Famed Florida Megachurch Prepares to Install New Pastor
Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has been looking forward to this weekend for a long time.
Aside from celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the famed megachurch on Sunday will witness the installation of the Rev. Tullian Tchividjian as its second senior pastor - nearly 20 months after the retirement of its founding pastor, the Rev. D. James Kennedy, who died less than two weeks after stepping down.
Coral Ridge will also be finalizing its merger with the church Tchividjian had founded when members of the two congregations worship as one this Sunday.
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"No more us and them; them and us. Rather, two becoming one," Tchividjian told his congregation - New City Presbyterian Church in Margate - after 91 percent of Coral Ridge's congregation voted last month to elect him as their new senior minister.
Sunday's events will be the culmination of nearly two months of talks between the two churches that began when Coral Ridge's Pulpit Nominating Committee (PNC) extended an invitation to Tchividjian to become the megachurch's new senior pastor following months of combing for a pastoral candidate to recommend to the Coral Ridge congregation.
Because of Tchividjian's "unwavering commitment" to remain the pastor of the church he founded in 2003, leaders from the two churches met for weeks, discussing and hammering out matters pertaining to the merger, including legal, financial, ministerial, structural and philosophical, among others.
The meetings eventually culminated "unanimously and enthusiastically" with a vote supporting and approving the merger, paving the way for Tchividjian's acceptance of the PNC's invitation.
But that wasn't the end.
That Sunday, Tchividjian had to preach before the Coral Ridge congregation, who then went on to vote unanimously to elect him.
Two days later, the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)'s Presbytery of South Florida examined Tchividjian for his views in all areas of ministry before allowing Coral Ridge to move forward with his installation. While Coral Ridge is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), New City was part of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).
"The denominations are both theologically conservative and have maintained a good working relationship over the years," noted Tchividjian.
With all lights now green, Tchividjian is expected to preach at all three of Coral Ridge's morning services Sundaybut not the 6:30 p.m. evening worship service.
Jane Rohman, a PR representative for Tchividjian, had told The Christian Post last month that the installation of Tchividjian would "most likely" be held in the evening.
Once installed, Tchividjian will be Coral Ridge's second senior minister in five decades.
For Tchividjian, his election to become Coral Ridge's new senior minister was "a moment filled with irony and God's unmistakable hand."
Coincidentally, it was Tchividjian's grandfather, Billy Graham, who preached the dedication sermon for the then-new sanctuary of Coral Ridge on Feb. 3, 1974. Coral Ridge was also the church that Tchividjian attended as a young man before straying from the path at the age of 16 and returning again at the age of 21.
"I consider it a great and high honor to follow such a giant in the faith," he said, referring to the late D. James Kennedy.
Dubbed by some evangelicals as one of the Church's "truly significant figures," Kennedy had built a Christian media empire with his radio and television ministry, which reaches more than 3 million people. He also wrote more than 65 books, created Evangelism Explosion, and was a founding board member of the Moral Majority.
On the morning of Sept. 5, 2007, the influential conservative leader died "peacefully in his sleep" at home, putting an end to the complications he had been experiencing since his heart attack in December 2006. He was 76.
