William Graham Tullian Tchividjian (; born July 13, 1972) is an American pastor and author of more than a half dozen books about Christianity and current issues, including One Way Love and It is Finished (David C. Cook, 2013 and 2015). He is a grandson of Christian evangelist Billy Graham.
Prior to 2015, Tchividjian blogged for some time for The Gospel Coalition, contributed to a variety of secular and Christian publications, and appeared on a variety of major televisions news programs.
Tchividjian founded an Evangelical Presbyterian Church congregation. In 2009 he was invited to merge churches and become the second senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (after the church's late founder and longterm leader, D. James Kennedy). In 2015, Tchividjian resigned from Coral Ridge after admitting to an extramarital affair.
In 2019, Tullian Tchividjian started a new church in Jupiter, Florida, called "The Sanctuary".
Biography
Early life and education William Graham Tullian Tchividjian, whose third given name is shortened from his namesake, the theologian of antiquity, Tertullian, was born on July 13, 1972, in Jacksonville, Florida. He is the middle of seven children born to Stephan Tchividjian, a psychologist of Swiss and Armenian ancestry, and Gigi Graham, the eldest daughter of Billy Graham and Ruth Graham. Through his mother, he is a nephew of evangelists Franklin Graham and Anne Graham Lotz.New York Times, Billy Graham, 99, dies, article by Laurie Goodstein dated February 21, 2018 Tchividjian's older brother, Basyle "Boz" Tchividjian, is a former Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the founder and former CEO of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE).
Tchividjian attended the Westminster Academy, an educational ministry of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for a time, but is described as having "dropped out during a period of rebellion - sinking into South Florida's 'pleasure-saturated culture' ... then [coming] to a personal faith in Jesus at the age of 21 and return[ing] to a Christian lifestyle." In this same rough time frame, he attended and graduated from Columbia International University, in Columbia, South Carolina, with a B.A. in philosophy in 1997. Tchividjian subsequently earned an M.Div. degree at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando in 2001, and was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) denomination in 2001. Gospel Coalition website, An Interview with Tullian Tchividjian, article by Justin Taylor dated August 31, 2007Grace Valley Christian Center website, The Spreading Plague of Antinomianism: A Critique of Tullian Tchividjian’s One Way Love, article by Gregory Perry dated November 11, 2015
Career
New City Presbyterian (Coconut Creek) and earlier Before founding New City Presbyterian Church in Coconut Creek, Florida, an Evangelical Presbyterian Church congregation, Tchividjian spent "a short two-year stint at a Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee". Tchividjian went on from that position to found and pastor New City in Coconut Creek - Margate, Florida, about 12 miles northwest of his earlier Westminster Academy school in Ft. Lauderdale, ca. 2003. The church has been described as "a young church plant." As of 2009, New City Presbyterian had a congregation of ca. 650 persons.
Coral Ridge Presbyterian (Fort Lauderdale) Merger and installation In 2009, a merger between the larger and widely known Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Tchividjian's New City Presbyterian was negotiated. Tchividjian noted at the time that "the denominations [of the merging churches] are both theologically conservative and [they] have maintained a good working relationship over the years."
As described by Tchividjian and others to James D. Davis, Religion Editor of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the process to decide leadership that resulted in the merger of the two congregations was a year-long process managed by "Coral Ridge's 15-member Pulpit Nominating Committee" (Dan Westphal, chair), who evaluated 150-175 candidates nationally and internationally. Coral Ridge is described as having approached Tchividjian three times during the process, beginning in May 2008, and his having stipulated the necessity of a church merger for him to consider that pastorate at Coral Ridge; the final discussion between Tchividjian and Coral Ridge began "just before Christmas ."
Westphal announced the committee's selection of Tchividjian, pending congregational approval, to Coral Ridge congregants in a Sunday morning service on January 18, 2009, to "[g]asps, then applause" (as described by Davis of the Sun-Sentinel). The merger of the two congregations was official on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009. Tchividjian was approved, with his installation on May 10, 2009 as senior pastor of Coral Ridge, formally succeeding its late founding pastor, D. James Kennedy; the installation address was delivered by Evangelical Christian writer and social critic, Os Guinness, and more than 5,000 are reported to have attended the installation worship service. Tchividjian brought with him a less formal worship style from New City, for instance, conducting services in a suit and tie rather than the vestments Kennedy had worn.
Challenge At one time drawing 7,000 worshipers, Kennedy's Coral Ridge "had been in decline" since the death of its famous first preacher in 2007; Tchividjian's presented vision, his relative youth (aged 36 at time of installation), and his association with the famous Graham familyThe following source speaks of his "famous name," which we believe is apparent in referring to his being a grandson of Billy Graham. See "Early life and education," above. and were seen by the church elders as a way to "revive... the aging congregation." At the time of Tchividjian's installation, Coral Ridge was described as having a weekly attendance at 1,800, from a membership of 2,200 persons. The combined weekly attendance of the merged congregations was anticipated to be on the order of 2,450 persons.This estimate is drawn from reports and the church news release at the time, specifically, from Coral Ridge being described as having a weekly attendance at 1,800 (see Davis, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, January 30, 2009), and New City's description as having 650 (see Devin & Rohman, ChristianNewsWire.com, March 16, 2009).
However, the response of the church to the difference in pastoral styles, and "Tchividjian's rejection of culture war politics" led to "chaos" in the church, and Tchividjian's recall was sought by a group led by Kennedy's daughter, Jennifer, within 6 months of his installation. In its description of the conflict, Bobby Ross Jr. of Christianity Today describes its outcome as "Tchividjian [having] survived an attempt… by… church members to remove him.
Tchividjian was retained by a majority of the congregation in September 2009. and the individuals bringing the removal action were described as being banned from the church.
Congregation size At its peak, under Kennedy, as many as 7,000 worshipers attended Coral Ridge, although this number had declined between Kennedy's death in 2007, and 2009. In a Press Release from both churches just prior to the merger, Coral Ridge was described as having 2,200 members (with weekly attendance at 1,800), and New City as being "a church of 650 people." More than 5000 were said to be in attendance on the Sunday of Tchividjian's installation as the church's new senior pastor in spring of 2009. In September 2009 Coral Ridge was described by Christianity Today as having "2500-member[s]".
Resignation On June 21, 2015, Tchividjian resigned as senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church after admitting to an extramarital affair. On August 11, the South Florida Presbytery of the PCA ruled him "unfit for Christian ministry" and deposed him from his call as teaching elder.As described by Timothy Morgan of Christianity Today, The PCA's Book of Church Order requires that a Christian minister must display an extended period of "eminently exemplary, humble and edifying life and testimony" before he can be in ministry. See Morgan, Christianity Today, August 22, 2015, op. cit.
Willow Creek (Winter Springs) On September 2, 2015 it was announced that Tchvidjian was hired to a non-leadership, non-pastoral staff position, as Director of Ministry Development at Willow Creek Church (PCA) in Winter Springs, Florida. Tchvidjian was fired from the position at Willow Creek on March 16, 2016, following the disclosure of a second extramarital affair, one predating his earlier admitted affair,For the actual source texts summarized for this sentence, see the quote appearing in the Lee Morgan citation, Christianity Today, March 21, 2016, and in the Leonardo Blair citation, Christian Post, March 17, 2016. one that had also occurred during his previous position in pastoral leadership at Coral Ridge.
The Sanctuary (Jupiter) In 2019, Tullian Tchividjian announced the formation of The Sanctuary, an independent church, meeting in Jupiter, Florida.Sanctuary website, Who We Are, retrieved 2024-02-29
Other ministries led Tchividjian was among those who founded LIBERATE, a resource ministry that held an annual conference, and published music, books and a radio program.Christianity Today website, Tullian Tchividjian's LIBERATE ministry folds after affair revelations LIBERATE was closed indefinitely after Tchividjian's resignation from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. A related organisation, Liberate Network, was initiated by Tchividjian after his hiring by Willow Creek Church in Winter Springs, Florida, but was disbanded within months of its launch, following his departure from that second church after the revelation of other affairs.
Writings
Articles Tchividjian has written for Christianity Today and other print outlets.Huffington Post website, Tullian Tchividjian In addition, Tchividjian was a contributor to Don't Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day, published by the Reformed network called The Gospel Coalition (TGC) in 2011,Google Books website, Don't Call It a Comeback (Foreword by D. A. Carson): The Old Faith for a New Day, edited by Kevin DeYoung, Chapter 17 and was a contributing editor of Christianity Today Leadership Journal.
Blogging Tchividjian was a regular blogger at TGC until 2014.Therefore Now website, Tullian and The Gospel Coalition, article by Jim McNeely dated May 22, 2014 In 2014, a dispute regarding differing theologies of sanctification was described by TGC founders Tim Keller and Don Carson as "becoming increasingly sharp and divisive rather than moving toward greater unity," leading the TGC Council to decide to remove Tchividjian's blog from the network's website. Part of the division stemmed from Tchividjian's teaching, which many within the Reformed community criticized as endorsing antinomianism, a claim which Tchividjian denies. Christianity Today described Tchividjian's final blog post on the network as "complain[ing] that he had been abruptly ordered off the Reformed network," but noted that he later apologized for his role in the "very public 'break-up.'"
As of December 2016, Tchividjian has also written a few blog posts for a variety of other publications, including the Huffington Post, and the religious ecumenical website OnFaith.
Books
Tchividjian has written several books. Some of the works are as follows.
Reception and controversy