Steve Pettit: Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

[illinoisguy]

Interesting article that sums up the current controversy over the move to dismiss BJU President Steve Pettit, with historical background:

Bob Jones University: Epicenter of Fundamentalism’s Future

The battle over the presidency of Steve Pettit at Bob Jones University will determine fundamentalism's future.

www.navajosh.com

" Historic fundamentalism was about contending for the faith. Historic fundamentalism was about preserving orthodoxy and separating from heretics. Historic fundamentalism was about protecting the sheep and fighting off the wolves. Somewhere along the way that changed. When fundamentalists lost churches, denominations, and institutions, the fundamentalist’s fight went from battling liberalism to battling each other. It was here that personal conviction was promoted to universal dogma. Second tier issues and individual matters of conscience became fundamental issues. And this brings us to Bob Jones University. . . .

"From an asinine battle over interracial dating that led to national embarrassment, to attacking John MacArthur over the blood of Jesus, to a draconian rule book that led to the expulsion of many students who should have been discipled, not shipped; BJU has fought the wrong fights. Over time, all this needless fighting caught up to them. I was there when enrollment, as well as morale, was on a steep decline. During my time at BJU (2007-2015), FMA went from being completely full, to the balcony being closed off and the entire student body and faculty sitting on the main floor. Things were not looking good for BJU. . . .


"Elevating secondary issues to primary and calling those who do not conform a liberal or a compromiser has characterized deformed fundamentalism for decades. It is this kind of thinking that very well may take down Bob Jones University. BJU has a constituency problem. Fundamentalist churches all across the country are withering and the pool of prospective students is shrinking. There are simply not enough students to sustain the university. BJU’s survival is dependent upon broadening itself to orthodox, conservative, evangelical churches. If five people on the board remove Pettit and return to the school to 80s and 90s fundamentalism it will be the death knell."

 

[illinoisguy]

Some animated discussion on Sharper Iron regarding the article on "Epicenter of Fundamentalism's Future" - 40 posts so far. They are debating the bluegrass, the Bruin sports program, finances, accuracy of enrollment figures, etc.

Bob Jones University: Epicenter of Fundamentalism's Future? | SHARPER IRON

sharperiron.org

Bob Jones University: Epicenter of Fundamentalism's Future? | SHARPER IRON

sharperiron.org

A few of the comments: "Winner and Loser if BJU board dumps Pettit: Loser = BJU. The Fall 2023 Freshman class will be decimated. Winner = Pettit. He had an effective ministry prior to BJU and can easily pick up on that. OR: pastor a large church!"


"Would BJU ever get to the point where it had to close its doors? Those BJU alumni that I have conversed with boast that 'the University has so many endowment funds from the old days that it can weather any storm off interest alone.' I have been told that BJU, in a worst case scenario might have to dip in to the principal of these endowment funds, but that the University will continue to exist until Christ comes back."


"I'm sure the board would love to find where that endowment is located!"


"I don't know the financials of BJU, but if BJU drops below a certain level of students, they could keep on going forever in whatever condition they're in while being almost completely irrelevant to the fundamental community (communities) as a whole. So that is, in my view, a 'bad case end game.'"


"We had Ian Paisley and even Jr. Saying all kinds of crazy things from the pulpit. And we were told to laugh because it has the blessing of the school. The school became involved in politics during this time and we had questionable speakers in chapel. Church attendance policies were changed and some churches like Southside were on the list (where the pastor road a Harley that the church gave him down the middle aisle on Sunday evenings). We were taught that interracial dating and subsequent marriage was an abomination before God. I could go on and on during my time from 1989 to 1994. People were crying out at the changes or supporting ones that look ludicrous today. Let's not fool ourselves because Stephen Pettit is playing is a Blue Grass band for crying out loud. He was in many of your churches preaching and playing this style of music ("Go Tell it on the Mountain" from his 2004 album). We all played BlueGrass at the Wild's. Come on!!!!!!!"


"Let's not forget how Cantus (a men's quintet) came to campus a few years back. I saw them locally around 2015, and when reading their bios, learned that most of them have husbands. Great singers, but....."

 

[AverageJoe]

Does it really make any difference what we think? This institution has ALWAYS done what it wanted regardless of the outcome. It always will, IMHO. I agree that there have been many missteps by the administration, but, I'm not sure that BJU can return to it's fundamental roots so easily.

 

[FSSL]

Petit is anything but theologically sound. He has promoted Finney’s methods in churches for years.

With that said, Bible colleges have been hiring people with a large following, not theological leaders.

 

[illinoisguy]

Is the Foundations Baptist Fellowship International (formerly known as Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International) dying? My perception is yes. A few years ago they reported something like slightly less than 500 members (individuals, not churches - it is a fellowship of individuals). The 1999 FBFI directory listed 1331 members (U.S. only, not including foreign) including me. They still publish Frontline magazine, which I receive, and the FBFI still has influence, but not as much as before. I used to faithfully attend the FBFI meetings, but my last one was in 2007 at Bethel Baptist Church in Schaumburg, Illinois when their featured speaker majored on some extreme dispensationalist dogma which really turned me off. If anybody has current updated membership statistics or impressions (positive or negative) with regard to the FBFI, please chime in.

 

[illinoisguy]

Maybe this is the real reason why the insurgents at BJU are trying to throw Pettit under the bus - a picture of President Pettit with his "BJUgrass" band. I personally don't have any problem whatsoever with the way the ladies are dressed, but the die-hards and Neanderthals will have a hissy fit and conniptions over them wearing slacks.

 

[Ransom]

Those are some provocative ankles, I tell you what.

 

[abcaines]

Maybe his bluegrass ensemble needs to cover this classic:

 

[Ransom]

Another Clash song might be a bit more apropos:

By order of the Prophet
We ban that boogie sound
Degenerate the faithful
With that crazy Casbah sound . . .

 

[illinoisguy]

According to Lou Martuneac on his anti-BJU "In Defense of the Gospel" blog, there are a lot of fundies who would prefer that BJU be closed down, rather than allowed to rock the fundamentalist casbah with their "compromise" on such vitally important issues as women's apparel (slacks, and shorts allowed for athletic activities) and music.


"Imo, the university's survivability is in doubt. If Pettit is retained the school will continue moving deeper into non-separatist evangelicalism and ecumenical compromise, which will make BJU the new Liberty University and Cedarville. Many would rather see the school close and dissolved before that happens."


Typical IFBx reaction to any ministry that does not totally agree with them on all points. Denounce it, destroy it, end it don't mend it.


I am not a Bojo fan, and actually I have an axe to grind against BJU after the run-ins I have had over the years with arrogant, bullying, obnoxious BJU grads. But even I can realize that BJU and its alumni have done a lot of good for the cause of fundamentalism - I was brought to Christ by one of them. I am not in favor of dumping Pettit and closing the school over these petty issues that fighting fundies are in such a rage about.

 

[Dr. Huk-N-Duck]

According to Lou Martuneac on his anti-BJU "In Defense of the Gospel" blog, there are a lot of fundies who would prefer that BJU be closed down, rather than allowed to rock the fundamentalist casbah with their "compromise"

Based on my experiences with BJU graduates, yes, that’s exactly their attitude. I’d also say, historically speaking, that’s also their attitude towards churches that “compromise.”

I am not a Bojo fan, and actually I have an axe to grind against BJU after the run-ins I have had over the years with arrogant, bullying, obnoxious BJU grads.

I don’t think your grinding axe is really with BJU, it’s really with that pastor who ran you off. The BJU folks I’ve been affiliated with who are graduates from within the last twenty years or so, are much less pious, militant and obnoxious than those who graduated from the 80s and before.

 

[illinoisguy]

Huk, I hope you are right. Some of the nicest preachers I have known are BJU men from the 1980s and earlier, who rose above the prevailing nasty and belligerent BJU culture of those days. It may be that BJU is now producing a kinder, gentler generation of preachers, and maybe Pettit deserves some of the credit for that - I don't know the whole story.

 

[Dr. Huk-N-Duck]

Huk, I hope you are right. Some of the nicest preachers I have known are BJU men from the 1980s and earlier, who rose above the prevailing nasty and belligerent BJU culture of those days. It may be that BJU is now producing a kinder, gentler generation of preachers, and maybe Pettit deserves some of the credit for that - I don't know the whole story.

That angry fundamentalist attitude probably goes back decades, but I assume none of us are really old enough to have known BJU graduates from prior to the 60s/70s/80s. (Even Billy Graham quickly departed BJU in the 1930s due to their militant fundamentalism - https://www.greenvilleonline.com/st...university-and-its-past-presidents/360074002/) Personally, I noticed a stark contrast of BJU graduates from around the 90s to today. I’m very familiar with Bob Jones University. I’ve even been on campus and visited. My entire family graduated from BJU except for me. I was the black sheep of the family and went to Clemson before pursuing graduate studies (also at a non-Christian school). Now, all that being said, even though I didn’t attend a Christian school, I regularly attend church and, I feel at least, am pretty theologically sound. On the other hand, my two siblings who went to Bob Jones…one is a devout atheist and the other isn’t much better. So, ironically, the black sheep who avoided a Christian education is the only one who even resembles a Christian today.

 

[AverageJoe]

Huk, I hope you are right. Some of the nicest preachers I have known are BJU men from the 1980s and earlier, who rose above the prevailing nasty and belligerent BJU culture of those days. It may be that BJU is now producing a kinder, gentler generation of preachers, and maybe Pettit deserves some of the credit for that - I don't know the whole story.

As stated previously, I know MANY grads from both the pre-1980s era and the POST-1980s era of BJU. It's true that many of the grads on both sides are arrogant jerks. But, can you find a Bible college that doesn't have grads like this? I know many from MBBC, now MBU, that are jerks and have been for years. I know many from Pillsbury, Liberty, Trinity, etc., that are jerks. But, I also know many who aren't! It's all a matter of perspective and personality.

 

[AverageJoe]

Is the Foundations Baptist Fellowship International (formerly known as Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International) dying? My perception is yes. A few years ago they reported something like slightly less than 500 members (individuals, not churches - it is a fellowship of individuals). The 1999 FBFI directory listed 1331 members (U.S. only, not including foreign) including me. They still publish Frontline magazine, which I receive, and the FBFI still has influence, but not as much as before. I used to faithfully attend the FBFI meetings, but my last one was in 2007 at Bethel Baptist Church in Schaumburg, Illinois when their featured speaker majored on some extreme dispensationalist dogma which really turned me off. If anybody has current updated membership statistics or impressions (positive or negative) with regard to the FBFI, please chime in.

The last I heard, they had less than 300 members. That was just a year or so ago. But, I haven't been able to verify this.

 

[Dr. Huk-N-Duck]

As stated previously, I know MANY grads from both the pre-1980s era and the POST-1980s era of BJU. It's true that many of the grads on both sides are arrogant jerks. But, can you find a Bible college that doesn't have grads like this? I know many from MBBC, now MBU, that are jerks and have been for years. I know many from Pillsbury, Liberty, Trinity, etc., that are jerks. But, I also know many who aren't! It's all a matter of perspective and personality.

That’s very true…and guess what, the same is true with colleges from other denominations and secular institutions as well. Historically, I think Bob Jones got more attention because they went out of their way to be an unusual. In fact, that used to be the motto on their campus sign: “the world’s most unusual university”! That, combined with their stringent rules and their continual dabbling in world (not just U.S.) geopolitics, led to the overall reputation that still shadows them today.

 

[AverageJoe]

That’s very true…and guess what, the same is true with colleges from other denominations and secular institutions as well. Historically, I think Bob Jones got more attention because they went out of their way to be an unusual. In fact, that used to be the motto on their campus sign: “the world’s most unusual university”! That, combined with their stringent rules and their continual dabbling in world (not just U.S.) geopolitics, led to the overall reputation that still shadows them today.

I agree. Their missteps have come back to haunt them more than once. It's a shame they didn't look ahead...or maybe they did but just didn't care.

 

[Bob Jones V]

Petit is anything but theologically sound. He has promoted Finney’s methods in churches for years.

With that said, Bible colleges have been hiring people with a large following, not theological leaders.

He may be Arminian, but he is not a hack, and I disagree with you.

 

[voicecrying]

I don't think its the slacks. I think it is the music itself. I read a bunch of articles on this over the weekend, and someone along the way in the FBFI said something about his music compromises and included Getty, Sovereign Grace music and his bluegrass band.

So Getty & Sovereign Grace are unacceptable music choices????

 

[Ransom]

So Getty & Sovereign Grace are unacceptable music choices????

Well, as David Cloud says, they're "out-and-out contemporary rockers with no boundaries." All that Irish-styled hymnody is just an illusion. Really they're more like Black Sabbath than Clannad.