Watermark Rezoning For South Dallas Megachurch Denied by Dallas City Council
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The final Dallas City Council meeting of 2023 was a long one, and a rezoning request for a Dallas megachurch got lost in the shuffle amidst hours of debate over daycare facilities and permitting fees.
The discussion about Watermark Community Church only lasted about 20 minutes during the Dec. 13 council meeting. Dallas elected officials said they’d heard from the public that the plan as submitted was unacceptable.
The City Council voted unanimously to deny without prejudice Watermark’s request, meaning the church can alter its plan and resubmit it.
The rezoning, which would allow the existing church to include a walkable mixed-use district “to expand services,” was recommended for approval by city staff and the City Plan Commission, subject to deed restrictions. Read the staff case report here.
Todd Atkins of the South Dallas Fair Park Faith Coalition said neighbors are unclear about the goals and visions for the land and building.
“Although this basic question has been the subject of many public and community meetings, the answer to this question remains vague and constantly changing,” he said.
It’s also unclear whether the coalition is partnering with Watermark LLC, the church itself, or its community development corporation, Atkins said. Another resident, Andrea Rush, referred to Watermark as a business rather than a church.
Watermark officials did not agree to deed restrictions and said they wanted to build housing on the campus they purchased for about $211,0000 at auction from Dallas ISD in 2019.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold said she was concerned that the church would gentrify the surrounding South Dallas neighborhoods.
District 7 Councilman Adam Bazaldua, who represents the site at 3400 Garden Lane, said the community put in a lot of work and effort.
“I encourage the applicant to get back to the drawing board, to do what is necessary to earn trust within the community, and to answer a lot of these outstanding questions that we have — first and foremost to make sure this relationship is a foundation based on transparency,” Bazaldua said. “If we are asking questions that are not being answered, it definitely begs the question … is this about what Watermark wants or is this about them coming in and being a part of the community and what South Dallas wants?”
District 6 Councilman Omar Narvaez agreed that the public interest doesn’t appear to be a top priority.
“I know there were only two people here who spoke, but what they said is from their hearts,” Narvaez said. “It’s actually what the majority of community members in black and brown neighborhoods believe, that you don’t want to get to know us and you want to shove something into our communities without making us a partner. If you’ll partner with these folks, I can promise you, they are smart. They are loving. They know what they want in their neighborhoods … I hope this applicant will go back to the drawing board and make sure the community, the city, is getting what it needs and wants.”
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Maybe the Watermark Business World would be a more trusting neighbor if they were totally honest about their plans and what they stand for. As Evangelical Christians, they do not show love or Christianity teachings when they spend so much time identifying groups of individuals that they can’t accept in their supposed “Christian church”, such as gays, lesbians and transgenders. This is definitely not Jesus teachings as only God is the decision maker.
Just want to make one correction: While my heart is for the Church and community of South Dallas and I deeply value my season there, I am a resident of North Garland/Rowlett. I am incredibly thankful to my sisters and brothers in Christ and the neighbors of WM in South Dallas I met for all I’ve learned about loving one’s community. I’m praying for best case scenario for this story and care deeply about the people involved. There’s a way through this to a great outcome but the door is only knee-high and will require leaders of Watermark to repent of sin, – pride, fear, dishonesty, deception, diminishment – lay down their current Scripturally unsupported practices and need for control over obedience to Jesus in order to get there. James 5:16; 1 John 1:8-9. Fervently praying this, for the protection and good for the community. South Dallas is a special place and the people are so loved by the Lord. Praying for them and for healing to come in all of this.
One more thing: Scripturally sound resources which have helped me understand and process my story are:
“A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture that Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing” and “Pivot ” by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
“Something’s Not Right” by Wade Mullen
“Unleader” by Lance Ford
Detailed accountability matters. James 5:16; 1 John 1:8-9.
One more thing: Scripturally sound resources which have helped me understand and process my Watermark story are:
“A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture that Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing” and “Pivot ” by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
“Something’s Not Right” by Wade Mullen
“Unleader” by Lance Ford
Detailed accountability matters. James 5:16; 1 John 1:8-9.
I am not a Watermark member, but a Dallas citizen who would like to see more investment in South Dallas. I hope city can come to some understanding with Watermark to allow their plans to proceed.
This comment is wrong on so many levels. Jesus never said to accept, normalize, or encourage sin, and those sexual/ mental disorders are just that, sin. Whether it’s stealing a stick of gum, or mutilating your body and forcing the weak minded to affirm your fantasy, sin is sin. Fill in the blanks with your preferred sin:
No, you shouldn’t [insert sin], it is wrong and goes against God.
Yes, you do [insert sin], but Jesus will forgive you and so will we, but you must not [insert sin] anymore.
Jesus does want us to judge, how else do we know right from wrong? I know [insert sin] is wrong because based on what the Bible says, [insert sin] is wrong and I’ve effectively made that judgement
It seems to me that the opposing parties including the city council decision failed in so many ways to consider carefully the very heart of the “zone change” and the people behind it! What I hear from the ‘nay sayers’ are all bias, preconceived and personally driven arguments. Sadly and truly, the city council decided to based their decision to such!
Discounting and invalidating alternative perspectives is a very Watermark leadership pattern. I spoke up because it was the hard, right, best thing to do for the protection of others in a very challenging situation. Pastor Atkins and Mr. Sneed asked for clarity, accountability and transparency, as did the council members. Rather than counter with accusations of preconceived bias, is it possible there’s an opportunity here to listen to the shared concerns and consider any possible helpful information in it? For the record in my experience, nothing was preconceived or bias and as far as experience goes, all experience “personally driven.” I’m not “against Watermark.” I am against the way they treat people. Deception, dishonesty, bearing false witness, and flattery are sins and they harm people. Detailed accountability is needed from “leaders” to whom much has been given.
The fact is there’s a great opportunity before WM leaders to examine their choices, their practices and patterns of engagement and culture as it relates to relating with people and the South Dallas community as it relates to Scripture – Philippians 2:2-4; 1 Peter 5:2-4; James 5:16, 1 John 1:8-9. They know the power of language and of silence and their practices are not in line with these verses. Further, the conditions placed on fellowship in the community of believers is patently unscriptural and amounts to high control heresy.
Praise God for every good work that has been done in His name through the Body of believers who attend Watermark. That doesn’t negate the need for leaders there to acknowledge the neighbors’ concerns and be honest regarding the situation or their plans. Any other response than, “We have heard what was shared and are considering their perspectives” is just more evidence the council made the right decision to protect the community for now. This situation is entirely fixable but it’s going to take doing things God’s way instead of man’s way.
There’s a great opportunity here for the leaders of Watermark to change the current trajectory of this situation. Aloof silence, lack of engagement, denial, lack of accountability and amends, and discrediting of critics are all indicators of image control over compassionate care and engagement with people. The confusion Pastor Atkins and Mr. Sneed relate is a symptom of this constellation of current WM behaviors. Clear, concise, direct communication is not a part of WM leaders’ current practice. Rallying people in loyalty and a narrative of seeming sincerity in seeking the Lord but choosing to not take actions they are already called to by Him – full disclosure, honesty, accountability, repentance, and amends. “Little children, let us love not in word or language, but deed and Truth.” 1 John 3:18
The tragedy of this story is that there are so many people who ARE walking in this Truth, who ARE engaging and connecting and loving people but who are under the constraints of leadership who has set high control and business principles before following Jesus. One example is ministry leaders who denied opportunity for practical a preventative healthcare service which could have positively impacted community health factors in an underserved community with people in high risk populations because of idolatry of ministry, fear of man, and personal comfort. Rather than guidance and correction of this situation, the director was unchallenged in this unilateral decision, and uncovered and unguided by superiors who could have discipled her in the way of Jesus to seek more favorable resolution.
Jesus followers, please pray for these things:
1. Transparency. Cessation of story spin and false narratives which put them as faultless and everyone speaking up as invalid. Consideration of the perspectives of the people in the community who have genuinely shared their concerns as valid as worthy of dignity, respect, and value. Acknowledgments and related actions to their concerns rather than placation and delay. 1 Peter 5:2-4
2. Leaders’ full disclosure and truth telling to the community of South Dallas as it relates to questions asked by Pastor Atkins and the SD/FP coalition regarding the acquisition of PCAMS and plans for the building. Philippians 2:2-4
3. Full repentance and accountability for the leadership sins which lead to high control, image building, mishandling of the Word of God and mistreatment of people in the name of Jesus. Pride, idolatry, deception, dishonesty, bearing false witness, flattery. James 5:16; 1 John 1:8-9
3. Amends to the people in South Dallas who have been mischaracterized, mislabeled, and misinformed regarding the nature of this issue. Matthew 5:23-24
4. Willingness to “come to the table” with Church leaders and neighbors in the South Dallas community as co-laborers in Christ, laying down tribalism, favoritism, and exclusivity both within their organization and as it relates to other Bible-believing Church bodies in the community. 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
This is a great resource to understand the current SD situation as it relates to Watermark’s leadership culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiNJvzlFadw&t=951s
A good start would be for the leaders involved to follow the Scriptures and principles in the Watermark Field Guide and stop weaponizing silence and invalidation in conflict with people. Here’s that document:
https://www.watermark.org/community/conflict-field-guide
Why am I speaking out? Because I don’t want one more person to be harmed by the secret sins of the leaders of this organization. I’ve learned good works can be being done in Jesus Name alongside practices that harm and hurt people because of sin patterns. Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:28-35
This is not personal in the least. This is not related to the Jesus followers currently attending. (They are some of the most amazing humans I’ve had the gift of knowing and are missed very, very much.) To whom much is given much is required. The people in WMleadership roles have great authority, power, and sway. They are held to a standard by the Lord in these roles. No doubt there’s a ton of pressure and messy parts of these roles and for that we can have great compassion, BUT it is no excuse for the willful, habitual, practice of sin. “Life in the fishbowl,” ministry fatigue, fear, and ambition are no excuse and they are harming people.
For the Jesus followers in any local body: Watch. Listen. Discern. This comes at the end of two years of seeking discreet, Biblical resolution to conflict and concerns without adequate response. Had the Word informed their actions and choices in my situation, we would not be here reading this right now, but that is not the case. I have repented of my sins directly with the people involved and I forgive them for the harm their sin caused me, but the Lord loves them too much to let them get away with these behaviors which are negatively impacting the situation in South Dallas. And He loves the people of South Dallas too much to allow the deception to continue.
Watermark leaders involved in this situation: Repent. That’s your answer. Confess your sins, seek amends and forgiveness, open your doors to Jesus followers and stop misrepresenting the requirements for fellowship as Christ followers so you can control and guard your image. Turn this over to Jesus and start walking by faith and not by sight and just you wait to see what He will do. It’s going to be amazing. <3
Here we are three plus months out from Dallas city council’s decision to hold on Watermark LLC’s (the business arm of Watermark community church) re-zoning and there has been no information made publicly available to the South Dallas community regarding the single auction bid which resulted in the purchase of Pearl C. Anderson Middle School from DISD to Watermark Community church. For an organization who places the highest leadership value on the question, “Who does the front page of the newspaper say Watermark South Dallas is?,” this silence and lack of engagement are more image control than genuine concern for relationship with the community they say they want to serve. This does not line up with Scripture. At all. Philippians 2:2-4; James 5:16, 1 Peter 4:2-4.
No answers to questions, no comment on the significant confusion that has been hallmark for the past four years, no information and no clear communication. Justin Henry and any other Dallas ISD employees, Watermark leaders involved, and any other person involved in this transaction owe the community the truth. Details including the timeline from the start of the process to the end, the standard procedures and any deviation from this with rationale, and reasons for not including South Dallas business leaders to be part of this process, however mundane or messy, are needed in order that the people of the community being pursued by Watermark leaders for relationship can make fully informed decisions. An organization who respects the community and desires right relationship will take actions that look like transparency and honesty, not impression control. I implore the leaders in the community and Dallas city council to understand the reality of this situation. Watermark community church is a business first. Their decisions represent that of cunning, shrewd business culture which move to the extreme of indicators present for business cult. Examples are a required signed document of membership in order to participate in the community of fellowship as described in Acts 2:42, no “covenant of membership” included with exclusion of interested community believers for those who do not comply 2 Timothy 2:15; declination by the (non-clinical) director of their healthcare ministry of opportunity to assist people in a high risk health population for hypertension in an underserved community to track and trend blood pressures to optimize preventative health without rationale given and without accountability from people in clinical roles within the organization; lack of forthright, honest engagement with South Dallas community leaders regarding questions and concerns shared. Philippians 2:2-4.
If the community is expected to move forward with this business, they are owed the truth. The conflict of interest represented in the current situation, with well-meaning Jesus followers engaged in activities of a conventional church on the foundation not of the Word of God but the American business model. this business of faith is heretical, a conflict of interest, and incredibly concerning and has already resulted in exclusivity, favoritism, deception, and marginalization of community members. Watermark needs to be open about the fullness of their perspective and mission in the community. They need to disclose the details of the transaction mentioned above, their business model, and their standard practices of engagement with people who don’t fit in with their model of engagement. Trust without truth is tricked. The community and neighbors of South Dallas deserve this respect and truth in order to make informed decisions about how best move forward. 1 John 1:8-9.