McLean Bible Church (Vienna, Virginia)

McLean Bible Church (Vienna, Virginia) is a Baptist church led by pastor David Platt, who is the founder of Radical (a ministry organization to reach different people groups). Platt is the author of Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream and is known for espousing Social Justice Theology (SJT) and Critical Race Theory (CRT). Platt places emphasis on systemic racism (considers such a church-wide sin), implicit bias, and ethnic diversity as “gospel imperatives”. He calls for repentance from “racial blindness” in white evangelicals mirrors core SJT/CRT concepts like structural injustice, unconscious racism, and intersectional identity in ways that have sparked significant controversy within evangelical circles. In October 2024, a documentary from Church Reform Initiative was released detailing the alleged hijacking of McLean Bible Church by David Platt and allies in violation of the church’s constitution/bylaws.

References:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGdCPifazi4
• https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/getting-to-the-root-of-radical
• https://www.churchreforminitiative.org/the-real-david-platt