After more than four decades, 87-year-old Ed Young has announced he is stepping down as senior pastor of the prominent, multi-site Houston megachurch, Second Baptist Church. Young’s son, Associate Pastor Ben Young, will take on the leadership role.
On Sunday, Ed Young read a letra in multiple Sunday services at the historic church, stating, “This is a significant moment in the life of our church as we transition leadership.” He added, referring also to his wife, Lisa: “We are committed to our Second Family (and) we will stay in the battle.”
Young said he is “thrilled” about transitioning the top leadership role to Ben Young, who has preached regularly at Second Baptist over the past decade. Ben Young has been an adjunct seminary professor, radio talk show host, author, and chaplain for the Houston Astros, according to his biografía.
Ed Young has led Second Baptist as senior pastor since 1978, when the church had 2,000 members. In 2017, Young’s first wife, Jo Beth Young, died. In 2020, the pastor got remarried to Lisa Milne, a church program coordinator.
Young, who turns 88 in August, mentioned health challenges that he and Lisa have faced, reportado los Crónica de Houston. “Two weeks ago, I thought I was in the red zone and maybe in the two-minute zone because I know I’m in the last quarter of my life,” said Young. “But Lisa and I have gone through all kinds of medical things—and amazingly (so).”
Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “What If Jesus Was Serious about the Church?” by Skye Jethani. To donate, haga clic aquí.
Young’s current biografía en línea states that Second Baptist has “over 82,000 members on six church campuses,” though elsewhere the church notas that 20,000 people attend weekly services. (In its most recent survey, Outreach Magazine reportado weekly attendance as 17,998.)
Young previously served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), from 1992 to 1993. Young also has an endowed chair at his alma mater, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In his announcement, Young hinted he may still occasionally preach at the Houston church. “Lisa and I are stepping up, not down,” he said in the first service. “We are committed to our Second family, and I’m gonna move from the pulpit to the pew—unless I’m called on.”
Young, who has a broadcast ministry called The Winning Walk, which is based at the church, stated he and his wife will “use our primary spiritual gifts of evangelism and encouragement within this family of faith” in the years ahead.
He indicated this will involve training and encouragement of church leaders.
Controversy and calling
The church has come under fire in recent years on multiple fronts, including being named in an extensive Crónica de Houston investigación of abuse in SBC churches nationwide.
The report recounted how, in 2013, Second Baptist Youth Pastor Chad Foster was sentenced to five years in prison for criminal solicitation of a 16-year-old female church member. The church later establecido a lawsuit brought by the girl’s parents, who alleged “vicarious liability” of Second Baptist.
Recently, Ed Young has been criticized for “mixing politics with religion,” according to the Crónica informe.
During a sermon in February, Young referred to migrants entering the U.S. as “undesirables” and “garbage.” In March, he called President Joe Biden “godless” from the pulpit, noting how a White House proclamation of the Transgender Day of Visibility coincided with Easter Sunday.
Young is the father of three sons: Ben, his successor at Second Baptist; Cliff Young, media director at Second Baptist and a founding member of Christian folk-rock band Caedmon’s Call; and Ed Young Jr., senior pastor at Dallas-area megachurch, Fellowship Church.
Ed Young Jr. has frequently been criticized for attention-getting gimmickry at his church, such as a 2012 stunt that involved placing a king-sized bed on the roof of Fellowship Church. To promote his book Sexperiment, Young and his wife stayed on the rooftop bed, clothed, for 24 hours and taught via online video on marriage topics.
Recent headlines have involved his extravagant lifestyle, los sudden closure of a Miami church plant, and his longtime association with disgraced pastor Mark Driscoll. Driscoll spoke at a marriage conferencia at Fellowship Church in February 2022.
Young Jr. has preached frequently at Second Baptist.
In announcing the end of his long tenure leading Second Baptist, the elder Young said he is “the chief of sinners,” but “God has graciously allowed me to live out that calling with you. Serving you has been the great privilege of my life.”
Periodista independiente Josh Shepherd escribe sobre fe, cultura y políticas públicas para varios medios outlets. He and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.
Spanish 
English
24 Respuestas
This news broke immediately in Houston media on Sunday morning, almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Second Baptist is very prominent in the life of the city, for better or for worse. Ed Young has been an important local figure for as long as I can remember, and someone I would have once respected. His descent into partisan politics is a relatively recent phenomenon and it makes me sick. A friend of mine said that his son Ben is less likely than his father or his brother to involve himself in that; I really hope he can return Second Baptist to being a CHURCH rather than a front for the Republican Party. But I have concerns about the effects of nepotism and a family dynasty of pastors mixed up with political power.
Ugh. All the rabbit trails this article led me down – really disturbing what this family has done in the name of Christianity.
This is Grinning Ed Young of Seven Day CHRISTIAN Sex Challenge fame.
A CHRISTIAN Sex Challenge that actually got on TV as an episode of GCB.
A CHRISTIAN Sex Challenge delivered from an onstage bed on the very same day my church (and all Western Rite Liturgical Churches) celebrated the Feast of Christ the King.
Politics is no longer on the sideline but daily we’re confronted with issues that as Christians we need to face and make decisions about. The Bible says we are to be “salt and light” in our world. As a spiritual leader a pastor needs to address current issues to help his congregation navigate where these issues fall within the parameters of biblical Christianity. Who has preeminence the Bible or the State? For example does the Bible teach God created two genders; that marriage is between a male and female, that sex outside of marriage is not condoned; that abortion is wrong; that parents are in control of their children; private property is God given; a country’s borders should be maintained; Israel is to be supported etc. Or do all these biblical principles no longer apply to us today? Because of the call for Christians to love does that mean that we should support LBGT marriage, kids transitioning, fund abortion, welcome illegal aliens? I personally believe Hebrews 13:8 that Jesus (teachings) is the same yesterday, today and forever. However the issues I mentioned need to be discussed and a good leader needs to address them in the light of the scriptures. Will he get pushback if his views conflict with the hearers – absolutely but that’s his job. If more pastors emphasized the importance of voting for candidates whose policies more closely adhered to biblical principles the better off this country would be.
The Bible clearly teaches that we should welcome aliens and strangers. In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 25 that he would send to hell people who claimed to be his followers but did not welcome strangers.
Liberals want to claim that ANY involvement of the (evangelical) church in the political realm implies “Christian nationalism” (of course, if progressive churches host political rallies in the name of “social justice”, that’s OK).
Yes, there are those on the right who would impose a theocracy (they’re the big supporters of “school choice”, which means “our school can choose NOT to educate YOUR kid for any reason we want”). But the majority of evangelicals have legitimate concerns (e.g., gender-reassignment treatment on minors – something that countries in secularized Europe are now seeking to end) and have the right to speak out on them.
The Bible tells us to support Israel? And how is the US not supporting Israel right now- specifically, factually not doing?
It says abortions are wrong? Didn’t Jewish people of the Old Testament time believe personhood was only conferred at birth?How about birth control and morning after pills? Where do you draw the line?
Can we change our bodies by getting plastic surgery to cover up scars or wrinkles?
Can we drink alcohol?
When the New Testament church had people selling and sharing their possessions with the rest of the church, was that capitalism at work?
Was it the indication that God wanted us to have all our own possessions? Let’s turn this around, what beliefs of the Republican Party do you believe are wrong?
There is nothing prohibiting alcohol use, but there are strong warnings. And there is nothing wrong about plastic surgery to cover up scars or birth defects.
Since you want to make this about partisan politics, I oppose the pushing of vouchers for “school choice” (which actually means, we the school can choose which students we want but the state has to pay for it).
Questions are rhetorical. I grew up in a church where to drink alcohol was to sin. Jesus did not turn water into wine, it was actually juice. One could argue a birth defect or scar a gift from God and suffering in life bearing those scars, learning the lessons he meant you to learn, and praising God for them, would also be a valid and honorable Christian response, no?
Also, the comment I’m responding to was talking about politics, so I was not “making this about politics”.
What does it mean to “support Israel?” Certainly it doesn’t mean supporting all of their political stances or military endeavors.
The majority of the Old Testament consists of God’s prophets proclaiming God’s judgment on Israel for its idolatry, and its poor treatment of vulnerable widows, orphans, immigrants and laborers.
If Jesus can call Israel’s leaders sons of Satan, why do we insist that Christians in America must genuflect before them now? If the Old Testament prophets were alive today, Netanyahu would be calling them terrorists and many Evangelical Americans would be consigning them to the fires of hell.
If Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah et al can accuse Israel of murder, injustice and debauchery, certainly we can as well.
Hearing anyone pridefully calling themselves “the chief of sinners” is like hearing Satan mocking the church. Or maybe they’re just revealing themselves…
The passage being “referred to” is supposedly 1 Timothy 1:15 but if anyone actually reads the WHOLE passage in its immediate and larger context, they will soon understand what it in fact means.
Firstly, VERSE 13 of this very passage is one of the numerous “such as you WERE” verses (eg 1st Corinthians 6:11) where Paul underlines the TRANSFORMATION which he and every regenerate Christian experiences (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Secondly, the word translated as “chief” is πρῶτός (protos) from which we get the word “prototype”. The Greek word means “model” or “pattern”. It’s translated as “pattern” in verse 16 where Paul summarizes what he means:
his conversion (180 change eg. if you CONVERT dollars to pesos, you get pesos!) is a PATTERN, a PROTOTYPE for every future Holy Spirit conversion (John 3:3-8, Ephesians 2:1-2, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23 etc).
Romans chapter 6, Mr Young. Romans chapter 6.
Moira, maybe this is exactly what he meant. Do you know his pre-conversion life?
My point is that the Greek word translated as “chief” in NO WAY means “biggest”.
Paul was NOT saying he remained the “biggest” sinner or even that he HAD BEEN “the biggest sinner”.
Even as Saul the Pharisee, he was not a bigger sinner than Herod, Caligula or Nero!
His fundamentally NEW COVENANT conversion FROM sinner to saint was a prototype, a pattern where “ALL things become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
That’s why he can say in 1 Corinthians 11:1: “Imitate me as I imitate Christ”.
I would never go to a church where the “pastor” (CEO) said he was the “chief of sinners” (meaning “biggest”) because a) it’s Scripturally ignorant and b) it’s false humility because, if he is the biggest sinner (i.e bigger than child abusers, murderers etc) then at the root of sin is PRIDE, not humility so what is he doing as an example (or as an elder) in an assembly?
And in the Game of Thrones, once again the Iron Pulpit passes from Father to Son by Divine Right.
“The best way to become a rich Megapastor is to be born the son of a rich Megapastor. Especially when your name ends in ‘Junior’.”
Just like in the empires and monarchies of old…
This brings up an interesting issue: Ben is divorced from his first wife. Southern Baptists have traditionally held that a divorced man cannot serve as pastor, even if the divorce took place before conversion.
So, has the church decided that holding to Biblical standards (as they interpret them) doesn’t apply if you’re the son of the senior pastor?
PS–The rule against divorced pastors (which BTW also applies to deacons) generally applies even if: 1) the pastor had Biblical grounds for divorce (e.g., adultery by the female), 2) the female filed for divorce without Biblical grounds, and even if 3) the pastor marries a woman who is divorced regardless of the circumstances.
The ONLY exception – and even it may not apply – is if the divorced parties remarried each other.
What I don’t like is the position was given to his son. It should be put to a vote and see who would be the best person for the job. I guess, all in the family and make sure it stays in the family. I will be leaving Second Baptist, Ben does not thrill or inspire me.
Yes, because Jesus really hated the desperate and dispossessed…
/s
MAGA Republican first, Christian second, apparently.
In reality, MAGA Republican and genuine Christian are mutually exclusive.
In Southern Baptist churches does the senior pastor select his successor, or do elders and/or congregations vote on these matters? The article suggests that Young unilaterally chose the next pastor, so I’m wondering if any of the thousands of members have any voice on the future of their church.
Each church is autonomous. The majority have a “pastoral search committee” that recommends a candidate, and the congregation votes yes/no. But in many of the larger churches, the pastor controls things so he gets to pick his successor, and any “vote” is a rubber stamp.
Ed was totally aware of sexual sin in his own church leadership and settled with the victim. He then proudly proclaims that he is the worst of sinners. Has he ever read a bible, let alone studied one? God hates all sinners just as he hates sin, & commands us to do the same. Ps 97:10, 5:4-6. He calls for His servants to rise up against the wicked, to take a stand against all evildoers. Ps. 94:16 Sin always separates a person from a holy God. Col 1:21 Its wage is, & always has been, death, as Paul taught us well after Calvary where today’s gospel assures us ‘Jesus’ blood washed ALL our sins away.’ So-called Christians of today all unashamedly confess to being sinners. No sinner ever goes to heaven. Matt. 5:27-30, Jn. 8:34, 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 5:1-8, 1 Jn. 3:8, Rev. 21:6-8, 22:14-15. Paul was trained by Jesus on how to teach His gospel, & he burned inside when he heard of one of his flock being ‘led into sin.’ 2 Cor. 11:29. He commanded those who had snuck into the church in Corinth to ‘come back to your senses as you ought, & stop sinning.’ 1 Cor. 15:34 Romans six makes it ABUNDANTLY clear that God’s kids DO NOT sin. Far too many church leaders go to Romans 7 to prove that Paul was a wretched sinner. But Paul was using hypothesis there as he put himself in the sandals of a Jew living under the Old Covenant before Calvary. Verse nine proves that, bc Paul was NOT alive when Moses went up that Mountain to get the Commandments.
When one repents to receive the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins, Acts 2:38, one lives in Christ, where there is NO SIN. 1 Jn. 3:4-10