The Spring 2013 chapel lineup is about what you would expect: a conservative Republican politician, the president of the SBC, a former large church pastor and current denominational agency head's wife, a ministry professor, etc. We're even going to hear from D. James Kennedy's replacement at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, FL to ensure that we get the requisite dose of Calvinism.
But the Founder's Day Chapel was rightly given to Tom Terry, a longtime OBU administrator and archivist. Last year's Founder's Day preacher was the Rev. Dr. John Bisagno, a distinguished alum to be sure, but someone who looked the other way as fundamentalists took over the SBC. The year before that, Provost Stan Norman preached the Founder's Day sermon, a rather unfortunate irony. Bob Agee, President Whitlock, and John Parrish spoke in 2010, 2009, and 2008, respectively.
The invitation to Terry came from David Whitlock directly, and kudos to the president for inviting someone to speak who would not be inclined to support the fundamentalists' vision for a new OBU. The press release indicated that Terry named a number of key OBU figures over the years who were not there at the beginning, but who were, in a sense, founders in their own right. Seeing a few names of people who are decidedly not fundamentalists and who oppose (or would have opposed) the fundamentalist encroachment we've seen in recent years, I decided to listen to the address.
Interestingly, Terry noted that before the BGCO accepted Shawnee's offer to donate land and funds for a building, the convention accepted an offer from Oklahoma City. But the offer came with a condition from the chief benefactor, a Mr. Putnam, that he be allowed to appoint half the trustees. Of course, the convention declined.
Along with legendary coach Bob Bass, Terry lifted up former athletic director and women's basketball coach David Sallee ('73) as having been instrumental in making OBU compliant with Title IX and expanding opportunities for women's athletics. As many of you know, Sallee is now president of William Jewell College in Liberty, MO and was a strong advocate for academic freedom and respectability when the fundamentalist Missouri Baptist Convention tried to take over William Jewell. Terry also told the stories of legendary professors and administrators, including Juanita Milsap, Donald G. Osborn, William E. Neptune, and Mary Kay (Higgenbotham) Parrish. These dedicated educators helped build OBU into an academically rigorous institution with a reputation for excellence -- a reputation somewhat imperiled by sliding rankings, administrative blunders, and widespread public concern about encroaching fundamentalism in several departments.
I'm not trying to say that Terry gave a rousing defense of the moderate Baptists' accomplishments in Christian higher education or that he slammed the fundamentalists. It wasn't that kind of speech. But it does serve to remind us that anyone who tries to imagine OBU as a fundamentalist school DOES NOT have history on his side. The people who made OBU great are people who were committed to academic rigor, academic freedom, and the integration of learning with a searching, honest faith that sincere Baptists, both fundamentalist and moderate, have held though the years. There is no way anyone can support faculty purges, fundamentalist-inspired curricular interventions, or the watering down of key subject areas and still claim to be in accordance with the ideals of OBU's founding.
Also, I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth. Maybe not all of the people mentioned want to go on the record against the problems Save OBU has highlighted. I was just pleasantly surprised that Terry's address mentioned so many moderates! It is refreshing to hear some of the true great "founders" praised on Founders' Day.
And it was a wonderful, appropriate way to honor Tom Terry, who in addition to a long administrative career served as interim president in 1982. We probably won't see OBU historians like Slayden Yarbrough or Jerry Faught in the Raley Chapel pulpit any time soon (and that's a shame). Tom Terry is and OBU historian of the highest order, and I certainly am thankful for his message.
Fundamentalists did not make OBU great. They are a threat to OBU's greatness. Let's not forget that.
P.S. A few years ago, I recalled that J. Edgar Hoover once spoke at OBU. Curious, I emailed Terry and asked him about the event. He sent me a large packet of information pertaining to every aspect of Hoover coming to OBU, from President Raley's invitation to local press accounts of the address. (Maybe I'll write about it sometime, just for fun.) I don't know Tom Terry personally and I'm sure he has no clue who I am. But I certainly appreciate him and his service to OBU over many decades.
Showing posts with label Tom Elliff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Elliff. Show all posts
Friday, February 8, 2013
Friday, July 13, 2012
Headline: "Future of OBU Prompts Baptist Group to Form"
The Daily Oklahoman did a nice write-up (text below) that will alert tens of thousands of readers to our struggle! Here are some quotes from the article:
Well, don't get too excited.
The article "Future of OBU Prompts Baptist Group to Form" ran in 1997.
That's right. The quotations above and text below are from an article about the formation of a group called Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists. You may know of the group through the work of its executive director, Rev. Dr. Bruce Prescott. Bruce has been a leader on theological, social justice, and church/state issues in Oklahoma for almost 15 years. He's also a prolific blogger who you should follow on Twitter.
But a lot of people may have forgotten that Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists was formed largely over concern for OBU. Though broadly a response to the Takeover that had, by then, engulfed most state conventions including the BGCO, one major event provided the impetus to get Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists off the ground: In July 1997, Rev. Dr. Bob Agee announced his retirement from the OBU presidency. Agee, as we have said before, did a masterful job of shielding OBU from the nasty politics of the Takeover. During his tenure, OBU dramatically increased its reputation for excellence in Christian liberal arts education. Agee had the trust of the faculty and, equally important for the job, he knew how to play nice with the fundamentalists. He was a tireless advocate for and vociferous defender of academic freedom, open inquiry, and all the things about liberal arts universities that might make fundamentalist Oklahoma Baptist pastors nervous. Agee was more than the right person for the job. To many, it seemed he might be the only person for the job. Who else could protect OBU from outside interference while still navigating the folkways of Oklahoma churches and the institutional politics of post-Takeover SBC and BGCO life?
Against the backdrop of Agee's retirement was the fact that a prominent fundamentalist from Oklahoma, Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff, had just been elected to his second one-year term as SBC president. Would the SBC try to meddle in the presidential search? Could the same BGCO that censured the legendary Joe Ingram be trusted to elect trustees that would find a qualified leader -- rather than a fundamentalist ideologue -- to fill Agee's post? There was a lot of fear on Bison Hill about these issues, and the fear resonated with Baptists throughout Oklahoma who opposed the Takeover crowd and their tactics.
Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists did, in fact, form in 1997, as the Oklahoman article states. But while the group has gone on to do absolutely wonderful work on a number of fronts, it has not been active in advocating on behalf of OBU in many years. Bruce quickly became persona non grata among the BGCO elites, and even a lot of OBU people were pretty tight-lipped around him. I feared I might have the same problem -- no one at OBU would tell me what's really going on -- but luckily I have earned my sources' confidence by prodigiously guarding their anonymity. Years ago, Bruce tried to place an ad in a facebook OBU produced for incoming students. Apparently that went over about as well as if I tried to place an ad for Save OBU in The Bison. Correctly sensing that his considerable knowledge and talents could be better utilized in important work elsewhere, Bruce has helped make Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists a significant, prophetic advocate for historic Baptist principles.
Sorry to disappoint those of you who thought maybe there was a significant news story about Save OBU. To this point, we have not sought media attention. While I want people to know about our struggle, I don't want the world to know what has happened at OBU in recent years. It's embarrassing. So I'm torn about whether media coverage would help or hurt our cause.
But please do read the 1997 article. Some of you will recognize many of the names. Fifteen years later, the challenge is even greater. But we remain committed. For now, we are still trying to raise awareness among current students, alumni, and people who may have written off OBU years ago but would be surprised to learn that things were actually going pretty well until Provost Norman got there. (OBU was ranked #109 in the U.S. by Forbes that year.) Save OBU has no staff, no budget, and no media consultants. We are completely dependent on concerned constituents to spread the word to classmates and friends. If you're new to the site, please take some time to check out the other posts and links. And please share our blog as widely as possible.
- "Saying they fear 'fundamentalists' will take control of Oklahoma Baptist University, some state Baptists who are unhappy with their denomination's leadership are trying a new tactic."
- "Said two alumni, 'Our concern for the future of OBU has been triggered by the controversial takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention by a few powerful fundamentalist leaders.'"
- "A proponent added that the group is being formed 'to protect academic freedom at OBU, to uphold historic Baptist principles, to promote full inclusion of Baptists in state convention activities and to promote a free, responsible and fair Baptist press in the state.'"
- "When asked if he was frustrated, BGCO Executive Director-Treasurer Rev. Anthony Jordan said, 'I don't get too frustrated, simply because I care about these people. I have a desire to do all I can to help them to come along with the rest of Oklahoma Baptists.'"
Well, don't get too excited.
The article "Future of OBU Prompts Baptist Group to Form" ran in 1997.
That's right. The quotations above and text below are from an article about the formation of a group called Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists. You may know of the group through the work of its executive director, Rev. Dr. Bruce Prescott. Bruce has been a leader on theological, social justice, and church/state issues in Oklahoma for almost 15 years. He's also a prolific blogger who you should follow on Twitter.
But a lot of people may have forgotten that Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists was formed largely over concern for OBU. Though broadly a response to the Takeover that had, by then, engulfed most state conventions including the BGCO, one major event provided the impetus to get Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists off the ground: In July 1997, Rev. Dr. Bob Agee announced his retirement from the OBU presidency. Agee, as we have said before, did a masterful job of shielding OBU from the nasty politics of the Takeover. During his tenure, OBU dramatically increased its reputation for excellence in Christian liberal arts education. Agee had the trust of the faculty and, equally important for the job, he knew how to play nice with the fundamentalists. He was a tireless advocate for and vociferous defender of academic freedom, open inquiry, and all the things about liberal arts universities that might make fundamentalist Oklahoma Baptist pastors nervous. Agee was more than the right person for the job. To many, it seemed he might be the only person for the job. Who else could protect OBU from outside interference while still navigating the folkways of Oklahoma churches and the institutional politics of post-Takeover SBC and BGCO life?
Against the backdrop of Agee's retirement was the fact that a prominent fundamentalist from Oklahoma, Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff, had just been elected to his second one-year term as SBC president. Would the SBC try to meddle in the presidential search? Could the same BGCO that censured the legendary Joe Ingram be trusted to elect trustees that would find a qualified leader -- rather than a fundamentalist ideologue -- to fill Agee's post? There was a lot of fear on Bison Hill about these issues, and the fear resonated with Baptists throughout Oklahoma who opposed the Takeover crowd and their tactics.
Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists did, in fact, form in 1997, as the Oklahoman article states. But while the group has gone on to do absolutely wonderful work on a number of fronts, it has not been active in advocating on behalf of OBU in many years. Bruce quickly became persona non grata among the BGCO elites, and even a lot of OBU people were pretty tight-lipped around him. I feared I might have the same problem -- no one at OBU would tell me what's really going on -- but luckily I have earned my sources' confidence by prodigiously guarding their anonymity. Years ago, Bruce tried to place an ad in a facebook OBU produced for incoming students. Apparently that went over about as well as if I tried to place an ad for Save OBU in The Bison. Correctly sensing that his considerable knowledge and talents could be better utilized in important work elsewhere, Bruce has helped make Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists a significant, prophetic advocate for historic Baptist principles.
Sorry to disappoint those of you who thought maybe there was a significant news story about Save OBU. To this point, we have not sought media attention. While I want people to know about our struggle, I don't want the world to know what has happened at OBU in recent years. It's embarrassing. So I'm torn about whether media coverage would help or hurt our cause.
But please do read the 1997 article. Some of you will recognize many of the names. Fifteen years later, the challenge is even greater. But we remain committed. For now, we are still trying to raise awareness among current students, alumni, and people who may have written off OBU years ago but would be surprised to learn that things were actually going pretty well until Provost Norman got there. (OBU was ranked #109 in the U.S. by Forbes that year.) Save OBU has no staff, no budget, and no media consultants. We are completely dependent on concerned constituents to spread the word to classmates and friends. If you're new to the site, please take some time to check out the other posts and links. And please share our blog as widely as possible.
Future of OBU Prompts Baptist Group to Form
The Daily Oklahoman - Monday, November 10, 1997
Author: Pat Gilliland, Religion Editor
Saying they fear "fundamentalists" will take control of Oklahoma Baptist University, some state Baptists who are unhappy with their denomination's leadership are trying a new tactic.
Bob Stephenson, a member of First Baptist Church in Norman, said a new group, Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists , will hold its first official meeting Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
Stephenson said that although a steering committee was formed in January to study creation of such a group, OBU President Bob Agee's announcement in July that he will retire next year makes the work of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists more crucial.
In a letter on Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists stationery, OBU graduates Charles Montgomery and Lisa Todd expressed their concern that academic freedom would be stifled at the Shawnee college after Agee retires.
"Our concern for the future of OBU has been triggered by the controversial takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention by a few powerful fundamentalist leaders," they wrote in a letter to OBU alumni.
The letter included an invitation to Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists ' organizational meeting at noon Tuesday at First Baptist Church, 1201 N Robinson, Oklahoma City.
But the Rev. Anthony Jordan, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, said he sees the "new" group as nothing more than a different - and questionable - name for the same people who have been fussing about changes in the denomination for more than 15 years.
Stephenson, Dan Hobbs, Rick McClatchy and other steering committee members also are involved with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, formed earlier this decade by Southern Baptists upset with what they considered the fundamentalist takeover of the denomination.
Jordan also scoffed at concerns about selecting a replacement for Agee.
The committee, which was selected by OBU's board of trustees to search for a new president, is from the mainstream of Oklahoma Baptists, Jordan said.
The new president may have different leadership skills, "but it is unlikely he will be different in his theological commitments," he said.
Jordan said he thinks real "mainstream" Oklahoma Baptists support the traditional avenues of the denomination's leadership, including the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
The annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma will begin tonight and continue through Tuesday at Council Road Baptist Church, 2900 N Council Road in Bethany.
In past years, state Baptist leaders have maintained an image of cooperation and harmony during their annual meeting, even when controversy emerged in other states or on the national level.
Stephenson said the Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists organization would like to challenge the status quo and "hopefully pull the Oklahoma convention back to what we consider its basic Baptist roots."
Stephenson, a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's national coordinating council, said the experiences of Baptists in other states indicate the need for two organizations to counter the denomination's fundamentalist leadership.
One group is needed for people who don't want to look at the past, he said.
"And then there are those of us who want, not really to retake the Southern Baptist Convention - as far as we're concerned it's gone - but we feel we have a duty: The Baptists of Oklahoma do have a right to know what has happened."
Rick McClatchy, coordinator of the Cooperating Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma (CBFO), agreed.
"Some people will be involved in both organizations, because they like the missions and ministry of the CBFO but are still actively involved BGCO and want (it) to practice Baptist polity and principles," McClatchy said.
"Other people will belong only to the CBFO because they have no desire to be involved any longer in the work or politics of the BGCO."
In their letter to OBU alumni, Montgomery and Todd contend the leadership change in the past 18 years transformed the Southern Baptist Convention from a nonpolitical religious denomination that defended academic freedom and local church autonomy into a "right-wing political organization with little tolerance for dissent."
They said Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists is being formed to protect academic freedom at OBU, to uphold historic Baptist principles, to promote full inclusion of Baptists in state convention activities and to promote a free, responsible and fair Baptist press in the state.
The Rev. Ted Kersh, president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, said he, like Jordan, thinks most Oklahoma Baptists would disagree with the new group's position about what is mainstream.
"I think the rest of Oklahoma Baptists are saying, `We don't have time for this; we want to get on with the work,' " Kersh said.
"We're going to stay strongly committed to the word of God. That will never be questioned."
Southern Baptists make up the largest religious denomination in Oklahoma, with about 700,000 members in 1,600 churches.
Stephenson said he thinks Oklahomans who generally don't get care or get involved with denominational politics will regret it if a fundamentalist becomes OBU president.
Stephenson tied some of his concern about OBU to the election of the Rev. Tom Elliff, pastor of Del City First Southern Baptist Church, as president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1996 and 1997.
Underlying Stephenson's concern about Elliff's influence is the firing of a Southern Baptist Theological Seminary reference librarian who wrote a personal letter to Elliff questioning the accuracy of statements Elliff made in a speech.
Elliff has said he routinely forwards to the appropriate agencies, including the seminaries, copies of correspondence he receives involving them.
He said he did that with the librarian's letter but did not register any criticism, complaint or offense against the librarian.
Regarding OBU, Stephenson said he thinks the search committee would come up with an acceptable president .
"My concern is that the Southern Baptist Convention leadership will get involved," Stephenson said. "All over the SBC, anytime the fundamentalists have partial control, they find a way to get total control. That's our concern."
Jordan said he thinks the likelihood of a fundamentalist becoming president of OBU is the same as the chance of a liberal.
"Oklahoma Baptists are not fundamentalists. We are conservative."
Jordan said he's not frustrated by the detractors as much as he is saddened.
"I don't get too frustrated, simply because I care about these people. I have a desire to do all I can to help them to come along with the rest of Oklahoma Baptists," Jordan said.
Bob Stephenson, a member of First Baptist Church in Norman, said a new group, Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists , will hold its first official meeting Tuesday in Oklahoma City.
Stephenson said that although a steering committee was formed in January to study creation of such a group, OBU President Bob Agee's announcement in July that he will retire next year makes the work of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists more crucial.
In a letter on Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists stationery, OBU graduates Charles Montgomery and Lisa Todd expressed their concern that academic freedom would be stifled at the Shawnee college after Agee retires.
"Our concern for the future of OBU has been triggered by the controversial takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention by a few powerful fundamentalist leaders," they wrote in a letter to OBU alumni.
The letter included an invitation to Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists ' organizational meeting at noon Tuesday at First Baptist Church, 1201 N Robinson, Oklahoma City.
But the Rev. Anthony Jordan, executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, said he sees the "new" group as nothing more than a different - and questionable - name for the same people who have been fussing about changes in the denomination for more than 15 years.
Stephenson, Dan Hobbs, Rick McClatchy and other steering committee members also are involved with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, formed earlier this decade by Southern Baptists upset with what they considered the fundamentalist takeover of the denomination.
Jordan also scoffed at concerns about selecting a replacement for Agee.
The committee, which was selected by OBU's board of trustees to search for a new president, is from the mainstream of Oklahoma Baptists, Jordan said.
The new president may have different leadership skills, "but it is unlikely he will be different in his theological commitments," he said.
Jordan said he thinks real "mainstream" Oklahoma Baptists support the traditional avenues of the denomination's leadership, including the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
The annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma will begin tonight and continue through Tuesday at Council Road Baptist Church, 2900 N Council Road in Bethany.
In past years, state Baptist leaders have maintained an image of cooperation and harmony during their annual meeting, even when controversy emerged in other states or on the national level.
Stephenson said the Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists organization would like to challenge the status quo and "hopefully pull the Oklahoma convention back to what we consider its basic Baptist roots."
Stephenson, a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship's national coordinating council, said the experiences of Baptists in other states indicate the need for two organizations to counter the denomination's fundamentalist leadership.
One group is needed for people who don't want to look at the past, he said.
"And then there are those of us who want, not really to retake the Southern Baptist Convention - as far as we're concerned it's gone - but we feel we have a duty: The Baptists of Oklahoma do have a right to know what has happened."
Rick McClatchy, coordinator of the Cooperating Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma (CBFO), agreed.
"Some people will be involved in both organizations, because they like the missions and ministry of the CBFO but are still actively involved BGCO and want (it) to practice Baptist polity and principles," McClatchy said.
"Other people will belong only to the CBFO because they have no desire to be involved any longer in the work or politics of the BGCO."
In their letter to OBU alumni, Montgomery and Todd contend the leadership change in the past 18 years transformed the Southern Baptist Convention from a nonpolitical religious denomination that defended academic freedom and local church autonomy into a "right-wing political organization with little tolerance for dissent."
They said Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists is being formed to protect academic freedom at OBU, to uphold historic Baptist principles, to promote full inclusion of Baptists in state convention activities and to promote a free, responsible and fair Baptist press in the state.
The Rev. Ted Kersh, president of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, said he, like Jordan, thinks most Oklahoma Baptists would disagree with the new group's position about what is mainstream.
"I think the rest of Oklahoma Baptists are saying, `We don't have time for this; we want to get on with the work,' " Kersh said.
"We're going to stay strongly committed to the word of God. That will never be questioned."
Southern Baptists make up the largest religious denomination in Oklahoma, with about 700,000 members in 1,600 churches.
Stephenson said he thinks Oklahomans who generally don't get care or get involved with denominational politics will regret it if a fundamentalist becomes OBU president.
Stephenson tied some of his concern about OBU to the election of the Rev. Tom Elliff, pastor of Del City First Southern Baptist Church, as president of the Southern Baptist Convention in 1996 and 1997.
Underlying Stephenson's concern about Elliff's influence is the firing of a Southern Baptist Theological Seminary reference librarian who wrote a personal letter to Elliff questioning the accuracy of statements Elliff made in a speech.
Elliff has said he routinely forwards to the appropriate agencies, including the seminaries, copies of correspondence he receives involving them.
He said he did that with the librarian's letter but did not register any criticism, complaint or offense against the librarian.
Regarding OBU, Stephenson said he thinks the search committee would come up with an acceptable president .
"My concern is that the Southern Baptist Convention leadership will get involved," Stephenson said. "All over the SBC, anytime the fundamentalists have partial control, they find a way to get total control. That's our concern."
Jordan said he thinks the likelihood of a fundamentalist becoming president of OBU is the same as the chance of a liberal.
"Oklahoma Baptists are not fundamentalists. We are conservative."
Jordan said he's not frustrated by the detractors as much as he is saddened.
"I don't get too frustrated, simply because I care about these people. I have a desire to do all I can to help them to come along with the rest of Oklahoma Baptists," Jordan said.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
The Next Two Weeks
Happy Saturday, everyone!
I'm in the middle of teaching a monthlong summer school course on Comparative Political Systems at Georgetown. Veronica will be squeezing in another condensed, weeklong seminary course at TCU later this month as well. Even if the pace of our blog posting has slowed somewhat, a lot is going on behind the scenes. We're continuing to build collaborations with other teetering Baptist institutions and learning from their experiences. (Take a moment to read Save Our Shorter's description of its trustees' negligence. Then say a prayer of thanksgiving that OBU still has good trustees!)
Recent Posts
This week, we noted that OBU conferred an honorary doctorate upon Rev. Fred Luter, the New Orleans pastor who will be elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention next week. I still don't have a straight answer on whether a committee decides who should get honorary degrees or whether it's based on the president's unitary executive authority. But we were fairly alarmed to learn that OBU has given doctorates to two post-Takeover SBC presidents in the past year alone. Until now, we hadn't typically used the honorary degree as a way to cozy up to fundamentalist SBC elites, especially one without any OBU or Oklahoma connections besides being Stan Norman's friend. If you look at the list of post-Takeover SBC presidents, OBU has only honored Luter and the Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff. Though Elliff did enough damage on his own, it would be horrendous for OBU to go back and start giving honorary doctorates to Takeover-era SBC presidents, since many of them shamefully abided the destruction/fundamentalization of once-proud Baptist institutions.
On Thursday, I took at pass at blaming the SBC's membership decline on fundamentalism. It took some restraint.
The Next Two Weeks
Next week, the SBC Pastor's Conference and Annual Meeting take place in New Orleans. We'll be providing updates through our Facebook and Twitter feeds, but here on the blog we'll be taking a holistic look at the history of fundamentalism in the SBC. Clayton Mauritzen ('06) who has written here before, will be leading us through a six-part series that seeks to understand and explain the causes and consequences of the convention's institutionalization of fundamentalism.
The following week, past contributor Caitlin Dacus ('11) will lead us through a four-part examination of the Takeover's effect on Baptist missionaries. This is a tragic story that not many people know, and Caitlin's interests and experiences make her the ideal person to tell it. I definitely look forward to welcoming Clayton and Caitlin back to the blog!
We also have some exciting guest posts planned for later in the summer. Of course, we'll also be releasing the results of our BGCO pastor/church staff survey. And we have some interesting facts to present that will highlight Oklahoma Baptists' need to beef up their BCM funding, even if it comes at the expense of subsidizing OBU.
Save OBU Connections Continue to Build
Now that our movement is more than six months old, we're starting to see the positive, snowballing effects of connecting geographically- and temporally-dispersed faculty (current and former), alumni, retirees, students, and concerned Baptists. I'm hearing reports of Save OBU helping people connections, sharing stories, and building friendships at conferences, churches, and educational institutions. This is so wonderful to hear! Please keep the stories coming! (jlupfer [at] gmail [dot] com).
We didn't act in time to get a booth at the CBF General Assembly (June 20-23 in Ft. Worth), but please don't let that stop you from talking up OBU at an event where many concerned constituents will be present! We'll try to have a formal presence at next year's CBF assembly. And since next year's SBC is in Baltimore, I may just go myself. Until I get kicked out along with all the other barnacles and parasites :-)
Finally, if any of you are going to be in the Washington, D.C. area this summer, let me know! I'd love to compare notes and get to know you better.
-Jacob
I'm in the middle of teaching a monthlong summer school course on Comparative Political Systems at Georgetown. Veronica will be squeezing in another condensed, weeklong seminary course at TCU later this month as well. Even if the pace of our blog posting has slowed somewhat, a lot is going on behind the scenes. We're continuing to build collaborations with other teetering Baptist institutions and learning from their experiences. (Take a moment to read Save Our Shorter's description of its trustees' negligence. Then say a prayer of thanksgiving that OBU still has good trustees!)
Recent Posts
This week, we noted that OBU conferred an honorary doctorate upon Rev. Fred Luter, the New Orleans pastor who will be elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention next week. I still don't have a straight answer on whether a committee decides who should get honorary degrees or whether it's based on the president's unitary executive authority. But we were fairly alarmed to learn that OBU has given doctorates to two post-Takeover SBC presidents in the past year alone. Until now, we hadn't typically used the honorary degree as a way to cozy up to fundamentalist SBC elites, especially one without any OBU or Oklahoma connections besides being Stan Norman's friend. If you look at the list of post-Takeover SBC presidents, OBU has only honored Luter and the Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff. Though Elliff did enough damage on his own, it would be horrendous for OBU to go back and start giving honorary doctorates to Takeover-era SBC presidents, since many of them shamefully abided the destruction/fundamentalization of once-proud Baptist institutions.
On Thursday, I took at pass at blaming the SBC's membership decline on fundamentalism. It took some restraint.
The Next Two Weeks
Next week, the SBC Pastor's Conference and Annual Meeting take place in New Orleans. We'll be providing updates through our Facebook and Twitter feeds, but here on the blog we'll be taking a holistic look at the history of fundamentalism in the SBC. Clayton Mauritzen ('06) who has written here before, will be leading us through a six-part series that seeks to understand and explain the causes and consequences of the convention's institutionalization of fundamentalism.
The following week, past contributor Caitlin Dacus ('11) will lead us through a four-part examination of the Takeover's effect on Baptist missionaries. This is a tragic story that not many people know, and Caitlin's interests and experiences make her the ideal person to tell it. I definitely look forward to welcoming Clayton and Caitlin back to the blog!
We also have some exciting guest posts planned for later in the summer. Of course, we'll also be releasing the results of our BGCO pastor/church staff survey. And we have some interesting facts to present that will highlight Oklahoma Baptists' need to beef up their BCM funding, even if it comes at the expense of subsidizing OBU.
Save OBU Connections Continue to Build
Now that our movement is more than six months old, we're starting to see the positive, snowballing effects of connecting geographically- and temporally-dispersed faculty (current and former), alumni, retirees, students, and concerned Baptists. I'm hearing reports of Save OBU helping people connections, sharing stories, and building friendships at conferences, churches, and educational institutions. This is so wonderful to hear! Please keep the stories coming! (jlupfer [at] gmail [dot] com).
We didn't act in time to get a booth at the CBF General Assembly (June 20-23 in Ft. Worth), but please don't let that stop you from talking up OBU at an event where many concerned constituents will be present! We'll try to have a formal presence at next year's CBF assembly. And since next year's SBC is in Baltimore, I may just go myself. Until I get kicked out along with all the other barnacles and parasites :-)
Finally, if any of you are going to be in the Washington, D.C. area this summer, let me know! I'd love to compare notes and get to know you better.
-Jacob
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Post-Takeover SBC Presidents: Mayors of Crazy Town?
Last weekend, OBU sent a delegation to New Orleans to award SBC President-in-Waiting Fred Luter an honorary Doctor of Divinity. For 30 years after the Takeover, it was not OBU's practice to give out honorary degrees to SBC climbers and elites. Yet in the past month, we have given honorary doctorates to two SBC presidents. If anything, we should be keeping our distance from modern SBC leadership, which has collectively had a disastrous effect on academic freedom and Baptist distinctives over the past 30 years. Yet the David Whitlock Administration seems to be wasting no opportunity to cozy up to SBC elites.
So let's take a look at this prestigious fraternity. Chances are you'll recognize some, if not most, of the names.
Note that some of the events and statements reported below did not take place during that man's tenure as SBC president. Rather, the point is being fundamentalist and obsessive about political control and domination are prerequisites for the job. Being a little crazy usually helps, too. The recent presidents haven't been nearly as bad as the earlier ones. But then again, the first generation presidents did most of the dirty work. Nowadays, all the boards and institutions have already been pretty much destroyed. You can read about most of these guys in this handy online guide: 30 People, 7 Boards, 2 Committees, and 1 News Service Who Screwed Up the Southern Baptist Convention.
Rev. Adrian Rogers, TN (1979-1980)
After several years of planning by Takeover architects, Rogers's election signaled the beginning of the end for moderates in the SBC.
Rev. Bailey Smith, OK (1980-1982)
Tom Elliff's brother-in-law was special indeed. He claimed to know the limits of divine hearing, insisting "God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew." Just for kicks, he also quipped, "I don't know why God chose the Jew, they have such funny noses." I really hope Rev. Smith's sister dated a few Jewish guys before she married Tom Elliff.
Rev. Jimmy Draper, TX (1982-1984)
As SBC president, he continued the practice of appointing only fundamentalists to denominational boards and agencies. Later, as president of the Sunday School Board, he purged that organization of moderates through more than 100 early retirements and forced resignations.
Rev. Dr. Charles Stanley, GA (1984-1986)
He wasn't quite as much of a one-man wrecking ball as some of the other early Takeover presidents. But he dutifully appointed only fundamentalists to SBC boards and agencies. Stanley cashed in on his SBC fame and made a boatload of money writing devotional books.
Rev. Adrian Rogers, TN (1986-1988)
Even after his second stint as SBC president, Rogers continued to be active in the Takeover. Regarding his desire to police what SBC seminary professors taught, Rogers said "If we say pickles have souls, they better teach that pickles have souls!" Rogers also advocated that the WMU be "hardwired" into the convention's power structure -- in other words, that the convention strip the power of electing WMU board members from the state WMU organizations. Also, Rogers spearheaded a 1992 meeting where fundamentalists, having taken over the SBC, turned their sights on state conventions. Tellingly, this was shortly before Anthony Jordan and other fundamentalists led the BGCO to censure former Executive Director-Treasurer Joe Ingram for "consorting with moderates."
Rev. Dr. Jerry Vines, FL (1988-1990)
As SBC president, he continued the fundamentalist practice of appointing only like-minded people to SBC boards and agencies. You probably know Vines best for his description of the Prophet Mohammed as a "demon possessed pedophile." When pushed Vines cited a book by (now) Truett-McConnell College President Emir Caner (and his brother Ergun, who was demoted from Liberty University's administration for lying repeatedly about his life story and testimony).
Rev. Dr. Morris Chapman, TX (1990-1992)
Nominated for the SBC presidency by OBU alum Rev. Dr. John Bisagno, an influential pastor who had previously said he was neutral in the controversy. Chapman exemplified the growing hatred of moderates, informing the Baptist World Alliance that the SBC would be pulling out of the international Baptist body because it had admitted the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as a member.
Rev. Ed Young, TX (1992-1994)
More of the same. Particularly bad on church-state issues, reflecting the new normal for the SBC. It was on Young's watch that the SBC defunded the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs.
Rev. Dr. Jim Henry, FL (1994-1996)
The closest thing to a moderate the SBC presidency has seen since the Takeover began in 1979. As far as I know, he has not done or said anything too wacky.
Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff, OK (1996-1998)
Elliff continued the purge and marginalization of moderates. By now, you probably know about his comparison of moderates Baptists to barnacles on a ship. He recently spoke at OBU's commencement. To preserve decorum, the parasites seated on the platform behind him (OBU faculty) applauded politely. He has received two honors from OBU in the past year: the First Annual Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service and an honorary doctorate. Elliff now leads the SBC's International Mission Board, where liberty of the conscience once existed.
Rev. Dr. Paige Patterson, TX (1998-2000)
As president of Criswell College in the late 1970s, Patterson and Paul Pressler, a Houston judge and Baptist layman, formulated the original Takeover plan. Noting the massive appointive power of the SBC presidency, Patterson and Pressler realized that if a few fundamentalist presidents exclusively appointed fundamentalists to the denomination's boards and agencies, the whole organization would be thoroughly fundamentalist in just a decade or so. They were right.
Rev. Dr. James Merritt, GA (2000-2002)
Although Merritt dutifully exercised his expected post-Takeover duties, some Baptist elites and commentators didn't find him to be extreme enough. Merritt's son, Jonathan, is a popular cultural commentator who is somewhat less reflexively pro-Religious Right than most SBC elites. The prospect of the younger Merritt acceding to his father's pulpit someday horrifies some fundamentalists.
Rev. Dr. Jack Graham, TX (2002-2004)
About what you would expect. Graham oversaw the SBC's withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance. Perhaps most bizarrely, he supported a resolution at the 2004 SBC that called on Southern Baptists to remove their children from public schools.
Rev. Dr. Bobby Welch, FL (2004-2006)
Welch was one of the relatively normal ones. But given how far that goalpost has moved, that's not really saying much. Whereas other past presidents cashed in on their notoriety by writing books, Welch has snagged several plum positions in the SBC and state convention hierarchies.
Rev. Dr. Frank Page, SC (2006-2008)
Like his successors, Page obeyed the post-Takeover playbook and did the requisite Religious Right politicking. And like Welch, he managed to parlay his success into some nice, influential pre-retirement positions. Currently, Dr. Page is president of the SBC's Executive Committee, the powerful body that represents the SBC between its annual meetings.
Rev. Johnny Hunt, GA (2008-2010)
The accuracy of Hunt's resume sparked some controversy around the time of his election. But if legitimizing degree mills is the worst thing contemporary SBC presidents do, then I guess things could be worse. And pretty soon, a lot of once-great Baptist colleges may indeed become degree mills.
Rev. Bryant Wright, GA (2010-2012)
Wright has had the misfortune of presiding over several P.R. blunders, including the SBC name change debate and the fallout from SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land's plagiarized racist comments about Trayvon Martin, a young black man shot to death earlier this year by a white neighborhood watch patrolman. But if recent history is any guide, Wright will find a nice, six-figure pre-retirement retirement at some SBC agency or institution.
Rev. Fred Luter, LA (2012-2014)
So, given the less-than-illustrious history of his 16 most recent predecessors, can you understand why we're a little skeptical about David Whitlock's decision to give Luter an honorary doctorate? Every indication is that Luter will stand firmly in line with the post-Takeover status quo, which has created a horrible environment for what few legitimate Baptist educational institutions remain. Why are we ingratiating ourselves to SBC politicians when there are so many leaders who have stood with integrity for academic freedom and true Baptist distinctives that we could honor?
Note to members of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans: We here at Save OBU sincerely hope this award ceremony did not encroach on your Sunday worship. We realize that Pastor Luter has absolutely no relevant connections to Oklahoma Baptist University other than its administrators' desire to be in the good graces of a powerful figure. But by now you are used to people cozying up to your pastor for no other reason than his position in SBC politics. Sorry for the charade.
So let's take a look at this prestigious fraternity. Chances are you'll recognize some, if not most, of the names.
Note that some of the events and statements reported below did not take place during that man's tenure as SBC president. Rather, the point is being fundamentalist and obsessive about political control and domination are prerequisites for the job. Being a little crazy usually helps, too. The recent presidents haven't been nearly as bad as the earlier ones. But then again, the first generation presidents did most of the dirty work. Nowadays, all the boards and institutions have already been pretty much destroyed. You can read about most of these guys in this handy online guide: 30 People, 7 Boards, 2 Committees, and 1 News Service Who Screwed Up the Southern Baptist Convention.
Rev. Adrian Rogers, TN (1979-1980)
After several years of planning by Takeover architects, Rogers's election signaled the beginning of the end for moderates in the SBC.
Rev. Bailey Smith, OK (1980-1982)
Tom Elliff's brother-in-law was special indeed. He claimed to know the limits of divine hearing, insisting "God Almighty does not hear the prayer of a Jew." Just for kicks, he also quipped, "I don't know why God chose the Jew, they have such funny noses." I really hope Rev. Smith's sister dated a few Jewish guys before she married Tom Elliff.
Rev. Jimmy Draper, TX (1982-1984)
As SBC president, he continued the practice of appointing only fundamentalists to denominational boards and agencies. Later, as president of the Sunday School Board, he purged that organization of moderates through more than 100 early retirements and forced resignations.
Rev. Dr. Charles Stanley, GA (1984-1986)
He wasn't quite as much of a one-man wrecking ball as some of the other early Takeover presidents. But he dutifully appointed only fundamentalists to SBC boards and agencies. Stanley cashed in on his SBC fame and made a boatload of money writing devotional books.
Rev. Adrian Rogers, TN (1986-1988)
Even after his second stint as SBC president, Rogers continued to be active in the Takeover. Regarding his desire to police what SBC seminary professors taught, Rogers said "If we say pickles have souls, they better teach that pickles have souls!" Rogers also advocated that the WMU be "hardwired" into the convention's power structure -- in other words, that the convention strip the power of electing WMU board members from the state WMU organizations. Also, Rogers spearheaded a 1992 meeting where fundamentalists, having taken over the SBC, turned their sights on state conventions. Tellingly, this was shortly before Anthony Jordan and other fundamentalists led the BGCO to censure former Executive Director-Treasurer Joe Ingram for "consorting with moderates."
Rev. Dr. Jerry Vines, FL (1988-1990)
As SBC president, he continued the fundamentalist practice of appointing only like-minded people to SBC boards and agencies. You probably know Vines best for his description of the Prophet Mohammed as a "demon possessed pedophile." When pushed Vines cited a book by (now) Truett-McConnell College President Emir Caner (and his brother Ergun, who was demoted from Liberty University's administration for lying repeatedly about his life story and testimony).
Rev. Dr. Morris Chapman, TX (1990-1992)
Nominated for the SBC presidency by OBU alum Rev. Dr. John Bisagno, an influential pastor who had previously said he was neutral in the controversy. Chapman exemplified the growing hatred of moderates, informing the Baptist World Alliance that the SBC would be pulling out of the international Baptist body because it had admitted the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as a member.
Rev. Ed Young, TX (1992-1994)
More of the same. Particularly bad on church-state issues, reflecting the new normal for the SBC. It was on Young's watch that the SBC defunded the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs.
Rev. Dr. Jim Henry, FL (1994-1996)
The closest thing to a moderate the SBC presidency has seen since the Takeover began in 1979. As far as I know, he has not done or said anything too wacky.
Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff, OK (1996-1998)
Elliff continued the purge and marginalization of moderates. By now, you probably know about his comparison of moderates Baptists to barnacles on a ship. He recently spoke at OBU's commencement. To preserve decorum, the parasites seated on the platform behind him (OBU faculty) applauded politely. He has received two honors from OBU in the past year: the First Annual Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service and an honorary doctorate. Elliff now leads the SBC's International Mission Board, where liberty of the conscience once existed.
Rev. Dr. Paige Patterson, TX (1998-2000)
As president of Criswell College in the late 1970s, Patterson and Paul Pressler, a Houston judge and Baptist layman, formulated the original Takeover plan. Noting the massive appointive power of the SBC presidency, Patterson and Pressler realized that if a few fundamentalist presidents exclusively appointed fundamentalists to the denomination's boards and agencies, the whole organization would be thoroughly fundamentalist in just a decade or so. They were right.
Rev. Dr. James Merritt, GA (2000-2002)
Although Merritt dutifully exercised his expected post-Takeover duties, some Baptist elites and commentators didn't find him to be extreme enough. Merritt's son, Jonathan, is a popular cultural commentator who is somewhat less reflexively pro-Religious Right than most SBC elites. The prospect of the younger Merritt acceding to his father's pulpit someday horrifies some fundamentalists.
Rev. Dr. Jack Graham, TX (2002-2004)
About what you would expect. Graham oversaw the SBC's withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance. Perhaps most bizarrely, he supported a resolution at the 2004 SBC that called on Southern Baptists to remove their children from public schools.
Rev. Dr. Bobby Welch, FL (2004-2006)
Welch was one of the relatively normal ones. But given how far that goalpost has moved, that's not really saying much. Whereas other past presidents cashed in on their notoriety by writing books, Welch has snagged several plum positions in the SBC and state convention hierarchies.
Rev. Dr. Frank Page, SC (2006-2008)
Like his successors, Page obeyed the post-Takeover playbook and did the requisite Religious Right politicking. And like Welch, he managed to parlay his success into some nice, influential pre-retirement positions. Currently, Dr. Page is president of the SBC's Executive Committee, the powerful body that represents the SBC between its annual meetings.
Rev. Johnny Hunt, GA (2008-2010)
The accuracy of Hunt's resume sparked some controversy around the time of his election. But if legitimizing degree mills is the worst thing contemporary SBC presidents do, then I guess things could be worse. And pretty soon, a lot of once-great Baptist colleges may indeed become degree mills.
Rev. Bryant Wright, GA (2010-2012)
Wright has had the misfortune of presiding over several P.R. blunders, including the SBC name change debate and the fallout from SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Richard Land's plagiarized racist comments about Trayvon Martin, a young black man shot to death earlier this year by a white neighborhood watch patrolman. But if recent history is any guide, Wright will find a nice, six-figure pre-retirement retirement at some SBC agency or institution.
Rev. Fred Luter, LA (2012-2014)
So, given the less-than-illustrious history of his 16 most recent predecessors, can you understand why we're a little skeptical about David Whitlock's decision to give Luter an honorary doctorate? Every indication is that Luter will stand firmly in line with the post-Takeover status quo, which has created a horrible environment for what few legitimate Baptist educational institutions remain. Why are we ingratiating ourselves to SBC politicians when there are so many leaders who have stood with integrity for academic freedom and true Baptist distinctives that we could honor?
Note to members of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans: We here at Save OBU sincerely hope this award ceremony did not encroach on your Sunday worship. We realize that Pastor Luter has absolutely no relevant connections to Oklahoma Baptist University other than its administrators' desire to be in the good graces of a powerful figure. But by now you are used to people cozying up to your pastor for no other reason than his position in SBC politics. Sorry for the charade.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Whitlock Cozying Up to SBC Elites Again, Gives Luter a Doctorate
It's a well-known fact that the Southern Baptist Convention has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. One obvious and tragic consequence is that Baptist higher education has suffered badly under the new regime. A related problem is that the convention and its institutions have become outright hostile to anyone who is not in lockstep agreement with the Takeover faction's rigid, dogmatic ideology.
As for honoring SBC presidents, pre- or post-Takeover, I don't know what precedent exists. But Luter is joining a who's who of fundamentalist preachers who, in the last 30 years, have actively degraded institutions of higher learning, enforced doctrinal conformity, and made insulting and bizarre public statements. Maybe Luter will be different. But I wouldn't count on it. And it can only be bad that OBU is on his mind at all. Fortunately, he probably doesn't give a hoot about this little OBU award. He likely sees out for supper last night and having a ceremony this morning as part of the territory -- someone that powerful and well-connected will inevitably have political climbers and kiss-ups all around him.
If not for theone two Elliff awards and the history of tacit and explicit support of fundamentalist-inspired administrative tactics at OBU, I wouldn't be bothered by this little song and dance. It would still be weird, given Luter's lack of connection to OBU in any way whatsoever, but it would be innocuous enough.
But Whitlock is dramatically deviating from his supposed mentor's modus operandi. Rather than insulating OBU from the corrosive effects of the Takeover, Whitlock seems to be going out of his way to kowtow to the very men who have used their political power to dismantle historic Baptist distinctives, cheerlead the degradation of Baptist academia, and disparage the faith and work of people like the fine men and women who have taught at OBU.
When the fundamentalists make their move at OBU, can Whitlock be trusted to stand for academic freedom? Or is he going to lead us in a race to the bottom? I think you know the answer. It's already happening.
As a Baptist college trying to nurture fearless inquiry, critical thought, and rigorous study in an anti-intellectual denominational climate that values conformity, loathes academic freedom, loves giving pat answers and is nervous about people asking hard questions, you might think that OBU would steer clear of blatant associations with the post-Takeover SBC. And while the Takeover was happening, that's pretty much what happened. Under Bob Agee's watch, OBU steered clear of denominational politics. Chapel speakers included fundamentalists and moderates. Agee maintained OBU's independence from the infighting, and his statesmanlike leadership kept OBU above the fray.
Fifteen years later, however, the man who considers Agee a role model has decided to do the exact opposite. Instead of keeping fundamentalist SBC elites at a distance, OBU President David Whitlock apparently wastes no opportunity to unilaterally prostrate OBU before the current generation of SBC elites. At least year's SBC meeting in Phoenix, Whitlock and other administrators presented International Mission Board President Tom Elliff, a fundamentalist with a particularly vengeful attitude toward moderates, with an award from OBU. To add insult to injury, the new honor, presumably to be given annually, is called the Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service. Attaching Hobbs's name to fundamentalist causes is about as insulting as giving Confederate generals the Abraham Lincoln Award.
But it apparently wasn't enough to give Elliff the Hobbs Award. Just last month, OBU awarded Elliff an honorary doctorate. As Hobbs spoke at OBU's commencement ceremony, the faculty behind him had to applaud politely for the man who, upon leaving the SBC presidency in 1998, boasted that he had marginalized moderates in the convention, or, in his words, "removed barnacles and parasites from the Ship of Zion."
Now, a month later, we're handing out another honorary doctorate. And by "we," I mean President Whitlock, Provost Stan Norman, Spiritual Life Dean Dale Griffin, and Fine Arts Dean Ken Gabrielse. Now, I don't know who votes on these things, or if giving out fake degrees is the exclusive prerogative of the president. But at least with Dr. Elliff, there is an Oklahoma/OBU connection. Alongside with his spiritual cleansing crusade, Elliff did manage to pastor a large church in Oklahoma and serve on OBU's board of trustees. I think maybe one or more of his children attended OBU, too. Plus, his "distinguished denominational service" has probably enriched him so much that he might make a generous donation to OBU some day.
But Fred Luter, as far as I can tell, has no OBU connection whatsoever. This honorary degree seems to serve no other purpose but to ingratiate the SBC's president-in-waiting to OBU and its new coterie of fundamentalist and fundamentalist-sympathizing administrators. For all his fine pastoral work, he hasn't done anything to bring pride or distinction to OBU. The ONLY reason Whitlock (maybe Norman is behind it -- he may have been an old seminary buddy of Luter's for all I know) is cozying up to Luter is that Luter is going to be elected president of the SBC later this month.
Yet last night in New Orleans, the same city where the fundamentalists' Takeover plan was hatched, Whitlock and colleagues were wining and dining (well, dining anyway -- they are Baptists, after all) the Luters in celebration of his doctorate.
I'm sure at least some of these OBU administrators will be in New Orleans for the SBC annual meeting June 19 & 20. I don't know whether they are planning on staying for 11 days, or if these are two separate junkets. Rather than keeping the SBC at arms length as you might expect administrators at legitimate institutions of higher learning in the post-Takeover environment to do, OBU seems to be sparing no expense to make sure that OBU is right there in the mix.
Fifteen years later, however, the man who considers Agee a role model has decided to do the exact opposite. Instead of keeping fundamentalist SBC elites at a distance, OBU President David Whitlock apparently wastes no opportunity to unilaterally prostrate OBU before the current generation of SBC elites. At least year's SBC meeting in Phoenix, Whitlock and other administrators presented International Mission Board President Tom Elliff, a fundamentalist with a particularly vengeful attitude toward moderates, with an award from OBU. To add insult to injury, the new honor, presumably to be given annually, is called the Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service. Attaching Hobbs's name to fundamentalist causes is about as insulting as giving Confederate generals the Abraham Lincoln Award.
But it apparently wasn't enough to give Elliff the Hobbs Award. Just last month, OBU awarded Elliff an honorary doctorate. As Hobbs spoke at OBU's commencement ceremony, the faculty behind him had to applaud politely for the man who, upon leaving the SBC presidency in 1998, boasted that he had marginalized moderates in the convention, or, in his words, "removed barnacles and parasites from the Ship of Zion."
Now, a month later, we're handing out another honorary doctorate. And by "we," I mean President Whitlock, Provost Stan Norman, Spiritual Life Dean Dale Griffin, and Fine Arts Dean Ken Gabrielse. Now, I don't know who votes on these things, or if giving out fake degrees is the exclusive prerogative of the president. But at least with Dr. Elliff, there is an Oklahoma/OBU connection. Alongside with his spiritual cleansing crusade, Elliff did manage to pastor a large church in Oklahoma and serve on OBU's board of trustees. I think maybe one or more of his children attended OBU, too. Plus, his "distinguished denominational service" has probably enriched him so much that he might make a generous donation to OBU some day.
But Fred Luter, as far as I can tell, has no OBU connection whatsoever. This honorary degree seems to serve no other purpose but to ingratiate the SBC's president-in-waiting to OBU and its new coterie of fundamentalist and fundamentalist-sympathizing administrators. For all his fine pastoral work, he hasn't done anything to bring pride or distinction to OBU. The ONLY reason Whitlock (maybe Norman is behind it -- he may have been an old seminary buddy of Luter's for all I know) is cozying up to Luter is that Luter is going to be elected president of the SBC later this month.
Yet last night in New Orleans, the same city where the fundamentalists' Takeover plan was hatched, Whitlock and colleagues were wining and dining (well, dining anyway -- they are Baptists, after all) the Luters in celebration of his doctorate.
Students: Behold, your tuition dollars at work.
I shudder to think about who might be awarded the Second Annual Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service at the SBC meeting. Maybe someone who chaired a trustee board that forced out seminary presidents in the late 80s or early 90s? Perhaps one of the several guys who, over the years, forced board, agency, or institution employees to sign the Baptist Faith and Message or be fired. But the fact remains that, either in spirit or in fact, whoever gets the award will be someone who booed Herschel Hobbs at the 1980 SBC as he warned against the disastrous effects of the coming Takeover and its tactics. The more I think about it, the more it disgusts me.
As for honoring SBC presidents, pre- or post-Takeover, I don't know what precedent exists. But Luter is joining a who's who of fundamentalist preachers who, in the last 30 years, have actively degraded institutions of higher learning, enforced doctrinal conformity, and made insulting and bizarre public statements. Maybe Luter will be different. But I wouldn't count on it. And it can only be bad that OBU is on his mind at all. Fortunately, he probably doesn't give a hoot about this little OBU award. He likely sees out for supper last night and having a ceremony this morning as part of the territory -- someone that powerful and well-connected will inevitably have political climbers and kiss-ups all around him.
If not for the
But Whitlock is dramatically deviating from his supposed mentor's modus operandi. Rather than insulating OBU from the corrosive effects of the Takeover, Whitlock seems to be going out of his way to kowtow to the very men who have used their political power to dismantle historic Baptist distinctives, cheerlead the degradation of Baptist academia, and disparage the faith and work of people like the fine men and women who have taught at OBU.
When the fundamentalists make their move at OBU, can Whitlock be trusted to stand for academic freedom? Or is he going to lead us in a race to the bottom? I think you know the answer. It's already happening.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
OBU's 2012 Commencement: Beneath the Surface
Congratulations to the OBU Class of 2012! The Green Book lists 23 regulations pertaining to "College Citizenship," and I hope the graduates went out and broke 1 or 2 of them last night. God loves a joyful celebration!
I understand it was cloudy yesterday -- perhaps an apt metaphor for the storm clouds of conflict looming over the campus. I saw part of the ceremony, which was streamed on Shawnee Live and is also available "on demand" through OBU's website. It was hard to believe a decade has passed since I walked across that stage! But I was so happy and proud for all the students and their families. I have to credit last fall's alumni petition for providing the impetus to start Save OBU. And I credit Contributing Editor Veronica Pistone for helping make sure the movement survived its infancy. But the truth is, we wouldn't be this far without the hundreds of OBU students who have expressed interest in our movement, read our blog, and kept the issues salient on campus. I'm especially grateful to the several dozen students -- mostly seniors -- who actively helped out by providing information, context, and nuance on a number of fronts. We invite you to even more active participation in Save OBU now that you are alumni! And we trust that the torch of student leadership is passing to students who may not remember OBU under Brister or Parrish, but who nonetheless revere academic freedom, Baptist freedom, and OBU's great liberal arts heritage.
While it was entirely appropriate for the university to pull itself together to honor the 246 graduating seniors, there are a handful of relevant tidbits that curiously didn't make it into the official press release.
Speakers
Commencement Address/Honorary Degree
OBU conferred an honorary doctorate on the Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff, a former missionary, Oklahoma Baptist minister, and current president of the SBC's International Mission Board. Of course, no opportunity is wasted to remind everyone that OBU sends more missionaries to the IMB than any other college. And we will not waste an opportunity to a) courteously remind everyone that correlation does not imply causality and b) reiterate our view that Oklahoma's contribution to the mission field owes as much to Falls Creek as to OBU, and that as with all BGCO ministry and mission priorities, funding for Falls Creek suffers because of the BGGO's $2.5 million annual subsidy to OBU.
After hearing Dr. Elliff's rather innocuous homily, I almost felt bad for highlighting his role in the Fundamentalist Takeover (and aftermath) of the SBC. It's amazing how downright likable fundamentalists can be when they're not waging ideological warfare and destroying our treasured institutions. The bondservant/slave and kamikaze illustrations seemed a little strange at first, but do indeed point to important servant/surrender aspects of the Christian life. But given his open disdain for moderates in the SBC and the fact that OBU gave him an award less than a year ago, I continue to feel that honoring him in this way was insulting, particularly to faculty. Still, they politely applauded the man who likened moderates in Southern Baptist life to "barnacles and parasites" that he himself proudly "removed from the Ship of Zion."
Awards/Acknowledgments
Retiring Faculty
We certainly join OBU in commending the service of six very fine retirees. At least two of them have been courageously and openly opposed to some of the bad policy and personnel changes we've seen in recent years. One of the retirees, interviewed in The Bison last fall, said she doubts she would be hired by OBU today. What a tragedy. Still, we must thank these very fine folks for their service and leadership over the years. We wish them all the best as they begin exciting new chapters in their lives.
Faculty Awards
There is widespread suspicion among the faculty that politics played a role in the Promising Teacher Award this year. Many faculty had assumed the award would go to an effective and well-loved professor who just finished his sixth year -- his last year of eligibility for the award. Of course, being an Episcopalian may have been the kiss of death, given a certain administrator's recent obsession with church affiliation politics. OBU may be saying to young professors, "We may not be able to fire you or deny you tenure 'in a winsome way,' but don't think you're getting any extra awards unless you a down-the-line fundamentalist Baptist." Many were surprised that the promising teacher honor went to a relatively newer hire who is demonstrably more in line with the fundamentalist party line. As one insider explains:
Student Awards
Last year, when our own Veronica Pistone won the Outstanding Religion student award, the OBU website featured a nice writeup and a picture of Dean Mark McClellan giving her the award. We're told that Dean McClellan was not too happy that one of last year's most decorated graduates (a woman now studying for the ministry at a non-SBC seminary) has become a prominent figure in the growing opposition to the BGCO's mutually draining stranglehold on OBU. This year, another woman won the Outstanding Religion award. But Dean McClellan told the religion professors that "we need to be careful who we choose for this award because we don't want someone getting the award and then using it as platform against OBU." Thankfully, the faculty convinced the dean that their choice would not "turn" on OBU after she graduated and she won the award she so richly deserved. However, just to be safe, there is no photograph or press release this year. (EDIT: Yes, there is: here.)
Oh, and just for the record, perhaps Dean McClellan should consider that maybe his bosses in Thurman and friends in the Baptist Building are the ones who are using their positions as platforms against OBU. And maybe rather than thinking that some of these "gals" (his term for female religion and ministry students) turned on OBU, he might consider that it is OBU that has turned on women, particularly strong, bright women who reject the fundamentalist vision of "biblical womanhood."
We will continue to monitor the distribution of student and faculty awards in the months and years to come.
Music
Just a quick shout-out to the organist, whoever s/he was. "How Firm a Foundation" is a wonderfully appropriate graduation prelude and I enjoyed the rendition immensely, as well as the rest of the medley. Speaking of music, we wish the University Chorale a safe and successful tour this week! And in the coming weeks, we'll be blogging about changes in the College of Fine Arts under the new regime.
--
So there you have it. OBU may not be in the throes of a full-on faculty rebellion or a dramatic fundamentalist takeover (yet). But this week's celebrations definitely papered over a number of important conflicts that exist as a result of OBU's relationship with the BGCO. We'll continue to keep you informed of progress and changes.
Again, our very best wishes to the OBU Class of 2012! "May thy spirit guide thy sons, keep thy daughters true!"
I understand it was cloudy yesterday -- perhaps an apt metaphor for the storm clouds of conflict looming over the campus. I saw part of the ceremony, which was streamed on Shawnee Live and is also available "on demand" through OBU's website. It was hard to believe a decade has passed since I walked across that stage! But I was so happy and proud for all the students and their families. I have to credit last fall's alumni petition for providing the impetus to start Save OBU. And I credit Contributing Editor Veronica Pistone for helping make sure the movement survived its infancy. But the truth is, we wouldn't be this far without the hundreds of OBU students who have expressed interest in our movement, read our blog, and kept the issues salient on campus. I'm especially grateful to the several dozen students -- mostly seniors -- who actively helped out by providing information, context, and nuance on a number of fronts. We invite you to even more active participation in Save OBU now that you are alumni! And we trust that the torch of student leadership is passing to students who may not remember OBU under Brister or Parrish, but who nonetheless revere academic freedom, Baptist freedom, and OBU's great liberal arts heritage.
While it was entirely appropriate for the university to pull itself together to honor the 246 graduating seniors, there are a handful of relevant tidbits that curiously didn't make it into the official press release.
Speakers
Commencement Address/Honorary Degree
OBU conferred an honorary doctorate on the Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff, a former missionary, Oklahoma Baptist minister, and current president of the SBC's International Mission Board. Of course, no opportunity is wasted to remind everyone that OBU sends more missionaries to the IMB than any other college. And we will not waste an opportunity to a) courteously remind everyone that correlation does not imply causality and b) reiterate our view that Oklahoma's contribution to the mission field owes as much to Falls Creek as to OBU, and that as with all BGCO ministry and mission priorities, funding for Falls Creek suffers because of the BGGO's $2.5 million annual subsidy to OBU.
After hearing Dr. Elliff's rather innocuous homily, I almost felt bad for highlighting his role in the Fundamentalist Takeover (and aftermath) of the SBC. It's amazing how downright likable fundamentalists can be when they're not waging ideological warfare and destroying our treasured institutions. The bondservant/slave and kamikaze illustrations seemed a little strange at first, but do indeed point to important servant/surrender aspects of the Christian life. But given his open disdain for moderates in the SBC and the fact that OBU gave him an award less than a year ago, I continue to feel that honoring him in this way was insulting, particularly to faculty. Still, they politely applauded the man who likened moderates in Southern Baptist life to "barnacles and parasites" that he himself proudly "removed from the Ship of Zion."
Awards/Acknowledgments
Retiring Faculty
We certainly join OBU in commending the service of six very fine retirees. At least two of them have been courageously and openly opposed to some of the bad policy and personnel changes we've seen in recent years. One of the retirees, interviewed in The Bison last fall, said she doubts she would be hired by OBU today. What a tragedy. Still, we must thank these very fine folks for their service and leadership over the years. We wish them all the best as they begin exciting new chapters in their lives.
Faculty Awards
There is widespread suspicion among the faculty that politics played a role in the Promising Teacher Award this year. Many faculty had assumed the award would go to an effective and well-loved professor who just finished his sixth year -- his last year of eligibility for the award. Of course, being an Episcopalian may have been the kiss of death, given a certain administrator's recent obsession with church affiliation politics. OBU may be saying to young professors, "We may not be able to fire you or deny you tenure 'in a winsome way,' but don't think you're getting any extra awards unless you a down-the-line fundamentalist Baptist." Many were surprised that the promising teacher honor went to a relatively newer hire who is demonstrably more in line with the fundamentalist party line. As one insider explains:
It's clear that the administration chose him for the award to make a statement, especially in light of Veronica's Save OBU blog post.This awkward situation underscores the problems created when faculty search committee recommendations are ignored and when politics and ideology figure so prominently in OBU administrators' decisions about who to hire, honor, and reward. Many faculty suspect this move is administrators' way to try to justify their decision to overrule the faculty search committee, which unanimously preferred another candidate. Anyone want to take bets that the Christian apologetics professor wins the award next year?
Student Awards
Last year, when our own Veronica Pistone won the Outstanding Religion student award, the OBU website featured a nice writeup and a picture of Dean Mark McClellan giving her the award. We're told that Dean McClellan was not too happy that one of last year's most decorated graduates (a woman now studying for the ministry at a non-SBC seminary) has become a prominent figure in the growing opposition to the BGCO's mutually draining stranglehold on OBU. This year, another woman won the Outstanding Religion award. But Dean McClellan told the religion professors that "we need to be careful who we choose for this award because we don't want someone getting the award and then using it as platform against OBU." Thankfully, the faculty convinced the dean that their choice would not "turn" on OBU after she graduated and she won the award she so richly deserved. However, just to be safe, there is no photograph or press release this year. (EDIT: Yes, there is: here.)
Oh, and just for the record, perhaps Dean McClellan should consider that maybe his bosses in Thurman and friends in the Baptist Building are the ones who are using their positions as platforms against OBU. And maybe rather than thinking that some of these "gals" (his term for female religion and ministry students) turned on OBU, he might consider that it is OBU that has turned on women, particularly strong, bright women who reject the fundamentalist vision of "biblical womanhood."
We will continue to monitor the distribution of student and faculty awards in the months and years to come.
Music
Just a quick shout-out to the organist, whoever s/he was. "How Firm a Foundation" is a wonderfully appropriate graduation prelude and I enjoyed the rendition immensely, as well as the rest of the medley. Speaking of music, we wish the University Chorale a safe and successful tour this week! And in the coming weeks, we'll be blogging about changes in the College of Fine Arts under the new regime.
--
So there you have it. OBU may not be in the throes of a full-on faculty rebellion or a dramatic fundamentalist takeover (yet). But this week's celebrations definitely papered over a number of important conflicts that exist as a result of OBU's relationship with the BGCO. We'll continue to keep you informed of progress and changes.
Again, our very best wishes to the OBU Class of 2012! "May thy spirit guide thy sons, keep thy daughters true!"
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
OBU Shows True Colors in Commencement Speaker Choice
The current leadership of OBU knows it's stuck in the middle of two constituencies whose interests are irreconcilable. One the one side are almost all faculty, most students and many alumni -- people who cherish historic Baptist freedoms, liberty of the conscience, and academic freedom in particular. On the other, you have fundamentalist pastors, BGCO power brokers, some students, and many alumni -- people who support the SBC's headlong descent into fundamentalism and authoritarianism, and who would like to see those trends accelerate at OBU.
Invariably, these two camps are going to be in perpetual conflict over the governance and administration of our beloved university. Administrators have to appease both sides. Our side has gotten steamrolled the past two years, sustaining blow after blow. But recently, we realized that the various protests have had a collective impact, and we claimed a minor victory.
But one recent high-profile decision illustrates very clearly who's side OBU's power players are really on. We didn't hear until two days ago, but obviously it's been in the works for some time for the Rev. Dr. Tom Elliff to give the commencement address on Friday and receive an honorary degree from OBU.
As a former missionary, retired large church pastor, past SBC president, and current International Mission Board president, Dr. Elliff is without question a distinguished and significant figure in Baptist life -- particularly Oklahoma Baptist life -- and the school has every right to honor his achievements.
Still, Elliff's presence will upset many, and we feel he was a very controversial choice. If the president truly values and honors his faculty and is serious about his commitment to do right by them in the future, I do not know how he could have made this insulting choice. Dr. Elliff's career spanned the entirety of the Fundamentalist Takeover and its aftermath, and Elliff has been relentless in his faithfulness to the fundamentalists' agenda in SBC life. Like SBC presidents before and after him, Elliff used his two terms in office (1996-1998) to ensure that only fundamentalists were appointed to SBC boards and agencies, gleefully making moderate Baptists exiles and outcasts in their own denomination.
I truly do not understand the current administration's obsession with praising Elliff. Less than a year ago, they gave him the first annual "Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service" at last year's Southern Baptist Convention. This new award, besides demeaning Hobbs's distinguished legacy (many of today's SBC leaders booed Hobbs at the 1980 Southern Baptist Convention), seems like it was designed to ingratiate SBC fundamentalist power brokers to OBU.
Now, a packed Raley Chapel commencement audience will have to abide OBU conferring an honorary degree on someone who believes moderates in the SBC are "barnacles" and "parasites." That's right. In his final address as president of the SBC in 1998, Elliff boasted to incoming President Paige Patterson that "all barnacles and parasites had been removed from the Ship of Zion." The reference was to the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and other moderate Baptist groups. How awkward it will be as Elliff is speaking to know that he holds such vehement disdain for the overwhelming majority of the hooded and robed professors sitting behind him.
He may as well turn around and call them parasites to their faces. Which unfortunately is the nice version of what the BGCO thinks of some of these very fine people, who at least for the moment are safe because President Whitlock has learned that it's hard to dismiss faculty "in a winsome way." Without question, Elliff was instrumental in the saving of many souls and the maintenance of many institutions. But a lot of Baptists -- good, faithful Baptists -- have suffered because of him. In addition to the 35 year veteran of the Southern Seminary library who lost his job because he dared correct inaccuracies in one of Elliff's speeches, a lot of clergy and lay investors were screwed out of their savings when Elliff, as pastor of First Baptist Church of Del City, asked bondholers to forgive the church's debts.
Having Dr. Elliff speak wouldn't be so offensive if OBU invited one of the "parasites" once in a while, too. But the fact that they have chosen to honor Elliff with not only the insultingly named Hobbs Award, but also with an honorary degree, unfortunately shows their true colors. At the graduation, few students and hardly any parents will have any idea just what a controversial figure Elliff is. But most OBU professors will be disappointed and feel dishonored. And you can bet that Anthony Jordan will be sitting the platform with a huge smile on his face. As long as the BGCO calls the shots at OBU, this dynamic will always be the same. Administration will always ultimately side with them over us.
As for President Whitlock, he may as well stand up and give the middle finger to the assembled faculty he's supposedly been trying to win over this academic year after a disastrous start to his tenure. Very few of them will be impressed that he wanted to honor such an vociferous advocate of fundamentalism's advance in BGCO and SBC life.
If I was graduating Friday, I would write "Parasite" in bold on the top of my graduation cap and encourage all my friends to do likewise. But even if students wanted to protest having to hear from such a hater of moderates on their big day, I'm sure OBU is still conformist and authoritarian enough to find or create a rule against such protests.
I'm especially sad for faculty, many of whom are either moderate Baptists or stand in solidarity with moderate Baptists. It's unfortunate that they have to hear from someone who so openly loathes them and all they hold dear.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
New OBU Award to Praise Fundamentalists Annually
Quietly and without much fanfare, OBU administrators have created yet another way to show their loyalty to the fundamentalist BGCO and ingratiate themselves to SBC elites in Nashville.
Last June at the SBC meeting in Phoenix, OBU administrators presented the first annual "Herschel H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational Service" to the Reverend Dr. Tom Elliff. Elliff is indeed a denominational statesman. He pastored a megachurch for 20 years, served as president of the SBC, and was a leader on a variety of SBC boards and agencies. Subsequent to receiving the Hobbs Award, Elliff was elected president of the International Missions Board of the SBC.
However, he is most certainly not a denominational statesman in the mold of Herschel Hobbs. Hobbs was pastor of Oklahoma City, First from 1949-1972 and was a noted moderate voice in the denomination. Elliff, on the other hand, catapulted to leadership after the fundamentalist takeover of the SBC was nearly complete and the fundamentalists moved on to seizing control of state conventions like the BGCO.
The comparison between Hobbs and Elliff is not only wrong, it is inflammatory. It is unbelievable that the Hobbs family and Oklahoma City, First have allowed the BGCO and OBU to hijack Herschel Hobbs's legacy and attach it to so many fundamentalist causes. I guess no one has the power to stop them. It just seems so wrong.
In creating this award and renaming the Joe L. Ingram School of Christian Service after Hobbs, OBU leaders are rewriting history and presenting a continuity between the moderate SBC that existed at midcentury and the fundamentalist denomination that exists today. But the two are not continuous. There was a definitive break, a calculated, political takeover whereby a few fundamentalist power brokers used fear, slander, half-truths, and raw political power to push moderates aside and remake the SBC and all its institutions in their own image. Herschel Hobbs was not a part of that crowd. And OBU leaders are praising the people who were.
Notice how this presentation took place far from Bison Hill and amid the denomination's annual proceedings. Presumably, if they had tried to pull this off during a regular OBU chapel service, many would have protested loudly and boycotted the award presentation. So it was much easier to go a thousand miles away when most OBU students, faculty, and alumni were not paying attention. Yet again, we vividly see where OBU administrators' true loyalties lie.
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