#Make Pettit Prez again

[wutbju]

The Craven

by Arby Jenkins

Once upon a righteous fury While I pondered in a hurry Whether I would someday be ennobled in Collegiate lore— While I wondered, nearly slumbered, suddenly there came a dumber Person even than myself, tap-tapping on my office door. “Tis some Positive,” I muttered, “tapping on my office door— Only Eric, nothing more.

Ah, distinct the recollection of that autumn resurrection Of the question of Steve Pettit’s contract, would it be renewed four more? Eagerly, demanding entry into Admin’s inner sanctum There to press for more tomorrows—for Steve’s now forsaken powers— For the banjo-playing campman whom the Fundies named Doctor. Tossed away for evermore.

Hark, the rising of our mission, sizing up the Board’s ambitious vision Filled me—willed me to fantastic glories not bethought before; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating “Could it be that I could do it, take Steve’s place by coup, nor rue it, Ease myself by scheming to be President? Just do it! This I hoped and wanted more.

Presently the coup grew stronger, hesitating then no longer, “Board,” said we, “or Madmen, reformation cannot be foregone; But the fact is you have sinned, against our Pettit you have been

Harping, carping at him, now we rise up to implore, That you stop your firing plans—here I burst in through their door— Silence there and nothing more.

Could it be my powers failing, leaving me with only wailing That I should be hearkened unto as my wisdom I deployed? No one heard me, no one listened, neither Board nor ‘Ministration, Til my voice was rasping vainly with the weakest, “por favor” This I whispered, but they cackled, “No sir, not you anymore.” Ate the donuts, nothing more.

Back into the office turning, my ambition whirling, swirling, Why could I not be the person chosen for the vacant role? “It’s because you’ve not been stable, this and that, you prove unable Through the years your fundy label has not proven to be full. This they told me and it echoed deep into my soul Unproven, I had nothing more.

Quick to Facebook churning, turning, all my grievances a-burning, Soon the friends all gathered, shouting louder than before. “Surely we can overcome the sinful Board and then become them; Wielding all their former power as we wish to make our score— Let us see, then what is out there, keeping us from doing more— Let my heart relax one moment while I ponder what’s in store— ‘Tis my hubris, nothing more!

Now I open up the Answer, to discern the written dictum Of the former Chairman of the Hypocritic Board— Not the slimmest bow he made me as he left the Table gamely, Tossing at me only his disdain while leaving me insanely Gaping at the now-shut door. My ambitions on the trodden floor.

Enter Doctor Alan Benson, lately of Gen Z dissension, Begging them to choose a church ennobled with the “BJ Core,” He’ll be Acting, merely Acting, in the role I craved expecting, Nay, desiring, while expiring Pettit’s case I did implore. Overstepping, always fretting, and my welcome is no more.

Let this be a lesson, children, when you crave a righteous burden Not to see your self-importance as another’s prime devotion. In the end they’ll all desert you and declare they never knew you, While you feign to be so loyal to the Board who now abhor you Joke’s on them, their school is flailing, Fundies are no more prevailing, Legacies now dim and fading shall be lifted nevermore.

[wutbju]

And here it comes:

We have come to the point where we have little confidence that the students that we send to you will return to be supportive members of our local churches.

This is huge. It’s huge because it’s a power shift.

For decades BJU has told churches what to do: always immerse, don’t be Calvinistic, send students to BJU.

But in this sentence, the fundamentalist churches are putting a line in the sand. Implied is the idea that the churches hold the power that BJU needs.

Now, of course, the students are no where in this equation. Parents don’t exist. Education is not here either. Are students going to “return” to their home church and be “supportive.”

That’s the drama here. But it’s a shift. The churches are the agents in this story now.

[wutbju]

Did you ever think you would see "See You At The Pole" on the campus of Bob Jones University?

But that's where we are in April 2023.

[wutbju]

So many people have asked, "Who is this John Lewis, anyway?"

He's not related to me. ;)

But Rick Pidcock did his homework. This is now-resigned-from-the-Board John Lewis.

The summary:

His mother was a single mom.

His time in the Air Force was brutal.

Women are the butt of every joke, and Bob Jones III loves it.

Hell is a favorite topic.

[wutbju]

Professor Lonnie Polson posted his comments to the BJU Board of Trustees Executive Committee yesterday.

Now, Lonnie is logical and strategic. I don't think I worked with anyone in the BJU Speech dept who more clearly demonstrated the gift of administration as the Apostle Paul describes it. He's a problem-solver through and through.

So when Lonnie gives advice, honestly? You should listen. Just sayin'. And he told the Executive Committee:

I'm writing to petition the executive committee of the board to name Dr. Gary Weier (or another current administrator or senior faculty member) as interim president. It's been an incredibly stressful year for the BJU family. What the faculty and students need most is a season of stability and healing. My fear is that naming an interim from outside the current leadership would be counterproductive to meeting that need. I believe also that naming a current administrator or senior faculty member as interim would send a reassuring message to those who are considering attending BJU. We have so many potential applicants who have not yet "pulled the trigger" on full application because they're taking a wait-and-see approach. I can't blame them. We could do much to communicate stability and viability to our constituency by appointing a known entity from within the current leadership as the face of the school. Frankly, the primary existential threat to the university is low enrollment. Naming a current administrator or senior faculty member as interim would also allow the board adequate time to recruit and vet a new president without having to onboard a temporary one. I do not presume to speak for the entire faculty, but I'm convinced nearly all of us would give similar input. Thanks for listening.

The big takeaways here are, it seems to me:

The BJU students and employees are exhausted.

Applicants for the Class of 2027 are hesitant.

Low enrollment is imminent and would kill BJU.

A temporary/interim needs to be an internal hire.

Gary Weier would be the best choice.

Lonnie's right, of course. I can't say that loudly enough. When Lonnie gives advice, you should listen.

Will they?

[wutbju]

Rick Altizer, President +++Positive+++, posted this this morning at 7:45am on Friday, April 7, 2023 -- Good Friday.

But now it's deleted.

Since WutBJU, too, “has a duty to disclose confidential information," I include it here for the record. This shows the +++Positives+++ agenda:

Before we pause to meditate and worship our Risen Lord, a few clean up notes from yesterday:

First, we are thankful that John Lewis did the right thing (finally) yesterday and resigned. Based on the facts of the situation, we believe there are at least two other board members who also need to resign--Joe Helm and Hantz Bernard. They were in league with John Lewis throughout the leadership crisis of the last year. This was a completely avoidable and intentional campaign on their part to unseat a much loved and effective university president before his final term. They need to resign immediately so the board can begin the process of moving forward.

Secondly, we were surprised and offended by the "official" Dear Alumni post yesterday around 5pm. While positive bju is not the only Facebook group and certainly not the only Facebook group who needed to hear their oddly timed message, we are the only alumni and friends group who confronted the unethical behavior of the BJU board and single-mindedly defended Dr. Pettit. No good deed goes unpunished, comes to mind.

For those of you who have followed the action closely and consistently (most of you) we have defended and praised the BJU Alumni Association and supported the student recruitment team consistently. We will continue to do this, though with less enthusiasm perhaps until we have an opportunity to discuss with them the purpose and intent of their public letter to all alumni.

With regards to the letter itself. We agree that name calling including wishing harm to anyone has no place in social media. We agree that outside groups like FBI should refrain from trying to exert undue influence over the board at BJU. We are alumni and friends. We have only advocated for maintaining good executive leadership (Steve Pettit) and removing unethical and ineffective board leadership.

Unlike the FBFI, we have never advocated for any specific policy. We trust the administration to decide what is best for the operations of the school itself. As we have said, we are not "progressive". We are not advocating for more liberal or more lax anything. What we cannot accept is a divided and dysfunctional board that opposes its own board approved policies and bullies and intimidates the administrators. It is not only wrong, but also counterproductive to the growth and success of the institution.

Finally, with respect to confidential information we have shared. When a board member, administrator, or alumni (one of us) becomes aware of wrongdoing, we have a duty to disclose it. With respect to board members in SC, the duty of care and duty of loyalty to the institution is a statutory requirement in the law. The duty of confidentiality is not. While there may be policies and best practices that govern confidentiality on private boards, these are superseded by the statutory and fiduciary duty of care and loyalty to BJU when wrongdoing happens on the board. Positive BJU celebrates and salutes every courageous source who helped to expose the details of the bad decisions and actions of Lewis, Bernard, and Helm. While it has been messy at times, these men are being held to account by the off campus and on campus stakeholders for the first time in nearly 100 years and that historic first naturally resulted in defensive backlash.

We didn't expect a defensive backlash from the university, but we accept the points of agreement even while we reject the tone and timing of it. In any event, we can forgive and to forge ahead with this historic fundamental board reset leading to a very bright future for BJU. Thank you!

[wutbju]

I wrote about Ted Mercer back in 2012 -- eleven years ago.

He was the 1951 Vintage dedicatee. Over the years that's always a tell. If they dedicate a Vintage to you, you'll be on the way out. It's a love bomb. Watch for them to dedicate the 2023 Vintage to Steve Pettit.

The first time I heard about Mercer was ~1993 when I was listening to my first graduate audition in the Division of Speech. A young man from Bryan College was applying for a graduate assistantship. And one of the senior, hoary-headed members of our faculty said to us all (something like), “Are we sure we should let him in? He is, after all, from Bryan.” Her words were pregnant with a mysterious and sinister meaning.

That was Dottie Harris.

Now I was the youngest faculty member in this group. And . . . I’m a little bit clueless as I’ve said before. So, in typical fashion, I just asked earnestly, “What do you mean? What’s wrong with Bryan?” Another less-junior-than-I colleague -- it was Lonnie Polson -- nodded and agreed, “Yeah, I’d like to know too! I have no idea.” And the senior member just sighed and shook her head, disappointed with these children these days about how they know nothing of the past. . . . I think. I don’t know why she was sighing. But I never heard the details that day.

Mercer graduated from BJU in 1943 -- president of the Senior Class. Immediately BJC made him the Dean of Men, and soon after he was the "Assistant to the President" through 1953.

But then it all fell apart. Something happened to piss off Bob Sr. so badly that he raged at Mercer -- raged so loudly that it's still in Dan Turner's official history. To explain his side, Mercer sent this “Statement Concerning my Dismissal from Bob Jones University” to BJU Board of Trustees after his firing on June 15, 1953.

If you’ve ever found yourself on the other side of a BJU administrator’s desk feeling the ax hovering above your neck, the statement reads eerily prophetic.

The litany of accusations against him are mostly familiar. We’ve all been called the same whether in front of or behind our backs — “avowed enemy of the school,” unfaithful, inefficient, deceitful, “one of the greatest crooks in the history of the school,” demon-possessed, “the devil.” Mercer euphemizes the most intense accusation of homosexuality under the term “my moral character” — an accusation that still lingers.

You’ll want to look at the list of BJU Board Members near the end. It’s at the very least intriguing. There’s Homer Rodeheaver and Jack Wyrtzen. There’s Mordecai Ham and Ernest Reveal. And you see some familiar fathers there. Look. There’s Ted Mercer’s dad, Jim. And John MacArthur, Sr. (father of the John MacArthur, Jr.). and William Piper (father of John Piper).

BJU apparently was undergoing an enormous faculty turnover in the 1952-53 school year — a movement that would only continue into the years to come. Mercer includes one letter of resignation in the end of his pamphlet from Karl E. Keefer. We who have been associated with BJU since 1952 don’t know Dr. Keefer. We do know his replacement very well — a 24-year-old Dwight Gustafson.

Then there's an additional statement to the Alumni. Read it. Notice Mercer’s description of faculty salaries and treatment, the Joneses’ attitude toward accreditation, their capricious and egocentric rule, their tendency for hyperbole, and their habit of playing good-cop-bad-cop with the younger Jones vs. the elder Jones.

Just change the dates and the people or the suffix on the end of the administrator’s name.

Nothing has changed at BJU.

If you're surprised at the John Lewis & Bob Jones III behavior, you haven't been paying attention. This is really old news.

[wutbju]

BobStool_BobJones knows that the rules don't mean anything and that Disney's Beauty and the Beast breaks them.

[wutbju]

When the +++Positives+++ released this letter in January 2023, they blacked out all of the signatories but one:

The full signature line was:

Sincerely, The Executive Board of the Foundations Baptist Fellowship International Approved unanimously with one abstention by the FBFI Board at the 2022 Winter Board Meeting

So yes, Bob Jones III was writing to his own legacy institution to “being to make corrections.”

WutBJU doesn’t know who was present at this Winter Board Meeting of the FBFI outside of Bob Jones III.

But here’s the current slate of officers of the FBFI:

Dr. Kevin Schaal President/CEO Northwest Valley Baptist Church 4030 W Yorkshire Drive Glendale, AZ 85308 Phone: 864.268.0777

Dr. Gordon Dickson Chairman Calvary Baptist Church 2000 Broad Ave Findlay, OH 45840 Phone: 419.422.6842

Pastor Taigen Joos Vice Chairman Heritage Baptist Church 8186 Dover Point Road Dover, NH 03820 Phone: 603.749.0762

Dr. Bud Steadman Secretary Baptist World Mission PO Box 2149 Decatur, AL 35602-2149 Phone: 256.353.2221

Pastor Michael Privett Treasurer Summit View Baptist Church 31 N Highway 25 Bypass Travelers Rest, SC 29617 Phone:  757.206.9544

And the Executive Board:

Dr. Ron Allen Bible Baptist Church 2724 Margaret Wallace Road Matthews, NC 28105 704.535.1692

Rev. Mike Ascher Good News Baptist Church 3252 Taylor Road Chesapeake, VA 23321 757.488.3241

Dr. James Baker Tabernacle Baptist Church 717 N. Whitehurst Landing Road Virginia Beach, VA 23464 757.424.4673

Rev. Earl Barnett King Cove Bible Chapel PO Box 45 King Cove, AK 99612 (907) 497-2076 (907) 414-1402 Cell

Dr. David Byford Faith Baptist Church 7023 Deer Trail Road Manhattan KS 66503 785.539.3363

Dr. Robert Condict Upper Cross Roads Baptist Church 2717 Greene Road Baldwin MD 21013 410.557.7427

Rev. Jeff Davis EMU International 325 Regency Circle Anderson, SC 29625 864.617.7156

Mr. Roger Duvall 22 Elmwood Drive Taylors, SC 29687 864.420.0892

Dr. Ken Endean Tri-City Baptist Church 2211 W Germann Road Chandler, AZ 85286 480.245.7969

Pastor Tony Facenda Stillwaters Baptist Church Milepost 4 1/2 US 158 Nags Head, NC 27959 (252) 255-1835

CH (COL) Gary Fisher 2634 Wisser Street​ Honolulu, HI 98619 785.492.7667

Pastor Terry Hamilton Friendship Baptist Church 700 Boyson Rd NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 319.393.6990

Dr. Mike Harding First Baptist Church of Troy 2601 John R Troy MI 48084 810.689.4555

Dr. Craig Hartman Shalom Ministries Inc 2152 Ralph Avenue #601 Brooklyn NY 11234 718.232.8233

Dr. Dale Heffernan Midland Baptist Church 1860 North Tyler Road Wichita, KS 67212 316.721.1860

Rev. Arin Hess 7210 Orchard Street Lincoln, NE 68505 402.750.0555

Dr. David Innes Hamilton Square Baptist Church 1212 Geary St. San Francisco CA 94109 415.673.8586

Rev. Don Johnson Grace Baptist Church 2731 Matson Road Victoria, BC CANADA V9B 4M5

Dr. Stephen Jones Bob Jones University 1700 Wade Hampton Blvd Greenville, SC 29614

Dr. Larry Karsies Harvest Hills Baptist Church 9713 North County Line Road Yukon, OK 73099 405.721.1920

Dr. Mark Minnick Mt. Calvary Baptist Church 115 Cedar Lane Road Greenville SC 29601 864.233.1684

Rev. Jeff Musgrave The Exchange 10100 Glenayre Court Parker, CO 80134 303.798.1204

Dr. Larry Oats Maranatha Baptist University 745 West Main Street Watertown WI 53094 920.206.2324

Dr. David Pennington Penn Coaching & Consulting 2018 Freeport Drive Indian Trail, NC 28079 317.507.6001

Dr. Chuck Phelps Colonial Hills Baptist Church 8140 Union Chapel Road Indianapolis, IN 46240 317.253.5597

Dr. Kent Ramler People’s Baptist Church 6648 Carpenter Road Frederick, MD 21703 301.473.5635

Dr. C. Matthew Recker Heritage Baptist Church PO Box 7925 New York NY 10016 212.947-5316

Rev. Stephen Russell Central Baptist Church 1812 Honeysuckle Road Dothan AL 36305-4224 334.794.9214

Dr. Dale Seaman Calvary Baptist Church 1768 N Newcomb Street Porterville, CA 93257 559.783.0857

Dr. Will Senn Tri-City Baptist Church 6953 W 92nd Lane Westminster, CO 80021-4074 303.424.2287

Rev. Ron Smith Jr Victory Baptist Church/AFBM PO Box 2462 California City CA 93504 760.373.7314

Rev. Jeremy Sweatt Farmington Avenue Baptist Church 149 Mountain Rd West Hartford CT 06107 860.521.8380

Rev. Dan Unruh Westside Baptist Church 6260 West 4th Street Greeley CO 80634 970.346.8610

Dr. John C. Vaughn 109 Saffron Way Taylors SC 29687 864.325.2531

CH (COL) Joe Willis USAR RET 2021 Bradbury Rd Adams TN 37010 813.767.2734

Pastor Doug Wright Keystone Baptist Church 15 Keystone Lane Berryville, VA 22611 540.955.3410

Dr. Mike Yarborough Faith Baptist Church 1445 Fertilizer Road Riegelwood, NC 28456 919.622.5309

Dr. Wayne Van Gelderen Jr. Falls Baptist Church N69 W12703 Appleton Avenue Menomonee Falls WI 53051 414.251.7051

And then the board members they keep around on an “Advisory Board”:

Rev. Mark Brock Crossway Baptist Church 4600 Ashe Rd. #318 Bakersfield, CA 93313 661.900.2578

Dr. Ron Ehmann Northwest Baptist Missions PO Box 548 Toole, UT 84074

Mr. Mark Herbster Maranatha Baptist University 745 West Main Street Watertown, WI 53094

Dr. Marty Herron Harvest Baptist Church PO Box 23189 Barrigada, GU 96921

Dr. Jeff Kahl W10085 Pike Plains Road Dunbar, WI 54119 704.989.8517

Dr. Greg Kaminski Westside Baptist Church 1375 Irving Road Eugene, OR 07404

CDR Tavis Long, CHC, USN 1820 Sunsprite Loop Chesapeake, VA 23323 662.812.5288

Ch. Maj. Nathan Mestler International Baptist College 2211 W Germann Rd Chandler, Arizona 85286

Rev. Dan Pelletier Hamilton Square Baptist Church 1212 Geary Blvd. San Francisco, CA 94109

CH (COL) Michael Shellman 206 South Courthouse Road Arlington, VA 22204 910.309.6776 Board Emeritus

Dr. Rick Arrowood 104 Rambling Creek Cv Byron, GA 31008-9584 317.217.1600

Dr. Charles Britt Sr. 3979 Kristen Street Spring Hill TN 37174 931.489.9248

Dr. Gerald Carlson 53 Gideon Road Sebring, FL 33870 252.452.1112

Dr. Edward Caughill 206 Cooleys Crest Lane Inman SC 29349 757.479.1195

Dr. Walter Coles Good News Baptist Church 3252 Taylor Road Chesapeake VA 23321 757.488.3241

Dr. Johnny Daniels Calvary Baptist Tabernacle PO Box 3390 Carolina, PR 00984 787.750.2227

Dr. Bill Hall 75 Wintergreen Ave Greeneville TN 37745 423.638.8087

Dr. Bruce Hamilton Hamilton Acres Baptist Church 138 Farewell Avenue Fairbanks AK 99701 907.456.5995

Dr. Bob Jones III Bob Jones University 419 Library Drive Greenville SC 29609 864.242.5100

Dr. Peter Maruyama Narashino Baptist Church 4-17-10, Moto-Ohkubo Narashino, Chiba 275-0012 JAPAN 011.047.477.8910

Mr. Mike Moreau Harvest Media, Inc 22 Briarwood Court Schaumburg IL 60193 847.352.4345

Dr. Fred Moritz 149 Marsh Creek Drive Garner, NC 27529 (256) 318-0897

Dr. Les Ollila PO Box 40 Pembine, WI 54156 715.324.6900

Rev. Wilbur W. Schoneweis Emmanuel Independent Baptist Church 411 Blunt Street Clay Center KS 67432 785.632.5939

Dr. Robert Taylor Colonial Hills Baptist Church 8140 Union Chapel Road Indianapolis IN 46240 317.253.5597

Dr. George Youstra 1984 Georgia Circle Clearwater FL 33760 727.538.1920

I’ve bolded those names who are either current or former members of the BJU Board of Trustees. UPDATE: I eliminated this indication after receiving all the names who signed.

The men present who voted unanimously were either all of those or some of those. We don’t know. We can presume that the Officers were all likely present: Kevin Schaal, Gordan Dickson, Taigen Joos, Bud Steadman, and Michael Privett.

Who abstained? Bob III didn’t. Mike Harding as a present BJU Board member? Stephen Jones as a very absent member of the Royal family? Mark Minnick as a current employee?

The only name on there that I can guarantee did not abstain was Don Johnson, but he’s an old friend of mine. ;)

What do you think?

UPDATE, May 15, 2023: The Positives have added an unredacted signatory list. WutBJU will mark all those signatories on the above list in bold italics.

[wutbju]

Initially, however, after the first of the year, Rick Altizer wanted to especially announce that:

We have officially organized as Positive BJU Grads & Friends (PBJU), an Independent Alumni Membership Organization, and (soon) a 501(c)3 organization. We are registered in South Carolina as a nonprofit religious organization that can accept members and collect dues and donations.

Dues? You want to collect dues?

It's true that they did register on December 13, 2022. And "Positive BJU Grads & Friends Independent Alumni Member Organization" is a pretty terrible name, Rick.

But dues?

[wutbju]

The BJU Board of Trustees Executive Committee has a busy week ahead.

The +++Positives+++ are focused on the vote that will occur on this Friday, March 10. They say:

The executive committee (EC) of the BJU board of trustees is having their regular monthly meeting this Friday, March 10. The EC is currently six men who seem to be divided into three groups. The group that has most consistently opposed Dr. Pettit: John Lewis, Joe Helm, and Hantz Bernard; two who now seem to be supportive of Dr. Pettit: Sam Dawson, Mike Harding; and finally, Jerry Morgan, who had been very positive about Dr. Pettit over the last year. We are praying that the EC will advise Dr. Lewis to retire or resign this week, and that new EC majority will support the current positive direction and growth of BJU.

And then on the 28th:

As part of the board’s annual meeting, the EC will meet again on Tuesday, March 28 when they will discuss the renewal of four board members. If the renewals are recommended and approved by the EC, the board member renewals will be voted on by the full board on March 29-30. If any of the four board members are non-renewed by the EC, those board members would simply roll off, without any vote by the board. The EC could also nominate new board members for a vote of the full board on March 29-30.

We believe these self-perpetuating EC provisions of the board bylaws are the most troubling–-that a small minority of the full board (only four EC members) can control the future of the university. There are two pro-Pettit board members and two additional board members who are more “in the middle” up for renewal at this annual meeting. We will be watching the actions of the chairman and the EC as they have several different choices that they can make with regards to the makeup of the BJU board.

But two women -- Holly Helm Davis and Heather Helm Olson -- object to "the names that were named" saying that it's a "complete falsehood."

Now who could they be related to. Hmmm.....

[wutbju]

Well, we found the second deletion from the BJU Board of Trustees: Tim Stanley, Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee and Vice Chair of the enter Board of Trustees.

We could believe the +++Positives+++ that Stanley left because he was a rabblerouser. But when the guy in charge of your school's finances leaves, it does prompt other questions.

BJU has blustered through a lot of money guys in the last few years--Marshall Franklin, Kennie Still, Ed Cone.

And then there's the "financial crisis" comments from 2016. The "disheartening" financial discussions among this same Finance & Audit Committee in 2018.

The +++Positives+++ want us to think this is all about girls in pants and BJUGrass. But if the finance guys won't stay, there are problems we aren't seeing.

And you can't trust Altizer's judgment.

[wutbju]

Still hilarious.

[wutbju]

[wutbju]

Ron Bean is WutBJU's best promoter!

The BJU student body rapidly declined during the last 3-4 years of BJ III's presidency. Likely contributing factors were the reduction in the number of Christian schools, particularly those of the same cultural mindset of BJU, and the fact that parents who had attended BJU in the 70's and 80's started to choose other schools for their children. BJIII retired, Stephen Jones briefly took the helm and started implementing change and was followed by Steve Pettit, who continued to implement change, while maintaining the school's strong doctrinal stand. The exodus of students stopped, leveled, and started slow growth that was interrupted by COVID. While BJU started building relationships with groups like the GARBC and the IFCA, the FBFI was critical of the changes. Evidently the criticisms of the FBFI were messaged by SOME members of that group to the BJU board. This week the BJU board (described by one of its members as "dysfunctional") will be deciding whether to renew Steve Pettit's contract. If SP's contract is not renewed, it is likely that there will be a quiet exodus of students as well as some faculty and staff. That would be damaging to BJU as I suspect there aren't a great number of prospective students waiting for BJU's standards to be returned to the pre-Pettit days. That would probably lead to the demise of BJU. Sadly there are some who have said they would rather have BJU close rather than continue its present course. There are some like Lou Martuneac, Camille Lewis, and the devil who will delight if that happens. There will also be some who  will claim the BJU closed because of the changes under SP's leadership when it's his leadership that kept the school alive.

[wutbju]

A reader submitted a theory for the BJU President #5 this morning, and it's got legs.

Dick "Dicky" Stratton is a BJU faculty kid whose dad's name is already on a building ([Mel] Stratton Hall). He left the BJU faculty to oversee Clearwater until its close from 2002-2012. He was an "executive pastor" at Heritage for two years (never preached), and then he worked for .... (wait for it)....

Jackson Dawson!

Last Fall with little fanfare, he slipped back into the BJU administration -- just as the BJU Board was growing restless with Steve Pettit's lack of BJU-esque standards.

Was he placed in the wings to swoop in when Pettit left at graduation?

The problem with this theory is that Stratton signed the big protest letter to the Board on April 3, 2023:

Did that disqualify him in the eyes of the Board?

This week Holly Stratton posted a long comment about her "prayer" for her alma mater:

Twenty years ago my increasing involvement in mediation efforts stirred my interest in the dynamics of relational conflict. From an online course, to webinars, to book recommendations that I’m still tackling today— I quickly learned how consistently research has shown that human response in the face of conflict is surprisingly predictable. Training in mediation & negotiation efforts centers on that predictability, and it’s become core in much of the training in organizational consulting. A lover of people & relational health, this study captivates me and has proven invaluable for all that God has called me to do.

Insight that has been especially helpful to my current conversations revolves around the findings that demonstrate healthy relational CHANGE within communities (whether families, churches, corporations, or institutions) is rarely seen when we view ourselves as a “community of problems” as opposed to a “community of possibilities.”That when we focus on problems, we unwittingly find ourselves gripped by desires for retribution more than the delights of restitution.

Creating a “community of possibilities” begins with the understanding that we as humans have proven ourselves to be very impoverished storytellers of our communities. Research has demonstrated repeatedly that the limitations of our perspectives, the miscalculations of our motivation assessments, and the unreliability of our memories along with the confirmation biases that emotionally shape our thoughts— all inevitably inject error into our narratives. In addition to this, we are also plagued with personal blind spots that expand in the face of conflict. Studies consistently show that a laser-focus on the problems of those in front of us inevitably blinds us to our own.

Learning to skillfully direct conversation away from the problems of community and toward the “breakdown of community” is crucial in mediation. Because a failure in focusing on that breakdown is exactly what starts the cycle of dysfunction that shuts down the capability of effectively addressing the very problems we want solved.

Storytelling is a vital part of healthy community, but not if we fail to recognize the grave harm of “limiting” stories that keep us tethered to painful personal experience; and not if those stories are told with voices of retribution that offer no genuine ability to be edited. Instead of moving us forward, limiting stories deprive us of loving community and the fresh air of hope, keeping us locked in cycles of relational dysfunction. (i.e. shaming those who shamed; judging those who judged; hurting those who hurt; controlling those who controlled; manipulating those who manipulated.)

Our human “justice buttons” become increasingly insatiable in the midst of unresolved conflict and no retribution ever proves to be enough, forcing all future flourishing to flow from the benchmark of past problems. Held hostage to those past problems, the potential for CHANGE is stifled enough to only ever be superficial.

Being a storyteller of possibilities is not about pretending problems don’t exist, and it’s certainly not about sweeping them under the rug. It’s about leaning into the grave limitations of our humanity enough to care as deeply about the narratives that we create about others as much as we care about how, when & to whom we tell them.

Once conflicts swirl wildly enough to be brought in the open for public consumption, there is one thing we can KNOW without knowing another thing: the sown seeds of discord began with a breakdown of community, not with the problems of that community. My earnest prayer for my alma mater is that every room will find healing wherever there is breakdown of community— from the dorm room, to the classroom, to the conference room, to the board room.

Lord, please teach us to be wise storytellers by weaving your Story into our hearts enough for us to be known by the love we have for each other. Humble us. Disarm us. And fill us with the joy of your goodness enough to peacefully rest.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

“Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.” Prov 25:15

How do you read the situation? Is Holly tipping her hat that Dick will be BJU President #5? Or is it the opposite? Holly seems to indicate that it's the opposite:

Remember it's not whether or not Dick is qualified for the presidency (he is). It's not whether or not the alumni would like Dick as the president (they would).

It's all about what the Board wants. Would the Board want the former Clearwater president? Would they allow a man who signed a protest letter to take the helm? Would they want a non-preacher in the pulpit?