SOUTHERN SEMINARY: TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION
If it was not actually true, you would never believe the events of the last three months on the campus of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. If someone told you the events, and you had not heard about it before, you would constantly interrupt the story teller with comments like “You are kidding aren’t you?” and “That’s not possible in a Baptist school?” But it is true.
We will quickly cover the events to give you some background for the two excellent editorials written by Marv Knox, editor of the Western Recorder, the Kentucky state Baptist paper. He is close to the events and can give us as Texas Baptists a first hand account. We appreciate his permission to share them with Texas Baptists.
The events are as follows:
David Sherwood, who believes in Biblical inerrancy, is approved by the faculty search committee, a student panel, and Vice-President David Dockery, to fill a tenured position on the faculty of the Carver School of Social Work.
Sherwood is rejected by Southern President Al Mohler even though he affirms his belief in inerrancy, and the Seminary Abstract of Principles. Mohler says Sherwood is not acceptable because he believes God might call a woman to be a pastor.
Mohler reveals that in addition to a certain viewpoint on Biblical authority, and adherence to the school’s Abstract Of Principles, all faculty must agree with Mohler’s views on abortion, homosexuality, women in ministry, and the exclusive nature of the Christian Gospel. Sherwood only got three out of four correct.
Carver Dean Diana Garland protests saying that a person’s private thoughts on certain scriptures should not disqualify someone to teach, because no one would ever be totally acceptable in every interpretation. Garland said it would be impossible to recruit faculty.
Mohler fires Garland as Dean.
The students protest and Mohler tells them “you cannot hold us accountable. That is not your role. Your responsibility is to study.”
The faculty protests via a faculty resolution and Mohler chides them by saying they are only hurting the school and it is not their business what the administration does.
The trustees affirm Mohler and consolidate his control over faculty hiring and give him the authority to silence criticism. They added to the seminary’s faculty-staff manual language threatening dismissal if faculty express negative feelings regarding the seminary, its policies and the administration.
An attorney says all this is probably illegal because you can’t take away free speech.
Others point out that all this will certainly threaten the school’s accreditation.
As we stated, truth is stranger that fiction. The question now is will the Southern Baptist pharisees go beyond the 600 plus laws of the pharisees in Jesus time? Only time will tell!
Read and enjoy the quality, thought-provoking work of editor Marv Knox.
June/July 1995