Elders at David Platt's McLean Bible Church respond to public conflicts, lawsuits, following release of unflattering 2024 documentary
Elders at McLean Bible Church address internal conflicts, legal challenges, and church discipline within their congregation in an official 25-page document written following the release of a unflattering documentary in 2024 about David Platt’s tumultuous tenure at the church.
“The Real David Platt: The Hijacking of McLean Bible Church” documentary, produced by the Church Reform Initiative, premiered in October. It features interviews with numerous McLean church members, including the former church treasurer and elders, who describe leadership and financial deception by Platt after coming to the church. Platt was president of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board from 2014 to 2017 before leaving for McLean.
McLean is a non-denominational evangelical multi-site megachurch based in Vienna, Va. with several locations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. In 2018 a church census claimed McLean had a weekly attendance of 10,510 people across five campuses.
The document by McLean elders says the church is “united around Jesus and His teachings rather than political ideologies,” in spite of facing significant division over various issues – all of which have been amplified on social media.
Legal Challenges Faced by McLean
Elders say in the document that a small group engaged in a coordinated effort to undermine church leadership through lawsuits and public accusations, but that all legal claims against the church have been dismissed or withdrawn, with the last lawsuit dismissed in December 2024.
“Since at least 2021, a small group of members and non-members at MBC who labeled our church family and/or leaders ‘liberal’ or ‘woke’ has carried out a coordinated and stated strategy to deride and ‘oust’ David Platt as well as other elders, pastors, and/or staff leaders who are committed to leading the church according to God’s Word instead of this group’s particular ideologies.”
Accusations included false claims about selling church property to Muslims and conspiracy theories regarding church leadership – all of which have been found to be untrue, the document states. Church leadership has consistently defended its pastors against the accusations, while seeking to maintain transparency with the congregation, and have affirmed the integrity and faithfulness of lead pastors Mike Kelsey and Platt.
Other information of note included in the document:
“Restoration and healing efforts” included church discipline against two members who led the opposition.
Conflict has continued by a small group to oppose church leadership and spread misinformation, despite the resolution of legal issues.
Despite the legal challenges, MBC has experienced growth and stability, with an increase in membership and financial strength with membership increasing by 1,461 members from February 2020 to October 2024.
Read the entire MBC document here
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