McLean Bible Church

McLean Bible Church is a non-denominational evangelical multi-site megachurch with several locations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Its largest campus is located in Tysons Corner, Virginia with other sites in Leesburg, Prince William County, Arlington, and Rockville, Maryland

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 (1961)
Clergy
Senior pastor(s)David Platt, Mike Kelsey, Wade Burnett
Pastor(s)
  • Nathan Reed
    (Tysons Campus pastor)
  • Todd Peters
    (Prince William Campus Pastor)
  • Britten Taylor
    (Loudoun Campus Pastor)
  • Eric Saunders
    (Arlington Campus Pastor)
  • Mike Kelsey
    (Montgomery County Campus Pastor)

History

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]

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

According to a church census released in 2018, it claimed a weekly attendance of 10,510 people and 5 campuses in different cities.[5] According to the MBC March 2022 Congregational Meeting Report weekly attendance for 2021 was 8,858.

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.[6][7][8]

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.[9]

A new shared leadership structure for MBC was introduced between three lead pastors (David Platt, Wade Burnett, Mike Kelsey) serving under the leadership of church elders.[10]

There have been several lawsuits since 2021 concerning the leadership of McLean Bible Church[11] and undisclosed relationships with the Southern Baptist Convention.[12]

References
  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. Lifeway research, 2018 Largest Churches in America, outreachmagazine.com, USA, retrieved January 16, 2021.
  6. Morin, Rebecca. "Virginia pastor explains sudden decision to pray for Trump, after some 'hurt' by it". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  7. 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.
  8. Green, Emma (2019-06-03). "On Praying for the President". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2019-12-25.
  9. "COVID Outreach Ministry". YouTube.
  10. https://mcleanbible.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ANewChapter_Web-21.pdf
  11. Shellnutt, Kate (27 June 2022). "Court Dismisses Suit Against Platt's McLean Bible Church". News & Reporting. Retrieved 2023-05-05.
  12. 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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