McLean Bible Church

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McLean Bible Church (MBC)

MBC's Logo
Country United States
Denomination Non-denominational
Website www.mcleanbible.org
Clergy
Senior pastor(s) Lon Solomon
Pastor(s) John McGowan

McLean Bible Church is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian megachurch with multiple locations in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Lon Solomon, a Jewish convert to Christianity, has been MBC's senior pastor since 1980. Solomon also serves on the board of directors of Jews for Jesus and was appointed by President George W. Bush to the President's Committee for Intellectual Disabilities. An average of 13,000 adults attend each weekend across the church’s several campuses.[1] McLean Bible Church holds weekly worship services across many locations, or campuses, around the DC area. The church offers live webcasts of its Sunday services.


History

Founding

McLean Bible Church was founded in 1961 by five families in Northern Virginia. Its first service was held on Easter Sunday at Chesterbook Elementary School in McLean with Pastor J. Albert Ford.

Lon Solomon

Senior Pastor Lon Solomon was born and raised in a Jewish home in Portsmouth, VA. His college years at the University of North Carolina were marked by alcoholism, gambling and drug addiction. After seeking help from Eastern religions and mainstream Judaism, Lon converted to Christianity in the spring of 1971. Following his conversion, Lon was able to quit the drug and alcohol abuse that plagued his life for years. He graduated from UNC with a B.S. in Chemistry (1971). He then complete a Th.M. degree in Hebrew and Old Testament at Capital Bible Seminary (1975, summa cum laude). He completed graduate work at Johns Hopkins University, receiving a Masters Degree in Near Eastern Studies in 1979.

Lon taught Hebrew and Old Testament at Capital Bible Seminary from 1975-1980. In 1980, Lon became the senior pastor at McLean Bible Church. Lon has been on the Board of Jews for Jesus since 1987, where he now serves as chairman of the Board's executive committee. In September 2002, Lon was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve in his administration as a member of the President's Committee on Intellectual Disabilities. He received a Doctorate of Divinity degree from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary in 2005. Lon is the author of the book, Brokenness: How God Redeems Pain and Suffering, and The 23rd Psalm for the 21st Century.

Ministries

  • Frontline (formerly) — Formerly McLean Bible Church’s young adult service for ages 18-35; now called McLean Bible Church 5:30 service. Part of MBC's new inter-generational service offerings.
  • Live webcasts — McLean Bible Church offers live online streams of its Sunday services.
  • Access Ministry — McLean Bible Church’s ministry to children with special needs. Access programming includes Sunday school, parent support and training sessions, summer camp, sibling events, and monthly respite care programs.
  • Jill’s House — An overnight respite care center for children with special needs. The inspiration for the $18.5 million center is Pastor Lon Solomon’s daughter, Jill.[2] Jill's House is located on the property of the McLean Bible Church Tysons Campus.
  • Kid's Quest – The McLean Bible Church children's ministry for newborn through fifth grade. KidsQuest is divided into three primary age categories: Newborns/Toddlers, Preschool, and Elementary.
  • City Impact – City Impact programs include The Clothing Shop, Daily Bread Food Pantry and Career Network Ministry.
  • The Rock – McLean Bible Church's ministry for high school and junior high school students. The Rock hosts Sunday morning services, a Wednesday night services, and multiple regional “house groups”.
  • The Gathering - McLean Bible Church's ministry for college students that provides services on four college campuses throughout the Washington metro area: American University, George Mason University, Georgetown University, and University of Maryland.[3]
  • "Not a Sermon, Just a Thought" - A radio ministry broadcast via multiple radio stations in the Washington, DC region.

References

  1. ↑ Lillian Kwon, “Multi-Site Church: Risky but Worth It”, The Christian Post, February 6, 2007.
  2. ↑ David Cho, “A Pastor with a Drive to Convert”, The Washington Post, June 27, 2004.
  3. ↑ http://www.gatheringonline.org/campuses/

External links

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