McLean Bible Church is an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

, multi-site

megachurch A megachurch is a church with an unusually large membership that also offers a variety of educational and social activities, usually Protestant or Evangelical. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research defines a megachurch as any Protestant C ...

with several locations in the

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

metropolitan area. Its largest campus is located in

Tysons Corner Tysons, also known as Tysons Corner, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, developed from the corner of Chain Bridge Road ( SR 123) and the Leesburg Pike ( SR 7). Located in Northern Virginia between the c ...

, Virginia with other sites in Leesburg,

Prince William County Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

, Arlington, and Rockville, Maryland

History

McLean Bible Church was founded in 1961 by five families in

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

. Its first service was held on Easter Sunday at Chesterbook Elementary School in McLean with Pastor J. Albert Ford. Senior Pastor Lon Solomon was born and raised in a Jewish home in Portsmouth, Virginia, before becoming a

born again Christian Born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelicalism, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is distinctly and sep ...

in the spring of 1971. He graduated from the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

with a B.S. in chemistry (1971). He then completed a Th.M. degree in Hebrew and Old Testament at Capital Bible Seminary (1975, summa cum laude) in Lanham, Maryland. He completed graduate work at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

, receiving a master's degree in Near Eastern Studies in 1979. Solomon taught Hebrew and Old Testament at Capital Bible Seminary from 1975 to 1980. In 1980, he became the senior pastor at McLean Bible Church. Solomon has been on the board of

Jews for Jesus Jews for Jesus is an international Messianic Jewish non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California. The group is known for its proselytism to Jews and promotes the belief that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. It was f ...

since 1987, where he now serves as chairman of the board's executive committee. In September 2002, Solomon was appointed by President

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

to serve in his administration as a member of the President's Committee on Intellectual Disabilities. He received a

Doctorate of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2005. Solomon is the author of the books ''Brokenness: How God Redeems Pain and Suffering'' and ''The 23rd Psalm for the 21st Century''. In December 2017, Lon Solomon started his own ministry, Lon Solomon Ministries. In September 2017,

David Platt David Andrew Platt (born 10 June 1966) is an English former professional football coach and player, who played as a midfielder. Born in Chadderton, Lancashire, Platt began his career as an apprentice at Manchester United before moving to Crewe ...

was confirmed as the Pastor-Teacher, later "Lead Pastor", replacing Lon Solomon by being the sole candidate offered to the membership. Under the leadership of Platt, McLean has also been the broadcast location for several Radical (David Platt's resource ministry) simulcasts. According to a church census released in 2018, it claimed a weekly attendance of 10,510 people and 5 campuses in different cities.Lifeway research
2018 Largest Churches in America
outreachmagazine.com, USA, retrieved January 16, 2021 According to the MBC March 2022 Congregational Meeting Report weekly attendance for 2021 was 8,858. On June 2, 2019, McLean made national headlines when then-President Donald Trump made an unplanned visit. After playing golf nearby, Trump appeared on-stage at the Tyson's Corner campus after communion. Pastor Platt prayed for him. In 2020, in response to the global pandemic, the church moved all their ministry online and met physical needs for people all over greater Washington, DC, giving away boxes of food, toiletries, and soap, totaling 5.6 million meals. A new shared leadership structure for MBC was introduced between three lead pastors (David Platt, Wade Burnett, Mike Kelsey) serving under the leadership of church elders. In the summer of 2021 the church held their annual elder election. For the first time in its 60-year history the elders were rejected by the congregation.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mclean Bible Church Evangelical churches in Virginia Christian organizations established in 1961 Evangelical megachurches in the United States Megachurches in Virginia McLean, Virginia Evangelical churches in Maryland Evangelical churches in Washington, D.C. Churches in Fairfax County, Virginia 1961 establishments in Virginia Non-denominational Evangelical multisite churches Churches in Loudoun County, Virginia Churches in Montgomery County, Maryland Buildings and structures in Prince William County, Virginia Churches in Arlington County, Virginia Megachurches in Maryland