William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (/ˈtʌliəntʃɪˈvɪdʒɪn/; born July 13, 1972)[1] is a pastor and author of more than a half dozen books about Christianity and current issues, including One Way Love and It is Finished (David C. Cook, 2013 and 2015). He is a grandson of Christian evangelist Billy Graham.
Prior to 2015, Tchividjian blogged for some time for The Gospel Coalition, contributed to a variety of secular and Christian publications, and appeared on a variety of major televisions news programs.
This section needs expansion with: brief, sourced description of the history and role of the title subject at the New City, and better descriptions of activities between 2009 and 2015 (at Coral Ridge), and between 2015 and 2021 (after Willow Creek). You can help by adding to it. (November 2021)
New City Presbyterian (Coconut Creek) and earlier
Before founding New City Presbyterian Church in Coconut Creek, Florida, an Evangelical Presbyterian Church congregation, Tchividjian spent "a short two-year stint at a Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee".[9][7] Tchividjian went on from that position to found and pastor New City in Coconut Creek - Margate, Florida, about 12 miles northwest of his earlier Westminster Academy school in Ft. Lauderdale,[4][9][10]ca. 2003.[9] The church has been described as "a young church plant."[11] As of 2009, New City Presbyterian had a congregation of ca. 650 persons.[9]
Coral Ridge Presbyterian (Fort Lauderdale)
Merger and installation
In 2009, a merger between the larger and widely known Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Tchividjian's New City Presbyterian was negotiated.[11] Tchividjian noted at the time that "the denominations [of the merging churches] are both theologically conservative and [they] have maintained a good working relationship over the years."[9]
As described by Tchividjian and others to James D. Davis, Religion Editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the process to decide leadership that resulted in the merger of the two congregations was a year-long process managed by "Coral Ridge's 15-member Pulpit Nominating Committee" (Dan Westphal, chair), who evaluated 150-175 candidates nationally and internationally.[4] Coral Ridge is described as having approached Tchividjian three times during the process, beginning in May 2008, and his having stipulated the necessity of a church merger for him to consider that pastorate at Coral Ridge; the final discussion between Tchividjian and Coral Ridge began "just before Christmas [2008]."[4]
Westphal announced the committee's selection of Tchividjian, pending congregational approval, to Coral Ridge congregants in a Sunday morning service on January 18, 2009, to "[g]asps, then applause" (as described by Davis of the Sun-Sentinel).[4] The merger of the two congregations was official on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009.[10] Tchividjian was approved, with his installation on May 10, 2009 as senior pastor of Coral Ridge, formally succeeding its late founding pastor, D. James Kennedy;[4] the installation address was delivered by Evangelical Christian writer and social critic, Os Guinness,[10] and more than 5,000 are reported to have attended the installation worship service.[12] Tchividjian brought with him a less formal worship style from New City, for instance, conducting services in a suit and tie rather than the vestments Kennedy had worn.[citation needed]
Challenge
At one time drawing 7,000 worshipers, Kennedy's Coral Ridge "had been in decline" since the death of its famous first preacher in 2007; Tchividjian's presented vision, his relative youth (aged 36 at time of installation), and his association with the famous Graham family[13] and were seen by the church elders as a way to "revive... the aging congregation."[11] At the time of Tchividjian's installation, Coral Ridge was described as having a weekly attendance at 1,800,[4] from a membership of 2,200 persons.[9] The combined weekly attendance of the merged congregations was anticipated to be on the order of 2,450 persons.[14]
However, the response of the church to the difference in pastoral styles, and "Tchividjian's rejection of culture war politics" led to "chaos" in the church, and Tchividjian's recall was sought by a group led by Kennedy's daughter, Jennifer, within 6 months of his installation.[11] In its description of the conflict, Bobby Ross Jr. of Christianity Today describes its outcome as "Tchividjian [having] survived an attempt… by… church members to remove him.[15]
Tchividjian was retained by a majority of the congregation in September 2009.[citation needed][16] and the individuals bringing the removal action were described as being banned from the church.[11]
Congregation size
At its peak, under Kennedy, as many as 7,000 worshipers attended Coral Ridge, although this number had declined between Kennedy's death in 2007, and 2009.[9][11] In a Press Release from both churches just prior to the merger, Coral Ridge was described as having 2,200 members (with weekly attendance at 1,800[4]), and New City as being "a church of 650 people."[9] More than 5000 were said to be in attendance on the Sunday of Tchividjian's installation as the church's new senior pastor in spring of 2009.[12] In September 2009 Coral Ridge was described by Christianity Today as having "2500-member[s]".[15]
Resignation
On June 21, 2015, Tchividjian resigned as senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church after admitting to an extramarital affair.[17] On August 11, the South Florida Presbytery of the PCA ruled him "unfit for Christian ministry" and deposed him from his call as teaching elder.[11][18]
Willow Creek (Winter Springs)
On September 2, 2015 it was announced that Tchvidjian was hired to a non-leadership, non-pastoral staff position,[19][20] as Director of Ministry Development at Willow Creek Church (PCA) in Winter Springs, Florida.[21] Tchvidjian was fired from the position at Willow Creek on March 16, 2016, following the disclosure of a second extramarital affair, one predating his earlier admitted affair,[22] one that had also occurred during his previous position in pastoral leadership at Coral Ridge.[23][24]
The Sanctuary (Jupiter)
In 2019, Tullian Tchividjian announced formation of The Sanctuary, an independent church, meeting in Jupiter, Florida.[3][25]
Other ministries led
Tchividjian was among those who founded LIBERATE,[8] a resource ministry that held an annual conference, and published music, books and a radio program.[26] LIBERATE was closed indefinitely after Tchividjian's resignation from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.[11][27] A related organisation, Liberate Network, was initiated by Tchividjian after his hiring by Willow Creek Church in Winter Springs, Florida, but was disbanded within months of its launch, following his departure from that second church after the revelation of other affairs.[20][28]
Tchividjian has written for Christianity Today and other print outlets.[29] In addition, Tchividjian was a contributor to Don't Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day, published by the Reformed network called The Gospel Coalition (TGC) in 2011,[30] and was a contributing editor of Christianity Today'sLeadership Journal.[29]
Blogging
Tchividjian was a regular blogger at TGC until 2014.[31] In 2014, a dispute regarding differing theologies of sanctification[32] was described by TGC founders Tim Keller and Don Carson as "becoming increasingly sharp and divisive rather than moving toward greater unity," leading the TGC Council to decide to remove Tchividjian's blog from the network's website.[33] Part of the division stemmed from Tchividjian's teaching, which many within the Reformed community criticized as endorsing antinomianism, a claim which Tchividjian denies.[34]Christianity Today described Tchividjian's final blog post on the network as "complain[ing] that he had been abruptly ordered off the Reformed network,"[11] but noted that he later apologized for his role in the "very public 'break-up.'"[35]
As of December 2016, Tchividjian has also written a few blog posts for a variety of other publications, including the Huffington Post,[36] and the religious ecumenical website OnFaith.[37]
Books
Tchividjian has written several books. Some of the works are as follows.
— (2005). The Kingdom of God: A Primer on the Christian Life. Carlisle, PN: Banner of Truth. ISBN0-85151-900-8.
This section needs expansion with: unambiguous content from citations regarding the widely reported controversies over the non-reformed theological position of "Jesus + ...", as well as this leader's subsequent decision to return to public life. You can help by adding to it. (November 2021)
Jesus + Nothing = Everything (2011) was the co-awardee of Christianity Today's Book Award in the category Christian Living in 2012,[38] and was a finalist in the non-fiction category for the 2012 Christian Book Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA).[39] In 2013, Mark Jones, a minister in the Presbyterian Church of America, published a book on antinomianism that explicitly labeled Tchividjian's book as "one lengthy antinomian diatribe."[40] Crossway, publisher of Tchividjian's Jesus + ...,[39] took the book out of print in 2015 for the author's having violated a "morality clause" in his contract with them; per the Christian Post's reporting on a Tchividjian blog, the book's rights reverted to him.[41][42]
Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free (2012) was also a finalist in the non-fiction category for the 2013 Christian Book Awards from the ECPA.[43]
As of December 2016, the Christian publisher David C. Cook remained committed to publishing Tchividjian's next book.[44] In 2018, the Christian Post reported on Tchividjian blogging that indicated that Jesus + ... would be republished by Fortress Press.[41]
Social media
Tchividjian has maintained a presence on social media throughout his ministry, and has "remained active on social media" since resigning his ministry positions in 2015, stating to Christianity Today that "leaving the public eye would undermine the message of grace" that he had advocated.[11]
Public appearances
This section needs expansion with: examples of the types of reasons for the sourced appearances (book promotions, topical coverage of what subjects, etc.), so that content is not merely a promotional list as appears in personal webpage biographies. You can help by adding to it. (December 2016)
In a story done at the time of the announcement of the merger of his New City church plant and Coral Ridge, Tchividjian is described as enjoying "weightlifting while playing the likes of Coldplay or John Mayer on his iPod… surfing when time permits, as well as spending time with wife Kim and their children."[4]
Tchividjian married his first wife, Kim, in 1994; they have three children, Gabe, Nate, and Genna.[9][11] In August 2015 Tchividjian filed for divorce.[11]
In August 2016, he married Stacie Phillips.[48] He is step-father to her two sons.[49]
Further reading
DeYoung, Kevin (May 13, 2014). "What We All Agree On, and What We (Probably) Don't, In this Sanctification Debate". TheGospelCoalition.org. Retrieved November 17, 2021. [Quote:] About two weeks ago Jen Wilkin wrote... "Failure Is Not a Virtue"... register[ing] her concern over celebratory failurisum–"the idea that believers cannot obey the Law and will fail at every attempt." I thought her post... right to expose... possible errors in talking about sanctification, especially when some in the Reformed community have suggested that trying to help people stop sinning is a waste of time... In response, Tullian Tchividjian accused [Wilkin] of "theological muddiness," saying that while failure is not a virtue, acknowledging failure most definitely is... Michael Kruger jumped in, arguing that [Tchividjian's] response failed to distinguish between... use[s] of the law... Mark Jones... came down on the side of [Wilkin] and offered to... debate law and gospel with [him], his fellow PCA pastor. Carl Trueman seconded the idea, and Jared Oliphint weighed in... on the relationship between law and gospel in Reformed theology... I share the concerns raised by [Tchividjian's opponents], and others in this discussion.
Weber, Jeremy (May 21, 2014). "Tim Keller, Don Carson Explain Why Tullian Tchividjian Was Asked to Leave Gospel Coalition". Christianity Today. Retrieved December 7, 2016. [Quote:] Tchividjian apologizes that his public breakup with TGC has 'given the world the justification they're looking for to disbelieve the gospel.' However, he then added to the ongoing debate over how TGC members have publicly responded to allegations of an abuse coverup by Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM), revived this weekend after TGC council members C. J. Mahaney and Joshua Harris resigned in the wake of the criminal conviction of a former youth worker at SGM's then-flagship church. / In an interview with the Christian Post's Morgan Lee, Tchividjian strongly criticized how fellow TGC members have defended Mahaney, saying it looks like 'the good-old boys club covering their own' and 'I've just been sort of disgusted by the whole thing.'
Phillips, Richard Davis (May 26, 2014). "Where the Sanctification Controversy Lies". Christian Post. Retrieved November 17, 2021. [Quote:] The long-simmering controversy over the doctrine of sanctification has heated up considerably... with The Gospel Coalition's removal of Tullian Tchividjian's blog from its website. [Tchividjian] has taken to the media and... made the comment that he has been slandered... that the criticisms against his teaching are based on personal and spiritual defects in his accusers... [and that] there is nothing controversial in anything that he teaches. Hearing this, one has to wonder if he actually has read the concerns raised... (see Michael Kruger's post [arguing] that [Tchividjian] is not responding... to the actual criticisms). Since I am one... who has expressed grave concern over Tullian's teaching regarding sanctification, and... described his blog post on 1 John 5:3-4 as false teaching, let me respond that... the real issues are in fact substantive and not... personal. In the interest of clarification, let me therefore point out where... the controversy lies over Tullian's teaching.
Klett, Leah Marieann (March 21, 2016). "Tullian Tchividjian Was Advised by Coral Ridge Elders to Be 'Mindful' in Revealing Undisclosed Affair To Wife Because of Children". GospelHerald.com. Retrieved December 7, 2016. [Quote:] [A]ccording to a recent report published by The Christian Post, Tchividjian… confessed to having an affair with a married woman two years ago after he was confronted by two Coral Ridge elders. / At the time, he was not advised to step down as lead pastor, but instead was advised not to immediately inform his wife about the matter - she only learned about this last week, a 'highly placed source' told the news outlet. 'To make matters worse, the two elders never informed the rest of the session about this situation.'
^ abcdefghijklDavis, James D. (January 19, 2009). "Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Chooses Pastor". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 20, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2009. [Quote:] Sunday's announcement capped a year of work by Coral Ridge's 15-member Pulpit Nominating Committee, which considered 150 to 175 ministers in more than 15 states, plus other countries. / Coral Ridge actually approached Tchividjian three times, the minister said. First was in May for the pastorate alone. / The second time, from summer to the end of September, the churches discussed merger, but New City backed away, unsure of the complexities, Tchividjian said. / The committee approached him again just before Christmas and got a warmer reception. "When something comes around a third time, we felt God could be doing something, and we should start asking about it," he said.
^ abcdefghiDevin, Nicole; Rohman, Jane (March 16, 2009). "Tullian Tchividjian Formally Accepts Call to Serve: Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and New City Church Agree to Merger"(press release). ChristianNewsWire.com. Washington, DC. Retrieved December 11, 2016. [Quote:] After an exhaustive due diligence process and with the overwhelming support of church members and governing boards, Tullian Tchividjian, 36, has accepted the call to serve as senior pastor at South Florida's Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. In doing so, the church of 650 people which Tchividjian founded 5 ½ years ago just outside of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida will merge with the 2,200-member Coral Ridge church founded in 1960.[better source needed]
^ abcCRPC Staff (2009). "History: April 12, 2009, May 10, 2009". CRPC.org. Fort Lauderdale, FL: Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (CRPC). Retrieved 9 December 2016. [Quote:] April 12, 2009 (Easter Sunday) - Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church and New City Presbyterian Church, then meeting in neighboring Coconut Creek, FL., officially merge together. Rev. W. Tullian Tchividjian, the grandson of Dr. Billy Graham and then senior pastor of New City, is called by the congregation and Session of Coral Ridge to serve as the second senior pastor in the church's 50 year history. / May 10, 2009 - Rev. Tchividjian is officially installed as senior pastor of Coral Ridge. Dr. Os Guinness delivers the installation address.
^The following source speaks of his "famous name," which we believe is apparent in referring to his being a grandson of Billy Graham. See "Early life and education," above.
^This estimate is drawn from reports and the church news release at the time, specifically, from Coral Ridge being described as having a weekly attendance at 1,800 (see Davis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, January 30, 2009), and New City's description as having 650 (see Devin & Rohman, ChristianNewsWire.com, March 16, 2009).
^As described by Timothy Morgan of Christianity Today, The PCA's Book of Church Order requires that a Christian minister must display an extended period of "eminently exemplary, humble and edifying life and testimony" before he can be in ministry. See Morgan, Christianity Today, August 22, 2015, op. cit.
^ abLee, Morgan (March 16, 2016). "Tullian Tchividjian Fired by Church, Liberate Board Members Quit". Christianity Today. updated. Retrieved April 27, 2016. [Quote:] Kevin Labby, the church's senior pastor, also announced to Patheos blogger Warren Throckmorton that he and four other board members (out of nine total) have resigned from the Liberate Network… In September, Willow Creek (unrelated to Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois) hired Tchividjian as the congregation's director of ministry development… / The position did not involve pastoral or teaching responsibilities…
^For the actual source texts summarized for this sentence, see the quote appearing in the Lee Morgan citation, Christianity Today, March 21, 2016, and in the Leonardo Blair citation, Christian Post, March 17, 2016.
^Lee, Morgan (March 21, 2016). "Tullian Tchividjian Confesses Second Affair Concealed by Two Coral Ridge Elders". Christianity Today. Retrieved April 27, 2016. [Quote:] When Tchividjian stepped down in June 2015 as lead pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, he explained that he 'developed an inappropriate relationship' with a 'friend' after learning that his wife was having her own affair. His wife disputed his account, writing that his statement 'reflected my husband's opinions but not my own,' but did not offer details. / On March 13, Tchividjian confessed to a prior extramarital affair from 2014, Coral Ridge confirmed to CT. Later in 2014, one of Tchividjian's friends informed two of Coral Ridge's then elders of the affair (one elder left the church prior to this month's revelations).
^Blair, Leonardo (March 17, 2016). "Willow Creek [Winter Springs, Florida] Fires Tullian Tchvidjian After He Confesses to Another Affair". Christian Post. Retrieved April 27, 2016. [Quote:] Willow Creek Church in Winter Springs, Florida, confirmed Thursday that they have fired Tullian Tchvidjian, 43, grandson of evangelical icon Billy Graham, after he revealed a previously unconfessed affair he had with another woman. / "When we heard the disclosures he made just a few days ago, the session acted within hours to end his employment at the church," Willow Creek's Senior Pastor Kevin Labby told The Christian Post in an interview Thursday morning. / "The disclosures that he made involved the fact that he had a previously unconfessed inappropriate relationship with another woman… / In a statement to The Washington Post last June, Tchividjian said he began his previously confessed affair after he discovered [his wife] was cheating on him… / His recent confession, according to Labby, contradicts that narrative. The Willow Creek senior pastor indicates that Tchividjian's newly confessed affair occurred prior to discovering [his wife's] infidelity. / When asked what prompted Tchividjian's confession, Labby said new rumors, which he is not at liberty to discuss, had come to light.
^"From the Board of Directors". Liberate Network. 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016. [Quote:] The remaining board members of the recently launched Liberate Network have decided to cancel the 2017 Liberate Conference and dissolve the organization. Those that had registered for the conference will be issued full refunds as soon as possible. / We'd like to thank those that have stood alongside Liberate in championing the message of 'God's inexhaustible grace for an exhausted world.' However it is in the best interest of that very message—which is bigger than any network and any man—for Liberate to come to an end.
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