McLean Bible Church Details Plot to Oust David Platt, Others

Report describes coordinated strategy to topple ‘woke’ leadership after lawsuits dismissed

Following the dismissal of the last of several lawsuits filed against McLean Bible Church (MBC) and its lead pastor David Platt, the D.C. megachurch has released a detailed internal report chronicling years of bitter infighting and political polarization.

Pastor David Platt preaches at McLean Bible Church, July 11, 2021, in Vienna, Virginia. Video screengrab via MBC

The report, written by Executive Pastor Wade Burnett and endorsed by the church’s board of elders, outlines how a small but vocal group of dissident members and outside supporters reportedly launched a sustained, coordinated effort to remove Platt and other senior leaders, accusing them of pushing the historically conservative church toward what they called “liberal” or “woke” theology.

According to the report, members Jeremiah and Laura Burke led a group that used a mix of conspiracy theories, social media campaigns, and repeated lawsuits to disrupt church operations and sow distrust among members. Among the group’s claims were that the church planned to sell its flagship Tysons campus to build a mosque and that leaders were secretly funneling money and influence to the Southern Baptist Convention, which the church had partnered with for mission work long before Platt’s tenure (Platt joined MBC as pastor in 2017).

The dispute originated from an elder election held in June 2021, which resulted in the slate of prospective elders put forward by church leaders being voted down for the first time in the church’s history. The conflict erupted publicly amid heightened cultural tensions during the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide debates over racial justice. Platt, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, had preached about racial reconciliation and the primacy of the gospel over partisan politics—messages that some critics interpreted as signs of liberal drift.

The report includes excerpts from recent emails, the dissent’s stated goal of “taking back the church,” and an online manual on how to “oust” a pastor.

In the report, the church alleges the group circulated internal instructions via emails and blogs on how to exploit the church’s constitution to block elder appointments and stage confrontations during church business meetings. According to the report, the group sometimes recorded disruptive scenes that were later posted online as supposed evidence of wrongdoing.

In the emails, Jeremiah Burke addresses the MBC leadership as “oddballs,” “blockheads,” and “Board of Trolls.”

“…I am writing to offer my assistance, and that of a small group of people inside and outside of the church, for Christmas Eve services. As is widely apparent, you lack the brainpower to run a church, much less a sufficient volunteer base to put on the circus in three days,” an email from Burke begins.

“I’m your one saving grace, and each and every one of you know it.”

Over four years, the group filed nearly a dozen lawsuits and appeals against the church, its board of elders, and its pastors, seeking to nullify elections and control church membership rolls.

Courts repeatedly dismissed the claims or ruled in the church’s favor, and the final lawsuit was thrown out in December 2024. The church’s leadership says the drawn-out litigation consumed thousands of hours in legal fees and staff time that could have supported the church’s ministries, according to the report.

Despite the turmoil, the report notes that church membership has grown by over 1,400 people since 2020, financial giving remains robust, and votes on leadership appointments have consistently reflected broad support for Platt and other elders, sometimes by margins of over 90%.

As McLean Bible Church looks ahead, leaders acknowledge that the years of division have left emotional scars. They urge members to pursue forgiveness, healing, and renewed trust. “Jesus is good and does good, even when things are hard,” Burnett wrote. “Our prayer is for full restoration and for our church to remain united around the gospel, not political agendas.”

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