Megachurch Pastor Known For Cringy Pulpit Gimmicks Takes Over Controversial Church, Will Be Senior Pastor of Two Congregations
Church by the Glades senior pastor David Hughes is entering into a unique collaboration with First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale (FBCFL), taking over the role of the senior pastor while also retaining his current job, making him the overseer of two separate congregations.
For years, Church by the Glades has been the embodiment of instituting worldly entertainment in the pathetic hope of catching the attention of wayward goatlings and luring them into staying.
Known for their extravagant attempts to keep their members entertained, in the past few months the 8000-member Southern Baptist megachurch played a cover of Run D.M.C’s sleazy and sexual song Walk this Way in church, performed Kendrick Lamar’s N95, only cleaned up and sanitized for church audiences, removing the curse words and racial epitaphs for a sermon illustration, put on a Willy Wonka Christmas worship service’ and put on crazy ‘Baby Shark’ mashup during service, replete with smoke and canons!
Hughes has touted his church as ‘hyper-creative’ and insists that the Sunday service should be a memorable ‘show’ for people to talk about long after they’ve left.
First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale’s reputation is very different. The historic 115-year-old church, formerly led by James Welch who resigned months ago, has been embroiled in controversy for years, dwindling in membership from 1100 to a little over 200 on accounts of infighting and scandal, lack of financial transparency, and battles over the church’s 7-acre downtown campus, that is reportedly worth more than $120 million. According to a press release from the church:
The collaboration between First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale and CBG will foster shared resources while allowing each church to maintain its autonomy. This approach will enable the congregations to maximize their impact on the community while maintaining their individual identities and missions.
Because the churches are so close together, only 18 miles away, Hughes will preach in person at each church each Sunday, and maintain offices on both campuses to foster “accessibility and collaboration.”