First Baptist Church Dallas

==Controversies==
===W. A. Criswell===
Pastor [[W. A. Criswell]] never spoke in support of [[racial segregation]] in his sermons but was critical of the Supreme Court's decision in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]'' and of federal intervention against [[de jure]] southern segregation.<ref name="Freeman">{{cite journal |last=Freeman |first=Curtis |date=2007 |title="Never Had I Been So Blind": W. A. Criswell's "Change" on Racial Segregation |url=http://jsr.fsu.edu/Volume10/Freeman.pdf |journal=Journal of Southern Religion |volume=10 |pages=1–12 |access-date=October 9, 2015}}</ref> In 1956 he made an address denouncing forced integration to a [[South Carolina]] evangelism conference. A day later, he addressed the [[South Carolina General Assembly|South Carolina legislature]] remarking that he "strongly favored racial segregation" and charged that those who were attempting to integrate the white church were "infidels, dying from the neck up."<ref name="Freeman" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fitzgerald |first=Francis |title=The Evangelicals |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2020 |pages=243}}</ref> He was particularly critical of the [[National Council of Churches]] and the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People]]. However, after his 1968 election as president of the [[Southern Baptist Convention]], he said that his church already had many non-white members and was open to all regardless of race. In 1970, he remarked that he had "come to the profound conclusion that to separate by coercion the body of Christ on the basis of skin pigmentation was unthinkable, unchristian and unacceptable to God".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Leonard |first=Bill J. |title=God's Last and Only Hope |publisher=University of Michigan Press |year=1990 |pages=22}}</ref> He asserted publicly, "I don't think that segregation could have been or was at any time intelligently, seriously supported by the Bible.<ref name="StandProm">{{cite book |title= Standing on the Promises: The Autobiography of W. A. Criswell|last= Criswell|first= W. A.|author-link= W. A. Criswell|year= 1990|publisher= Word Publishing|location= Dallas, Texas|isbn= 0-8499-0843-4|pages= 202–204, 216–217}}</ref>

In September 1992, after 2 years of pastoring, senior pastor Joel C. Gregory announced his resignation, claiming it was due to the refusal of Pastor W.A Criswell to relinquish control of the church, despite Gregory being the senior pastor ''de jure''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Steve Scott and Enrique Rangel |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1992-10-03-9210030082-story.html |title=PASTOR SUDDENLY RESIGNS AT LARGEST U.S. BAPTIST CHURCH |publisher=The Dallas Morning News |date=October 3, 1992 |access-date=2020-10-12 |website=orlandosentinel.com|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1994, Gregory published the book "Too Great a Temptation: The Seductive Power of America's Super Church", detaling his reasons for leaving.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Somerville|first=Frank P. L.|title=A pastor is led into temptation by the allure of a megachurch|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1994-10-23-1994296041-story.html|date=October 23, 1994|access-date=2020-09-12|website=baltimoresun.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Adelle M. Banks of The Sentinel|title=EX-PASTOR RAISES QUESTION ABOUT MEGACHURCHES' FUTURE|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1994-10-01-9410010529-story.html|date=October 1, 1994|access-date=2020-09-12|website=OrlandoSentinel.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last= Hirsley |first=Mike |title=WHY TEXAS PASTOR QUIT HIS DREAM JOB|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-09-23-9409230214-story.html|date= September 23, 1994 |access-date=2020-09-12|website=chicagotribune.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=The rise and fall and rise again of Joel Gregory|url=https://www.baptiststandard.com/news/texas/the-rise-and-fall-and-rise-again-of-joel-gregory/ | date=2014-09-19|access-date=2020-09-12|website=Baptist Standard|language=en-US}}</ref>

===Robert Jeffress===
Since 2008, Pastor [[Robert Jeffress]] has been involved in numerous controversies, for hate speech against [[homosexuals]], [[Muslims]], [[Catholics]], [[Mormons]] and president [[Barack Obama]].<ref>Julieta Chiquillo, [https://www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2018/06/07/who-is-robert-jeffress-a-guide-to-the-dallas-pastor-s-controversies/ Who is Robert Jeffress? A guide to the Dallas pastor's controversies], dallasnews.com, USA, Jun 7, 2018</ref> In November 2008, Jeffress, in his sermon "Gay Is Not OK", stated that "What they [homosexuals] do is filthy. It [fellatio] is so degrading that it is beyond description. And it is their filthy behavior that explains why they are so much more prone to disease."<ref>Stoyan Zaimov, [https://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-robert-jeffress-open-to-possibility-that-sexual-orientation-has-genetic-basis.html Pastor Robert Jeffress 'Open to Possibility' That Sexual Orientation Has Genetic Basis], christianpost.com, USA, February 01, 2013</ref><ref>Sam Hodges, [https://www.dallasnews.com/news/faith/2008/11/09/about-100-protest-at-first-baptist-dallas-over-why-gay-is-not-ok-sermon/ About 100 protest at First Baptist Dallas over `Why gay is not OK' sermon], dallasnews.com, USA, November 9, 2008</ref> In September 2010, Pastor Jeffress branded Islam as an "evil, evil religion", claiming that it "promoted [[pedophilia]]".<ref>{{cite web|author=Jillian Rayfield |url=http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/dallas_pastor_islam_promotes_pedophilia_video.php |title=Dallas Pastor Defends Claim That Islam 'Promotes Pedophilia' |publisher=[[Talking Points Memo]] |date=September 7, 2010 |access-date=2011-10-08}}</ref> And in December 2010, Jeffress established a "Naughty and Nice List" where businesses are identified based on whether or not they openly celebrated Christmas, saying "I wanted to do something positive to encourage businesses to acknowledge Christmas and not bow to the strident voices of a minority who object to the holiday."<ref>{{cite web|title=December 7, 2010 Podcaset|url=http://www.christiannewsweekly.org/CNW/Web%20Site/Archives/special/Jeffress,%20Robert%20101207.mp3|publisher=Christian News Weekly|access-date=December 7, 2010|archive-date=July 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725165005/http://www.christiannewsweekly.org/CNW/Web%20Site/Archives/special/Jeffress,%20Robert%20101207.mp3|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=First Baptist's Robert Jeffress to Publicly Shame Stores That Don't Celebrate Christmas| date=December 7, 2010| url=http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/12/first_baptists_robert_jeffress.php| publisher=Dallas Observer blogs| access-date=December 7, 2010| archive-date=December 10, 2010| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101210054954/http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/12/first_baptists_robert_jeffress.php| url-status=dead}}</ref> Also in 2010, he referred to [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholicism]] as a "Satanic" result of [[The Two Babylons|"Babylonian mystery religion"]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Jeffress 'Says Satan Is Behind Roman Catholicism|url=http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/jeffress-says-satan-behind-roman-catholicism|publisher=Right Wing Watch|date=October 8, 2011}}</ref> In October 2011 at the [[Values Voter Summit]], Jeffress branded [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) as "a cult". He received widespread criticism for his statement, but he has not retracted it despite then U.S. presidential candidate and LDS church member [[Mitt Romney]]'s request for him to do so.<ref>{{cite web|author=Karen Brooks and Peter Bohan |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-campaign-jeffress-idUSTRE7982DV20111009 |title=Texas pastor stands ground on "cult" comment about Mormons |publisher=[[Reuters]] |date=October 9, 2011 |access-date=2011-10-09}}</ref> On November 4, 2012, the Sunday before the [[2012 United States presidential election|2012 election]], Jeffress said that [[Barack Obama]] was "paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist."<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.christianpost.com/news/texas-megachurch-pastor-says-obama-will-pave-way-for-antichrist-84639/ | title= Texas Megachurch Pastor Says Obama Will 'Pave Way' for Antichrist | date= November 8, 2012| first= Michael|last= Gryboski | work= The Christian Post|access-date=2012-11-12}}</ref>

In June 2015, he compared the "marginalization" of Christians in the United States with Jews under Nazi Germany, which was seen as a lack of respect to victims of [[Holocaust]].<ref>Stoyan Zaimov, [https://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-robert-jeffress-disrespectful-to-victims-of-holocaust-by-comparing-marginalization-of-christians-in-the-us-to-jews-under-nazi-germany-rabbi-claims.html Pastor Robert Jeffress 'Disrespectful' to Victims of Holocaust by Comparing 'Marginalization' of Christians in the US to Jews Under Nazi Germany, Rabbi Claims], christianpost.com, USA, June 15, 2015</ref>
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