.com, USA, March 22, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c The Messed Up Church documentary, The Real David Platt Documentary, retrieved November 12, 2024.
  6. ^ Lifeway research, 2018 Largest Churches in America, outreachmagazine.com, USA, retrieved January 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Morin, Rebecca. "Virginia pastor explains sudden decision to pray for Trump, after some 'hurt' by it". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  8. ^ Shellnutt, Kate (3 June 2019). "David Platt Asks God to Grant Trump 'All the Grace He Needs to Govern'". News & Reporting. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  9. ^ Green, Emma (2019-06-03). "On Praying for the President". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  10. ^ "COVID Outreach Ministry". YouTube.
  11. ^ Shellnutt, Kate (2023-11-30). "At McLean Bible, Mike Kelsey Is Reimagining the Multiethnic Church". ChristianityToday.com. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  12. ^ Jackson, Jesse T. (2023-09-27). "David Platt Assures He's Not Leaving As Church Votes To Install Mike Kelsey as Lead Pastor". ChurchLeaders. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  13. ^ Shellnutt, Kate (27 June 2022). "Court Dismisses Suit Against Platt's McLean Bible Church". News & Reporting. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  14. ^ Martin, Stephanie (2022-12-15). "David Platt's Church Sued Again by Members Seeking New Leadership". ChurchLeaders. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
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