A campus pastor at First Baptist Orlando has been placed on administrative leave and a worship leader reportedly has resigned because they opposed the decision to host Turning Point USA’s “Make Heaven Crowded” tour next week.
The Florida megachurch is one of 32 stops on the revival tour that mixes Christian nationalism with Christian evangelism. TPUSA was founded by the late Charlie Kirk and now is led by his widow, Erika Kirk. The nationwide tour has been roundly criticized for using churches to promote MAGA politics.
That reportedly is what led to an internal staff conflict at First Baptist, where Chris Ogden, pastor of the Horizon West campus, was put on leave and another staff member reportedly resigned.
BNG reached out to a spokesman for First Baptist Orlando and has not yet received a response. This story will be updated if a response is received. BNG’s request for comment included a description of the two staff issues named above and asked for clarification if these are wrong. No denial was given.
Screencap of Chris Ogden in video apologizing to congregation for questioning the leadership of the senior pastors of First Baptist Orlando.
Ogden appears in a video posted to YouTube Feb. 14 in which he apologizes to the congregation for opposing the leadership of the church’s three senior pastors in a Feb. 3 staff meeting.
The church has an unusual staff structure with three senior pastors: David Uth, Danny De Armas and Trey Hildebrant. De Armas is a former trustee chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board.
In 2022, he and the church drew scathing criticism from the far-right in the SBC for public comments De Armas made about the diversity represented in the congregation: “We have transgender, LGBTQ, straight, single, married, divorced and cohabitating people. These same people attend listen, serve, grow and give. We have Democrats, Republicans, independents and non-registered people. We have documented and undocumented people. We have politically active and socially responsible people. We have pro-life and pro-choice and pro-war and pro-peace. We have Support the Blue and Black Lives Matter sitting together and serving together. We have Trumpers and never Trumpers. We have Biden supporters and Harris supporters. We have the ultra-wealthy and the indigent, sitting together, singing together and serving together.”
In Ogden’s apology video, he says he “inappropriately spoke out against the decision of the senior pastors and in doing so I caused a lot of hurt and disappointment and confusion.” Although he does not name that “decision,” church insiders have confirmed to BNG that it was about the TPUSA tour stop.
“I want to ask your forgiveness just as I have asked forgiveness from our senior pastors as well,” he says. “What I did was not appropriate and I am submitting to a process now that is designed to build trust and restore relationship both with the senior pastors of our church and also with our personnel committee.”
Erika Kirk speaks at the launch of TPUSA’s “Make Heaven Crowded” tour. (Screencap)
After urging church members to keep attending in his absence, he says his desire never was “to create a situation that would cause harm or disappointment but that is what has occurred and I want to encourage you to work through this with us with grace and with understanding and with patience.”
He calls this a “difficult season” and a “tough, tough season” for the church. Some members reportedly are leaving the church because of the decision to host the TPUSA event.
Neither the livestream nor the recording of last Sunday’s services at Horizon West campus was posted online, with a note instead saying it could not be broadcast due to the “sensitive nature” of the content.
The TPUSA Faith Florida Facebook page describes the upcoming Orlando event as “an evangelistic outreach event” and says First Baptist will offer “a public declaration of Christ with baptism after the event.”
The list of scheduled speakers for the Orlando event has not yet been made public, but previous stops on the tour have included Erika Kirk and revisionist historian Eric Metaxas, along with other Christian nationalist figures.
At the kickoff tour event in Los Angeles last month, Kirk called those protesting against ICE tactics “demonic.” TPUSA has a history of preaching MAGA politics with a veneer of evangelical Christianity.
Senior Pastor David Uth explaining last Sunday how the TPUSA event will be only about Jesus. (scerencap)
In last Sunday’s service at First Baptist Orlando, Uth promised the congregation the event to be held in their worship space would be only about Jesus.
“A couple of months ago we were asked about the possibility of using this venue for a tour called ‘Make Heaven Crowded,’ and so when they reached out to us we, as we always do, expressed our concerns and also a request,” he explained. “We said if this is not about one person — his name is Jesus Christ — and the need for everyone to follow him, well then we really are not a part. It can’t be about politics. It can’t be about a party. It can’t be about any other issue. We have one name above every name. His name is Jesus. And can you assure us that this night would be all about him?’ And they absolutely assured us.”
TPUSA gave the leadership of First Baptist Orlando an invitation to vet all the speakers, he said. Two of those to speak will be church ministers — Jarian Felton and Trey Hildebrant.
Uth confirmed there will be an evangelistic call to follow Jesus and an opportunity for on-the-spot baptisms.
To the congregation he said: “We want not only you to attend but we want you to bring friends because we want them to hear the only hope of heaven for all people. His name is Jesus.”