CRITICISM OF BAYLOR AMOUNTS TO NOTHING
By David R. Currie,
Coordinator

Recently I received a phone call from a reporter with the Dallas Morning News. She wanted to know if I was concerned that Baylor was turning fundamentalist. It was hard not to laugh.

I told her I thought the criticism of President Robert Sloan was so minor that it did not even warrant a story in her paper, but, if she ran a story to please quote me accurately. My quote was: “I have zero, none, not an inkling of concern that Baylor is turning fundamentalist. Robert Sloan is one of the most committed individuals I know in his opposition to fundamentalism.”

News reports indicate Sloan expects Baylor professors to be Christians and active church members. That is supposed to be a story? That is supposed to be controversial? Spare me, please.

Baylor is a Christian institution. It is related to the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Of course faculty should be active in local churches. The “institution” of the local church is one mechanism which provides the funds for the “institution” known as Baylor University. If you are not a Christian and do not believe in local church participation, there are plenty of excellent state schools where one can teach, but do not seek to teach at Baylor. I have no doubt there are plenty of well qualified, Christian, active church member professors who are qualified to teach English, math, engineering, law, etc., and those are the folks Baylor should hire.

There is nothing fundamentalist about wanting professors at a Christian institution to be active church members. Otherwise, why not make it a state school?

Sloan has also been criticized for making some changes in the leadership of the university. He has brought in some new people that he is comfortable with into key positions. Again, I do not understand the problem. When my brother-in-law took a new head football coaching job this summer, he accepted the job with the understanding he could bring in two assistants of his choosing. He wanted his top assistant coaches to be people he was comfortable working with. Sounds very normal to me.

I am sorry some folks have been replaced but I certainly understand Dr. Sloan doing so. He wants his leadership team in place with him. Most senior pastors, CEO’s, head coaches, bank presidents, etc., want the same thing. Any leader wants top assistants he is comfortable with and trusts. That does not mean the old leadership team (assistants, vice-presidents, music director or education minister to carry my analogy out) was bad, just not the ones this leader wanted to work with. Again, I do not understand the fuss.

Dr. Sloan said he was committed to Baylor retaining a clear identity as a Christian institution and to maintaining close ties with the BGCT. He is keeping his word. I admire him for it and believe he was an excellent choice for president of Baylor University. I consider it an honor to have him as a friend and a co-worker in the fight against the evil of fundamentalism.

October 1996