After Famously Leaving SBC, Pastor John Onwuchekwa has Left the Pastorate

John Onwuchekwa, who gladly accepted $175,000 in SBC money to renovate his church (as well as NAMB money to secure the loan for the building), only to leave the convention in 2020 after accusing the denomination of not being woke enough and insinuating that churches made up of mostly minorities should do like his – take the money and run, has left the pastorate.

At the time Onwuchekwa had this to say about his former denomination.

I do not see the utility of our church made up predominantly of ethnic minorities remaining in the SBC. Because rather than being an agent of change, I fear our presence has largely been an advertisement for other churches of similar makeup saying “Come in…the water’s fine.” The sign I’d rather hold up is “Enter at Your Own Risk!”

He would later co-found the Crete Collective with ~~Thabiti Anyabwile~~ Ron Burns a church planting network that specifically excluded white pastors. He explains in an announcement:

On Monday, October 17th, after much prayer, consideration, and conversation, I have concluded that my season of pastoral ministry at Cornerstone Church has ended. December 18th, 2022, will be my last official sermon as Teaching Pastor of Cornerstone Church, and January 31st, 2023, will be my last official day on staff. At that time, I will be stepping out of the office of pastor and more fully into the role of member.

Onwuchekwa goes on to say that “this particular season and shape of ministry is giving way to something else. That something else isn’t yet fully formed or known” and assures his readers that his stepping down is not due to “personal frustration, scandal, or moral disqualification.” He notes that his transition is the “culmination of ongoing angst and wrestles I’ve had over the past few years regarding calling, passion, and even vocational fit.”

He concludes:

Pastors aren’t meant to stand between you and God. Pastors exist to make sure nothing else does. We are not priests, nor are we mediators. We are merely servants (seasonal ones at that…all of us are here for a season predetermined by God) of God to help you grow closer to Him.

Owunchekwa will not be going away, completely, however, but will continue to grow the Crete Collective and plans to work at Portrait Coffee, a coffee roasting company in Atlanta.

h/t RNS