C. J. Mahaney
Encyclopedia
Charles Joseph Mahaney is the former leader of Sovereign Grace Ministries
(formerly People of Destiny International or PDI co-founded with Larry Tomczak
), a network formed to establish and support local churches, and was one of the founding pastors and leaders of Covenant Life Church
, in Gaithersburg, Maryland
.
. CJ used to be the head pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland
. After pastoring there for 27 years he stepped down and handed the senior pastor position to Joshua Harris
on September 18, 2004. He handed over the church to Harris so that he can devote his time to Sovereign Grace Ministries. He formerly served on the Council of Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and on the board of the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
In June of 2011 he voluntarily took a leave of absence for self examination after charges of "various expressions of pride, unentreatability (inability to accept correction), deceit, sinful judgment, and hypocrisy" were leveled against him by a former Sovereign Grace pastor. His leave occurred in the wake of revelations from a former top Sovereign Grace pastor who distributed hundreds of pages of e-mails and internal church documents that portrayed Mahaney as focusing on the sins of others below him in the church hierarchy. The documents showed evidence that Mahaney had threatened the movement's co-founder with making private family details public if the man were too openly critical of Sovereign Grace after he left. After Mahaney's departure, the Sovereign Grace board gave a strong vote of confidence to him, saying that he is "a qualified minister of the gospel and this board approves his pastoral and teaching ministry." Mahaney remains on staff at Sovereign Grace ministries. Since stepping down as the leader of the denomination, a Christian reconciliation firm has been called in to help determine Mahaney’s future and whether to create a new structure for dealing with conflicts in the church.
He currently co-hosts the Together for the Gospel conference with Mark Dever
, Ligon Duncan
and Albert Mohler and serves on the Council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
, and on the board of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
.
Sovereign Grace Ministries
Sovereign Grace Ministries is a group of Reformed, neocharismatic, Evangelical, restorationist, Christian churches primarily located in North America. It has been described as an apostolic network...
(formerly People of Destiny International or PDI co-founded with Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak
Larry Tomczak is a pastor and preacher based in the USA. He is the co-founder of the group now known as Sovereign Grace Ministries and of several prominent churches.-Conversion and PDI:...
), a network formed to establish and support local churches, and was one of the founding pastors and leaders of Covenant Life Church
Covenant Life Church
Covenant Life Church is a 3000+ member "reformed charismatic" church in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The church was established in 1977 by a group of Christians including Larry Tomczak and C.J. Mahaney. It is currently led by Joshua Harris, the best-selling author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy...
, in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
.
Selected publications
- Why Small Groups?
- Disciplines for Life
- Christ Our Mediator
- The Cross Centered Life
- Living the Cross Centered Life
- Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God
- Humility: True Greatness
- Worldliness
Biography
CJ Mahaney is the leader of Sovereign Grace MinistriesSovereign Grace Ministries
Sovereign Grace Ministries is a group of Reformed, neocharismatic, Evangelical, restorationist, Christian churches primarily located in North America. It has been described as an apostolic network...
. CJ used to be the head pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
. After pastoring there for 27 years he stepped down and handed the senior pastor position to Joshua Harris
Joshua Harris
Joshua Eugene Harris is an American pastor and author, perhaps most widely known as the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye , in which he explains what he believes to be the biblical approach to dating and relationships.He is currently senior pastor of Covenant Life Church, the founding church of...
on September 18, 2004. He handed over the church to Harris so that he can devote his time to Sovereign Grace Ministries. He formerly served on the Council of Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and on the board of the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.
In June of 2011 he voluntarily took a leave of absence for self examination after charges of "various expressions of pride, unentreatability (inability to accept correction), deceit, sinful judgment, and hypocrisy" were leveled against him by a former Sovereign Grace pastor. His leave occurred in the wake of revelations from a former top Sovereign Grace pastor who distributed hundreds of pages of e-mails and internal church documents that portrayed Mahaney as focusing on the sins of others below him in the church hierarchy. The documents showed evidence that Mahaney had threatened the movement's co-founder with making private family details public if the man were too openly critical of Sovereign Grace after he left. After Mahaney's departure, the Sovereign Grace board gave a strong vote of confidence to him, saying that he is "a qualified minister of the gospel and this board approves his pastoral and teaching ministry." Mahaney remains on staff at Sovereign Grace ministries. Since stepping down as the leader of the denomination, a Christian reconciliation firm has been called in to help determine Mahaney’s future and whether to create a new structure for dealing with conflicts in the church.
He currently co-hosts the Together for the Gospel conference with Mark Dever
Mark Dever
Mark E. Dever has been the senior pastor of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. since 1994, and is the president of 9Marks , a Christian ministry he co-founded "in an effort to build biblically faithful churches in America."...
, Ligon Duncan
Ligon Duncan
J. Ligon Duncan III is an American Southern Presbyterian scholar and pastor.-Early life and education:Duncan is native to Greenville, South Carolina. His father, J. Ligon Duncan, Jr. was an eighth-generation Southern Presbyterian ruling elder. He had a small commercial printing company, still in...
and Albert Mohler and serves on the Council of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is a Christian ministry which produces print and internet resources, broadcasts radio programs The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is a Christian ministry which produces print and internet resources, broadcasts radio programs The Alliance of Confessing...
, and on the board of The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood is an evangelical Christian organization promoting a complementarian view of gender issues. CBMW's current president is Dr...
.
Other sources
- Clap Your Hands! by Larry TomczakLarry TomczakLarry Tomczak is a pastor and preacher based in the USA. He is the co-founder of the group now known as Sovereign Grace Ministries and of several prominent churches.-Conversion and PDI:...
includes stories from Mahaney's early days in ministry and details the origins of Covenant Life Church and Sovereign Grace Ministries