Tullian Tchividjian

Tullian Tchividjian
Born William Graham Tullian Tchividjian
I (1972-07-13) July 13, 1972[1]
Jacksonville, FL
Residence FL, USA
Nationality American
Education Bachelor of Philosophy, Columbia International University,
Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary
Known for Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (2009-2015)
Denomination Presbyterian (PCA)
Children Gabe, Nate, and Genna
Parent(s) Stephan Tchividjian
Virginia "Gigi" Leftwich Graham
Relatives Billy Graham (grandfather)
Ruth Graham (grandmother, deceased)
Franklin Graham (uncle)
Anne Graham Lotz (aunt)
Will Graham (cousin)

William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (pronounced cha-vi-jin), born July 13, 1972, is the former senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and a former contributing editor to Christianity Today's Leadership Journal.[2] He has written several books about Christianity and current issues.

Biography

Early life and education

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Tchividjian is the son of Virginia Leftwich (Gigi) Graham and Dr. Stephan Tchividjian, a clinical psychologist, who is of Swiss-Armenian ancestry. Tullian is a grandson of evangelist Dr. Billy Graham and his wife, Ruth; his mother is the oldest of Graham's five children. He is the nephew of evangelists Franklin Graham and Anne Graham Lotz.[3]

A graduate of Columbia International University (in philosophy), he earned an M.Div. degree at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.

Career

Tchividjian was the founding pastor of New City Presbyterian Church, an Evangelical Presbyterian Church congregation. On Easter Sunday, 2009, he was installed as the second senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, succeeding its late founding pastor, Dr. D. James Kennedy, in a worship service with more than 5,000 in attendance. This was the first service with members of both congregations together since Coral Ridge and New City agreed to merge.[3][4]

Although he is as conservative as Kennedy theologically, Tchividjian was more inclined toward contemporary worship than Kennedy had been. For instance, he did not wear vestments, as Kennedy did, preferring a suit and tie. Also, his sermons were not tinged with political themes as Kennedy's had been.

On September 20, 2009, a majority of the congregation voted to retain Tchividjian. In a news release following the decision, the church stated, "attendance had doubled in the past year, that 300 new members had been added since Tchividjian was installed, and that 192 people are registered for the next new members class, making it the largest new-members class in the church’s 50-year history".[5]

On June 21, 2015, Tchividjian resigned as senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church after admitting to an adulterous affair.[6] On August 11, he was deposed as a minister of the Presbyterian Church in America by the South Florida Presbytery, while on August 20 he filed for divorce.[7]

On September 2, 2015 it was announced that Tchvidjian was hired as Director of Ministry Development at Willow Creek Church (PCA) in Winter Springs, Florida.[8] On March 16, 2016, Tchvidjian was fired from his position at Willow Creek Church following the disclosure of a second extramarital affair which occurred during his time at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.[9][10]

In November 2016, Tchividjian remarried, to Stacie Phillips.[11]

Tchividjian has spoken at conferences and churches around the United States, and was also the founder of LIBERATE — a resource ministry that held an annual conference, and published music, books, a website, and a daily radio program on Moody Radio, also called LIBERATE. Liberate was closed indefinitely after Tchividjian's resignation from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.[12] Tchividjian has also served as visiting professor of theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.

Tchividjian has appeared on CBS News, Fox and Friends, Morning Joe, Sean Hannity, and the 700 Club.

Writings

Tchividjian has written a number of books, including Jesus + Nothing = Everything (2011), which won Christianity Today’s book of the year in 2012 and was a finalist with the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association in 2012. Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free (2012) was an ECPA finalist for Book of the Year in 2013. One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World was released in October 2013, and Tchividjian published the devotional book It is Finished: 365 Days of Good News in January 2015.

He is a former contributing editor of Christianity Today's Leadership Journal.[2] He has also written for the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Christianity Today, and other print outlets.[13]

Tchividjian has written several books:

He is a contributor to Don't Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day, published by The Gospel Coalition in 2011.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Tchividjian, Tullian (2007-07-27), "Tullian Who??", Between Two Worlds (blog), The Gospel Coalition, retrieved 2010-08-25
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 About - Tullian Tchividjian (World wide Web log), The Gospel Coalition, archived from the original on 2012-05-25, retrieved 2010-08-25
  3. 1 2 Davis, James D. (January 19, 2009). "Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church chooses pastor". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  4. ↑ Young, Eric (2009-04-13). "Coral Ridge Church Installs Tchividjian as New Senior Pastor". The Christian Post. Retrieved 2010-08-25.
  5. ↑ "Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church Gives Its Pastor Overwhelming Vote of Confidence (news release)" (PDF). Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. September 20, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-06.
  6. ↑ "Billy Graham's grandson steps down from Florida megachurch after admitting an affair". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-07-19.
  7. ↑ Morgan, Timothy C. (22 August 2015). "Tullian Tchividjian Files for Divorce". Christianity Today. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Blair, Leonardo. "Too Soon? Billy Graham's Grandson Tullian Tchividjian Lands New Job at Willow Creek Church". Christian Post. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  9. ↑ Lee, Morgan. "Tullian Tchividjian Confesses Second Affair Concealed by Two Coral Ridge Elders". Christianity Today. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Blair, Leonardo. "Willow Creek Fires Tullian Tchvidjian After He Confesses to Another Affair". Christian Post. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  11. ↑ http://www.charismanews.com/us/61523-tullian-tchividjian-marries-after-emotional-plummeting-from-affair
  12. ↑ "Liberate Ministry closing down after founder admits extramarital affair". Christian Today. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
  13. ↑ "Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church". http://crpc.org/. Archived from the original on 2015-04-07. Retrieved 30 June 2014. External link in |website= (help)

External links

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