Southern Baptist Megachurch Pastor Resigns Over Controversy

"On Sunday, a Southern Baptist megachurch in Daytona Beach, Fla., will have an empty pulpit. Instead, a videotape of the church's former pastor will be playing for the congregants as the church currently stands without a senior pastor.


Less than five months into his senior pastorship at First Baptist Church, David Cox resigned Wednesday as he read a prepared statement to more than 500 church members.

"Over the past several weeks, First Baptist Church has undergone a season of extreme duress and difficulty," said Cox in his statement, according to Baptist Press. "Given present dynamics and poised circumstances, I believe that any continued service and ministry here, on my part, would not be productive toward future growth and health."

While details of the "difficulty" at First Baptist were not disclosed in his statement or by church staff when called for comments, the Associated Baptist Press reported the controversy was over changes Cox instituted in the church's worship style, his spending habits and the resignations of many longtime staff members after he took the helm that former Southern Baptist Convention president Bobby Welch retired from in August of 2006.

Cox had served as co-pastor beginning in 2003 with Welch, who led First Baptist for 32 years.

At a town hall style meeting earlier this month, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Cox stood in front of congregants defending his job as church members vented frustrations over the renovated altar and misplaced priorities under Cox's leadership.

The altar was modernized with a hardwood stage, twin movie screens and music equipment, but no cross – renovations that congregants saw as excess, especially as the church plans to move to a new church in some three years.

First Baptist – the largest church in the area, with 4,000 members - is planning to build a new church off Interstate 4.

The congregation also complained about the departure of at least five staffers and questioned the salaries for Cox and other staff at the cost of many popular programs in the church. Congregants are also unhappy with Cox's use of the bestselling The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren and the more contemporary sound of music.

While some defended the changes in the church geared toward appealing to youth, many congregants had begun circulating a petition the first week of January to dismiss Cox."

(Snip, more at link)By Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter

[Shades of Mac Brunson and Steve Gaines?]