David Platt (pastor)


David Joseph Platt is an American pastor and author. He is currently pastor-teacher at McLean Bible Church, and previously he was the senior pastor at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, at the time he was the youngest megachurch pastor in the United States. He is the author of the New York Times Best Seller and since then has released numerous other books. From 2014 though 2017, Platt was president of the International Mission Board. Platt founded a resource ministry, Radical.net, which promotes his books, sermons and podcasts and multiple simulcasts throughout the year and provides resources concerning persecuted believers. He is known for conducting the intensive Bible study simulcast, Secret Church, meant to imitate the Bible study experiences of the underground church. He is known for promoting Social Justice based on White Systemic Racism and White Privilege at Mclean Bible Church which is chastised by a collective repentance by all Whites for the stains of sins of slave owners. "White Churches as a whole have actively promoted, commended, and defended the reality of racism" Platt claims.

Background

Platt graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in journalism. From there he attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. There he received the degrees of M.Div, Th.M, and also a PhD.
After he finished his doctorate, he served at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary as Dean of Chapel and Assistant Professor of Expository Preaching and Apologetics. He also served at Edgewater Baptist Church in New Orleans and resided in a parsonage when Hurricane Katrina hit, flooding the parsonage.
At the age of 26, Platt was hired to lead the congregation of The Church at Brook Hills, a megachurch in Birmingham, Alabama. He was the youngest megachurch pastor in America.
In 2014, Platt was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board. The International Mission Board is one of the largest missionary sending organizations in the world. He was appointed to this position after a trip to Nepal.
In February 2017, Platt began serving as interim teaching pastor at McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia while continuing his primary role as president of the International Mission Board. In September 2017, Platt was hired as pastor-teacher of McLean Bible Church. In February 2018, he announced his plans to resign as president of the IMB on the hiring of his successor.
On June 2, 2019, Platt prayed for President Donald Trump when he made an unscheduled stop at McLean Bible Church during Sunday services. Platt published a letter explaining the situation and his prayer, highlighting the biblical command to pray for those in authority as his motivation.

Works