The high costs, but eventual victory, of replanting an old line congregation. (An in-depth interview with Tullian Tchividijian.)

Tullian Tchividijian is the grandson of evangelist Billy Graham. There, that’s out of the way. But maybe even more important in his bio is the fact that he took over the congregation of D. James Kennedy after his 2008 death. But it was a transition that did not go easily when a number of members, including Kennedy’s daughter, tried to oust Tchividijian.

The matter became a messy public dispute, and the dissidents eventually left to form their own church after a vote did not go their way. Tchividijian, 38 this month, merged his New City Church with that of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.

His newest book, released in June, is Surprised by Grace (Crossway), and his next book, tentatively titled Jesus Plus Nothing Equals Everything, is based on Colossians. “It’ll be used to tell the story of what happened with me in 2009 [the dissidents challenge], and how God helped me rediscover the Gospel.

“Colossians showed me that when we are united to Christ, we don’t need to spend our lives trying to earn the approval and acceptance of those around us, because Jesus has already earned God’s approval and acceptance for us.”

The congregation now has 2,400 members and 1,800 to 
1,900 people in worship in two services on Sunday morning. Since the merger one year ago, the church has grown by about 600-700 people — and that’s with about 500 leaving to start another church. Says Tchividijian: “So Christ is clearly rebuilding his church at Coral Ridge, and we are all amazed and humbled at what he’s done in just one year. It really is one new church!”

Church Executive asked him some pointed questions about the church’s quarrel. He notes too that Coral Ridge Ministries, the media arm of Dr. Kennedy’s content that also has a strong political emphasis, is entirely separate from Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.

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