Volume LXXXII, No. 3 • 3rd Trimester 2018€¦ · 2 The Baptist Educator Contents Vol. LXXXII, No. 3 3rd Trimester 2018 Publisher: Barbara McMillin, President and Board Chair, IABCU

Volume LXXXII, No. 3 • 3rd Trimester 2018

Appalachian women findnew hope at Bluefield

College’s New OpportunitySchool for Women.

2 The Baptist Educator

Contents

Vol. LXXXII, No. 33rd Trimester 2018

Publisher: Barbara McMillin,President and Board Chair, IABCU

Managing Editor Ashley Hill,Executive Secretary, IABCU

The Baptist Educator (ISSN 0038-3848) is anews magazine published three times a yearfor administrators, faculty, staff, trustees andfriends of member schools by theInternational Association of Baptist Collegesand Universities.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:

International Association of Baptist Collegesand Universities (IABCU)Samford UniversityP. O. Box 293935Birmingham, AL 35229Send news items to:Executive SecretaryThe Baptist EducatorE-mail: [email protected] UniversityP. O. Box 293935Birmingham, AL 35229Phone: (205) 726-2036

An annual subscription to The BaptistEducator is $10.00 for one printed and twodigital issues.“Legal Notes” is designed to provide accurateand authoritative information on legal issues fac-ing Baptist-related higher education. It is provid-ed with the understanding that the publisher andeditors are not engaged in rendering legal coun-sel. “Legal Notes” is not intended as a substitutefor the services of a legal professional. If yourinstitution needs legal counsel, a competentattorney should be consulted.

2 Educational Funds

3 Better Together

4 New Opportunity School for Women

6 Pharmacy Building

7 Hester Lecture

14 Five Presidents Five Questions

19 BISR

20 Annual Meeting Schedule

21 Keith Ross

22 Eric Turner

23 Legal Notes

33 Charleston Southern University

Robertson/Farmer/HesterEducational Loan fundsdesigned to assist full-time fac-ulty or administrators at quali-fying Southern Baptist-relatededucational institutions toobtain their doctoral degreesand postdoctoral study/researchare available from the SouthernBaptist Foundation.

Applicants are required to beactive members of a localSouthern Baptist church andthey must have been acceptedin a program of doctoral orpostdoctoral study. Professorsand administrators can beawarded up to a maximum of$10,000 over a five-year periodwith a maximum of $2,000 persemester and $1,500 per sum-

mer term.

The loans are to be paid back inservice at a qualifying SouthernBaptist school at the rate of$2,000 per academic year. If aloan recipient ceases to beemployed by a qualifyingSouthern Baptist educationalinstitution for any reason orfails to complete the degree infive years the loan must be paidback in cash plus interest.

Applications and policies can berequested by calling MargaretCammuse at the SouthernBaptist Foundation, 615-254-8823 or 800-245-8183.Deadline for applications isApril 15 for consideration forthe next academic year.

Robertson/Farmer/Hester

EDUCATIONAL FUNDS

Available to

IABCU FACULTY AND

ADMINISTRATORS

To pursue Doctoral Degrees

33rd Trimester 2018

Comment From The President:

BETTER TOGETHERDr. Barbara McMillin IABCU President and Board Chair and President, Blue Mountain College

One of the highlights of my fall was the opportunity torepresent the IABCU and Blue Mountain College at

the inauguration of Stan Norman as President ofWilliams Baptist University. The launch of a new presi-dency is a joyous and exciting time in the life of an insti-tution—and WBU’s celebration was no exception. Thecharge to Dr. Norman was delivered by David S. Dockery,current president of Trinity International University andpast president of Union University. Dr. Dockery’s chargeincluded an admonition for each of us to be agents ofencouragement. Though directed on this occasion toWBU faculty, staff, trustees, and students, this admoni-tion challenged me to consider how I can be an agent ofencouragement to my colleagues in Christian highereducation and specifically to my colleagues who are lead-ers of Baptist institutions.

Certainly one of the best ways in which we can encour-age one another is through prayer. With the goal ofbeing an agent of encouragement in mind, I asked sever-al of our newest presidents of IABCU colleges to sharewith me how we can pray for them as they launch theirtenure at their respective institutions. Their responsesrange from requests that impact the lives of all of ourleaders to petitions for very specific needs. I will sharesome of their responses with you.

Keith Ross of Missouri Baptist University expresses thisneed: “With the continued political polarization of oursociety, my prayer is that presidents of Christian collegesand universities would lead their institutions to be mod-els for civility and winsome conversation.”

Tim Smith of the University of Mobile asks that we prayfor the ability to clearly articulate a biblical worldview asthe foundation for the University and as guidance for ourstudents. He asks that we pray for faculty and staff tobecome stronger in the faith and the ability to articulatea biblical worldview as it relates to their discipline.

Eric Turner of Southwest Baptist, Dondi Costin ofCharleston Southern, and Blake Thompson of MississippiCollege all spoke of the need to pray for smooth transi-tions for “first families” as spouses and children adjust tonew roles in new places.

Dr. Costin, a marathon runner himself, reminds us topray for all new presidents to realize that they are indeedin a marathon not a sprint; that life in the goldfish bowlwould not deter them from serving others but wouldinstead motivate them to inspire others by godly living;and that God would give them His eyes and ears andheart for people so that His plans would become theirplans for leading the university.

Scott Bullard, interim president at Judson, requestsprayer for Judson’s presidential search committee, forthe fourteen-year-old sister of a Judson student who isbattling cancer, and for the salvation of a skeptical inter-national student who is now pondering conversion toChristianity.

Stan Norman requests our prayers for wisdom to knowhow to cast winsome visions, for insight and discern-ment to learn the stories and institutional cultures ofeach of our institutions; for the capacity to nurture andenhance relationships with invested constituencies, espe-cially the Baptist churches that support and pray for us,and for an unwavering commitment to keep Christ thecenter of all that we do as we seek to prepare graduatesto impact our world in their respective fields of study.

Please join me in pledging to be an agent of encourage-ment by praying as requested for each of these new lead-ers and for all who serve in positions of leadership at ourIABCU schools.


One day in 1987 JaneStephenson received a phone

call from a friend on behalf of anAppalachian woman in greatneed—an Appalachian womanwith no employment experienceand little knowledge of the worldbeyond her family. Jane's friendasked if she knew of a programthat could help this woman learnto cope with her situation?While Jane knew of no existingprogram, she was struck by theneed she knew was prevalent inher area of the country. Then acoincidence that seemed provi-

dential occurred…

A foundation executive lookingfor innovative ideas called Jane'slate husband, JohnStephenson—president of BereaCollege at that time. The execu-tive sought out new programsthat met the needs of peoplewithin the scope of his founda-tion. When Jane found out aboutthe call, the seed for the NewOpportunity School for Women(NOSW) was planted.

Jane responded with a grant pro-posal that won startup fundingfor NOSW and made possible theimplementation of her vision toimprove the lives of Appalachianwomen in need. The first NewOpportunity School for Womenwas established in Berea, with asecond site to follow at Lees-McCrae College in Banner Elk,North Carolina in 2005. In 2013NOSW expanded to BluefieldCollege, where it has becomepart of the fabric of the college.

David Olive, president ofBluefield College, says, “We hada lady from Bluefield that foundherself in a hard time with drugaddiction. She found out aboutNOSW and entered the program

at Lees-McCrae. When she grad-uated, her father came to me totell me what a miraculouschange he had seen in hisdaughter’s life. He’d spoken toJane Stephenson about the needfor a program like this in ourpart of the state. After a time ofprayer and discernment, itappeared that the program waswell within our mission.”

The New Opportunity School forWomen is designed to improvethe educational, financial, andpersonal circumstances of low-income, under-educated, middle-aged women in the Appalachianregion. The program providesdevelopment opportunities forwomen in the areas of career,education, and personal and cul-tural growth. NOSW helps par-ticipants with areas like resumewriting, interview skills, comput-er basics, self-defense, theaterand arts activities, money-man-agement skills, maintaining goodhealth, and parenting skills. Dr.Olive says, “One of the majorcomponents of the program ishaving the participants read lit-erature written by Appalachianwomen, because they identify somuch with some of the hard-ships. There are self-esteem

Jane Stephenson, founder of New OpportunitySchool for Women

Bluefield College’s NewOpportunity School for Women:Bringing Hope and Healing to

Appalachian Women

courses. They bring in a coun-selor to help unpack some of thereally heavy things women havebeen through. We help themwith health needs, includingmedical services, eye exams anddentistry. We provide glasses ordentures if needed. We bring inlocal service providers who dothis free of charge, so it is a won-derful ways for many members ofour community to be involved.”

There is no cost for attendingthe New Opportunity School forWomen. Rooms and meals areprovided by the college at nocost to the participants. Grantsfor travel and childcare are avail-able.

Bluefield College has now gradu-ated its sixth class of 8-10women. There are close to 1000graduates among the locations atBluefield, Berea, and Lees-McCrae. The cohort modelallows graduates to have a net-work of women who remain intouch, supporting each otherlong after the three week pro-gram ends. This network is avital part of the women’s suc-cessful life changes. ReportsOlive, “I was a little skeptical atfirst that three weeks wasenough time to make some ofthe life changes these womenneeded to make. But once Iheard the powerful stories of theladies who have graduated fromthe program I was sold. I’m abeliever!”

For more information on theNew Opportunity School forWomen, please see their websiteat www.NOSW.org.

53rd Trimester 2018

Approximately 80% of participants have family incomes of lessthan $10,000 per year and many have far less than that.

More than 15 million Americans, most of whom live in ruralareas, lack broadband internet service and the access it pro-

vides to jobs, education, and opportunities.

49% of respondents are employed full-time, while 18% areemployed part-time. 50% of these women are in benefited posi-

tions.

47% are enrolled in degree-seeking educational programs ornon-degree vocational training programs, and sometimes theyare doing both simultaneously. 23% have retired from produc-

tive careers at this point.

33% of our graduates now have Master’s, Bachelor’s, orAssociate’s Degrees or have completed certificate programs.

More than 50% of respondents’ children have attended collegeor technical school and 25 % have attended graduate school.

NOSW Facts at a Glance


On Oct. 19 William Carey University dedicated Sanderson Hall, thehome of its new Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The program began

in July at the school’s Tradition campus with 58 students in its inau-gural class and met in temporary facilities while the new pharmacybuilding was being completed. The WCU Pharm D. program is one ofeleven accelerated programs in the country that allows students tograduate in three years. Dr. Tommy King, Carey President, comment-ed, “This is another step in Carey’s commitment to meet the healthcare needs of underserved areas in Mississippi and the Gulf South.”

Provost Scott Hummel said the School of Pharmacy will not only helpreduce the pharmacist shortage in Mississippi, but add to Carey'smedical portfolio, which includes medical, nursing and physical ther-apy programs in Hattiesburg. The combination of these programs willbe a benefit, he said, in a state like Mississippi, which is largely ruraland has many low income areas.

"This certainly will be a huge factor in being able to address the short-age of pharmacists, but it is also about the overall role of pharmacywith medical, nursing and physical therapy that together will increaseaccess to health care and the quality of health care in Mississippi,"Hummel said.

King agreed,“Through the years, William Carey University has soughtto identify needs of Mississipians and to meet those needs. We’ve hada school of nursing for decades. With the addition of a medical school,a physical therapy school and a health information management pro-gram at our Hattiesburg campus, we increasingly saw the need tohelp increase access to health care.”

The dedication ceremony also honored Joe Frank Sanderson Jr. andhis wife Kathy Sanderson, for whom the building is named. Mr.Sanderson is CEO and chairman of the board at Sanderson Farms inLaurel, Mississippi, the third-largest poultry producer in the UnitedStates. The Sandersons made a generous gift to Willliam CareyUniversity to support construction of the pharmacy school.

“We had no idea that this was going to happen. We made our gift andthere was never any naming mentioned when we talked with Dr.King. But it’s important to share, to give back, particularly to an insti-tution that is a good steward and uses it well,” Sanderson said.

“This is a beautiful building and I know the students who go to thisschool will serve this state very well.”

William Carey University DedicatesNew Pharmacy Building

73rd Trimester 2018

The following is the transcript of thefirst Hester lecture of the 2018 IABCUAnnual Meeting at Gateway Seminaryof the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr.Dabid Dockery, president of TrinityInternational University and TrinityEvangelical Divinity School, served asthe Hester lecturer.

A vision for preparing a new generationof educational leaders will require well-prepared and gifted men and womenwho will be ready to understand, guide,and implementthe distinctivework ofChristian highereducation. Themodest proposalrelated to ourcalling to pre-pare the nextgenerationforms the cen-tral theme forthis year’sHester Lectures,which isinformed bythemes found inPsalm 78. Wehave the privi-lege to step intothis biblical pat-tern and tell thenext generationthe wonders and works of the Lord. Ourthree presentations will be informed bythe deep realities of the GreatCommandment (Matthew 22: 37-39)and grounded in the commission of theresurrected Christ, who calls us to disci-ple the nations by teaching them allthat the Lord has commanded (Matthew28:18-20). In Ephesians 4:11-16, theapostle Paul identifies the goals for thiseffort, which will involve building upthese men and women, guiding them to

maturity in faith, and leading them toChristian unity. Following Paul’s patternwith Timothy, Titus, and others, we arecalled to pass along what we havelearned to faithful leaders who will beable to teach and lead others (2 Timothy2:2).

Baptist educational leaders have beenentrusted with the Christian faith, thebody of truth once for all delivered tothe saints (Titus 1:9, Jude 3). We recog-nize that the Christian faith is not

merely some personal, subjective, amor-phous feeling, but is what H.E.W.Turner called “the pattern of Christiantruth.” One of the first responsibilitiesin the development of these future edu-cational leaders will include instructionregarding the Trinitarian God (Father,Son, and Holy Spirit), Scripture,humanity, sin, salvation, the Christianlife, the church, the Kingdom of God,eternal life, as well as Christian ethics.

The vision for preparing these leadersmust be holistic, preparing head, heart,and hands. What will be needed are edu-cators who are Christianly formed andprepared for the incredible challengescurrently facing Christian higher educa-tion. As we will try to note along theway, they, like we ourselves, will needpartners in this work. Such an approachrecognizes that Baptist higher educationin particular is best done in, with, andfor the church. With that brief introduc-tion, let’s explore together what is

involved in thework of distinc-tive Christianhigher educa-tion.

In 1996, WilliamHull, who at thattime served asprovost atSamfordUniversity, notedin his HesterLecture that,clearly this is acritical time toredefine themeaning andmission ofChristian highereducation, andto understandthe distinctive

reason for our existence. What role doeslearning play in the Christina life? Howdoes faith in God enhance an unfetteredquest for truth? Our need now is not fora general philosophy of education, byfor an explicit theology of educationrooted in the imperatives of theChristian gospel. In a time of spiritualconfusion and moral anarchy, Baptistshave been driven back to the Bible andto their core confessions of faith, whichis where the church always goes when

Preparing the Next Generation forDistinctive Christian Higher

Education


under furious attack.

Today, I wish to extend my engagementwith and response to Dr. Hull, whopassed away in 2013. The challengesfaced by Baptist higher education in1996, when these words were spoken,have only multiplied. Still, Hull’s wordsseem ever so timely for us today.

The former Samford provost went on tosay in his 1996 Hester Lecture that thebest time to advance is when our backsare against the wall. These commit-ments Hull claimed are based on theintuition that our cultural exhaustionmay signal the beginning of a newhumility, that our moral frustrationmay be the harbinger of a newseriousness – in other wordsthat our desperate alienationfrom the roots of our humanitymay itself provoke the advent ofa new Kairos, that this explosiveyet empty age may indeedbecome the incubator of a newera when the search for whole-ness can begin again. (William Hull,“Southern Baptist Higher Education:Retrospect and Prospect,” HesterLectures, 1996). In the midst of thissecular and empty age I want toattempt to offer a proposal thatdescribes the heart of distinctiveChristian higher education.

Challenges and Trends

Challenge and change characterize theworld of Christian higher education inthe early decades of the twenty-firstcentury. Faculty and staff live with anew global awareness; students havenever known a world without advancingtechnology, terrorism, and interculturalawareness. A look around the globepoints to a shift among the nations thatwill influence the world for decades tocome. Anyone interested in the futureof Christian higher education will wantto keep an eye on cultural and globaltrends, for our work never takes placein a vacuum, and this observation doesnot begin to address the changes inhigher education itself in terms offocus, funding, philosophy, methodolo-gy, and delivery systems.

Christian higher education involves adistinctive way of thinking about teach-ing, learning, scholarship, subject mat-ter, student life, administration, andgovernance that is grounded in theorthodox Christian faith. Our vision forChristian higher education is not justabout an inward, subjective, and piousChristianity, as important as that is.Christian educators recognize that theChristian faith is more than a frame-work of warmhearted devotional prac-tices, for the Christian faith influencesnot only how we act but also what webelieve, how we think, how we teach,how we learn, how we write, how welead, how we govern, and how we treatone another.

It is our hope that a more full-orbedunderstanding of a theologically shapedvision for Christian higher educationlike the one called for by Bill Hull willhelp us to engage the culture and toprepare a generation of leaders who caneffectively serve both church and soci-ety. Our approach begins with anunderstanding of the self-revealing Godwho has created humans in his image.We believe that students created in theimage of God are designed to discovertruth and that the exploration of truthis possible because the universe, as cre-ated by the Trinitarian God, is intelligi-ble.

These beliefs are held together by ourunderstanding that the unity of knowl-edge is grounded in Jesus Christ, inwhom all things hold together (Col.1:17). The Christian faith then providesthe lens to see the world, recognizingthat faith seeks to understand everydimension of life under the lordship ofJesus Christ. In doing so, we are build-ing on those who have gone before us,those who have shaped the Christianintellectual tradition.

Christian Education through the Years

Beginning in the second century,important learning centers arose inAlexandria and Antioch as well as inConstantinople. These centers focusedon catechetical and apologetic instruc-tion for Christian converts. Alexandria’sapproach helps us to understand theshape of education in the early churchas exemplified in one of the first greatChristian scholars, Clement ofAlexandria (ca. 150–ca. 215).

Clement of Alexandria

Clement serves as an instructive guidefor us in our context because of hiswide range of learning, his love for phi-losophy and literature, his cultivation

of an intellectually seriousChristian faith, and his engage-ment and interaction with trendsand issues of his day. Clement’soverarching concern was to devel-op a view of the world and of lifefrom the vantage point of wisdomin which he understood and inter-acted with the various strands of

contemporary thought and culture.Clement’s impact, as a pioneer of seri-ous Christian thinking, cannot beunderestimated. Even though his writ-ing was at times unsystematic, he nev-ertheless presented a coherent andconsistent explication of the impor-tance of Christian thinking and ethicsfor the challenges of his day.

Augustine and Aquinas

Augustine, the father of the Christianintellectual tradition, located thesource of knowledge within the person,based on his understanding that truthwas a gift of God’s grace grantedthrough faith. This knowledge, orpotential knowledge, is developed byeducation that actively works in andthrough reason, memory, and will.Education takes place by engaging theChristian tradition, the wisdom of theages that enabled the development ofthe liberal arts tradition. Augustine inthe 4th and 5th centuries, encouragedpersonal discovery and active engage-ment of students in the disciplines ofstudy. For Augustine, the love of learn-ing reflects our desire for God, and thelove of wisdom exemplifies loving Godwith our minds in fulfillment of the

Anyone interested in the future ofChristian higher education will want to

keep an eye on cultural and globaltrends, for our work never takes place in

a vacuum...

93rd Trimester 2018

Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37–39).Eight centuries later, Thomas Aquinasemphasized sense experience as the pri-mary source of knowledge. WhileAugustine’s approach to education wasinfluenced by Plato, Aquinas was partialto Aristotle. For Aquinas, reason reflectson the data of the senses, for nothing isever in the mind that is not first in thesenses. Reason enables understandingand discernment, informing the will andgiving guidance for life. Aquinas favoreda teacher-centered, didactic approach toeducation.

During the medieval period, Christianeducation flourished in the monastery.The monastic educational modelemphasized a life of study, prayer, medi-tation, and work. The curriculum waslargely built around the study of HolyScripture, particularly the Psalms, andthe rule of faith as articulated in theApostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed.Reading, writing, grammar, and musicwere also included, forming the trajec-tory for the trivium (grammar, dialectic,and rhetoric) and the quadrivium (arith-metic, geometry, music, and astrono-my). The trivium and quadrivium, thecore of the liberal arts curriculum, weresignificant for shaping the cathedralschool and the medieval university.Philosophy, physics, ethics, and ulti-mately theology, the queen of the sci-ences, completed the expectations forstudents in the medieval uni-versities.

From Pre-Reformation toPost-Reformation

The contribution ofDesiderius Erasmus to educa-tion can be characterized asthe work of an innovative pioneer mov-ing beyond tradition and supplyingimpetus for Reformation and post-Reformation studies. His brilliancepaved the way for the direction ofChristian education for the decades thatfollowed. A prince among theRenaissance humanists, Erasmus was atthe same time a conceptual and reform-ing theologian. A scholarly biblical criticand pious moralist, Erasmus offeredmultiple contributions to educationworthy of appreciation. He was the pre-mier Renaissance scholar of his day with

an emphasis on the original sources andthe study of ancient texts.

Erasmus made an important break withthe medieval scholastic approach to the-ology and the study of Scripture but notin a reactionary manner. The breakcame about through a combination ofChristian commitment, Renaissancescholarship, and the implementation ofJohn Colet’s educational model. Thegenius and ability of Erasmus as biblicalscholar and moral theologian served asa model for Martin Luther, PhilippMelanchthon, John Calvin, and otherReformers.

Luther and Melanchthon shaped educa-tion in Germany in the sixteenth centu-ry with their emphasis on thepriesthood of all believers, which notonly encouraged Bible reading for allbut also stressed literacy and educationfor all. Melanchthon, more than Luther,shaped educational theory as a leader atWittenberg University. As the curricu-lum organizer and systematizer of the-ology, Melanchthon was known as thepraeceptor Germaniae (“teacher ofGermany”). His work brought about sig-nificant changes in the German educa-tional system.

Post-Reformation educational modelsled to the rise of the modern universityat the University of Halle (1694). Halle

began as an educational center focusedon serious study coupled with warm-hearted piety, in reaction to the ratio-nalistic scholasticism that characterizedsome aspects of the post-Reformationperiod. Soon, however, the educationalagenda was dominated byEnlightenment priorities. Higher educa-tion for the past three hundred yearshas lived with the tensions of post-Enlightenment philosophies such asrationalism, empiricism, existentialism,phenomenology, Marxism, and morerecent radical epistemologies. For these

reasons, among others, Christian highereducation needs to reclaim and advancethe Christian intellectual tradition. TheUniversity of Halle provided the firstexample, of many that followed, wherepiety alone was unable in and of itself tosustain the essence of Christian highereducation and the great tradition ofChristian thinking.

Building on the Best of the ChristianTradition

As we have seen from our brief survey,our efforts to advance authenticChristian higher education are greatlyshaped by those who have gone beforeus. These influences and influencershave not only shaped us but also reflectwho we are. We recognize significantvariety in our heritage, but we must notthink that there is unlimited varietywithout boundaries or without a core.

The richness of the Christian traditioncan provide guidance for the complexchallenges facing Christian higher edu-cation at this time. We believe not onlythat an appeal to tradition is timely butalso that it meets an important needbecause the secular culture in which wefind ourselves is at best indifferent tothe Christian faith and because theChristian world—at least in its morepopular forms—tends to be confusedabout beliefs, heritage, and the tradition

associated with the Christian faith.

At the heart of this calling is theneed to prepare a generation ofChristians to think Christianly, toengage the academy and the culture,to serve society, and to renew theconnection with the church and itsmission. To do so, the breadth and

the depth of the Christian tradition willneed to be reclaimed, renewed, revital-ized, and revived for the good ofChristian higher education.

Confessional Foundations

Reconnecting with the great confession-al tradition of the church will help us toavoid fundamentalist reductionism onthe one hand and liberal revisionism onthe other. Fundamentalist reductionismfails to understand that there are priori-ties or differences in the Christian faith.

Reconnecting with the great confession-al tradition of the church will help us toavoid fundamentalist reductionism on

the one hand and liberal revisionism onthe other.


Fundamentalism often fails to distin-guish between saying no to an inade-quate confession of the deity of Christand saying no to the wrong kind ofsocial activity. It fails to prioritize doc-trines in a way consistent with theemphases of Scripture. Liberal revision-ism, on the other hand, in its attemptto translate the Christian faith to con-nect with the culture, has often woundup revising the Christian faithinstead of translating it. To bor-row words from the apostlePaul, we are then left with “nogospel at all” (Gal. 1:7 NIV). Sowe learn from the apostle Paul,who was willing to addressopponents coming from differ-ent directions in Galatia andColossae, calling the churches back tothe truth of the Christian faith.

As we reflect further on these impor-tant matters, let us take a brief look atthe key commitments found in theCreed of Nicaea, a confessional state-ment shared by all Christian traditions.The Creed of Nicaea (325) was draftedto refute the claim that Jesus was thehighest creation of God and thus differ-ent in essence from the Father. Whatwe often refer to today as the NiceneCreed was most likely approved not atNicaea in 325 but at Constantinople in381. While articulating the importanceof the unity of the Holy Trinity, itinsisted that Christ was begotten fromthe Father before all time, declaringthat Christ is of the same essence as theFather.

When we contend today that Christianhigher education must be distinctivelyChrist-centered education, we are ineffect confessing that Jesus Christ, whowas eternally the second person of theTrinity, sharing all the divine attributes,became fully human. Thus to think ofChrist centeredness only in terms ofpersonal piety or activism resultingfrom following some aspects of theteachings of Jesus, while important,will be inadequate.

A healthy future for Christian highereducation must return to the past withthe full affirmation that when we pointto Jesus, we see the whole man Jesusand say that he is God. This is the great

mystery of godliness, God manifested inthe flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). It is necessarythat Christ should be both God andman. Only as a man could he be theRedeemer for humanity; only as a sin-less man could he fittingly die for oth-ers; only as God could his life, ministry,and redeeming death have infinite valueand satisfy the demands of God so as todeliver others from death.

Any attempt to envision a faithfulChristian higher education for the daysahead that is not tightly tethered to thegreat confessional tradition will mostlikely result in an educational modelwithout a compass. The only way tocounter the secular assumptions thatshape so may sectors of higher educa-tion today is to confess that the exaltedChrist, who spoke the world into beingby his powerful word, is the providen-tial Sustainer of all life (Col.1:15–17;Heb. 1:2).

As we seek to bring the Christian faithto bear on the teaching and learningprocess in the work of distinctiveChrist-centered higher education, ourstrategy must involve bringing thesetruths about Jesus Christ to bear on thegreat ideas of history as well as on thecultural and educational issues of ourday. In doing so, our aim will be toadjust the cultural assumptions of ourpost-Christian context in light of God’seternal truth. We, therefore, want tocall for the work of higher education inthe days ahead to take place throughthe lenses of the Nicene tradition thatrecognizes not only the Holy Trinitybut also the transcendent, creating,sustaining, and self-disclosingTrinitarian God who has made humansin his image.

A Connection to the Churches

A renewed vision for Baptist highereducation must not only connect withthe best of the Christian intellectual

tradition and our confessional heritagebut must also seek a purposeful con-nection with Baptist and evangelicalcongregations. Baptist colleges and uni-versities are decidedly not churches,but they remain connected with thechurches. James Burtchaell in his mas-sive study The Dying of the Light sur-veyed dozens of institutions acrossvarious traditions, focusing on nine-

teenth- and twentieth-centuryexamples. His important work hasrevealed how many institutionsfrom various traditions have seenthe light of the Christian faith dieout on their campuses. Burtchaellmay well have been wrong aboutsome of the particulars in hisresearch, but his big-picture the-

sis holds consistently across the tradi-tions and the decades. The moment aninstitution began to lose its connectionwith the churches was the day the lightstarted to disappear on the campus.Christ-centered institutions, while notchurches, are an extension of thechurches, the academic arm of thekingdom of God.

High-quality teaching and scholarshipwill be recognized in the academy, andthese educational efforts can be donewithout neglecting our connection withthe church. Pope John Paul II, the lead-er of the Roman Catholic Church in thelatter part of the twentieth century,called for Catholic universities toreconnect with the heart of the churchin his 1990 statement Ex CordeEcclesiae. While some may think thatJohn Paul II is an unusual model forBaptists, I believe that we can learnfrom our Roman Catholic friends andseek to connect Baptists institutionswith the heart of the church. Ourdream calls for Christian colleges anduniversities to be not only Christ cen-tered but also church connected. Indoing so, we also want to be connectedwith the great confessional traditionthrough the years, including theApostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, theChalcedonian Confession (451), and thebest of the Bpatist confessional her-itage. While none of these confessionalstatements are infallible, all are infor-mative and helpful guides for us.Historical awareness will help us avoidconfusing what is merely a momentary

High-quality teaching and scholarshipwill be recognized in the academy, andthese educational efforts can be done

without neglecting our connection withthe church.

113rd Trimester2018

expression from that which has endur-ing importance for the sake of thechurches.

Academic Freedom, ChurchConnectedness, and Our ConfessionalCommitments

Let us emphasize that in essentials ofthe Christian faith there is no place forcompromise. Faith and truth are prima-ry issues, and we stand firm in thoseareas. Sometimes we confuse primaryissues and secondary issues. In sec-ondary issues, and tertiary issues, weneed mostly love and grace as we learnto disagree agreeably. We want to learnto love one another in spite of differ-ences and to learn from those withwhom we differ.

We fail the church and the work ofChristian higher education when we failto distinguish essential matters fromnonessential ones. In essentials, faithand truth are primary, and we may notappeal to love or grace as an excuse todeny any essential aspect ofChristian teaching. When wecenter the work of Baptist highereducation on the person andwork of the Lord Jesus Christ, wewill build on the ultimate foun-dation. We need also to connectwith the great Christian intellec-tual tradition of the church,which can provide insight intowho we are and guidance for ourfuture.

The challenge for us is to preserve andpass on the Christian tradition whileencouraging honest intellectual inquiry.We need to encourage intellectualcuriosity and find ways to pass on theChristian intellectual tradition whilepromoting serious intellectual engage-ment in the areas of teaching, research,and scholarship. There is no place foranti-intellectualism on our campuses.Baptist higher education is called to beacademically rigorous, grounded in theconfessional tradition, seeking to under-stand the great ideas of history, andengaging with today’s issues. Baptisthigher education has been called toreflect on and think about how toadvance these commitments and toengage the challenging issues of the

twenty-first century.

Therefore, we recognize the place ofacademic freedom within a confessionalcontext. We recognize that explorationacross the disciplines is to be encour-aged, but some things may not be advo-cated within confessional commitmentsthat bind us together as educationalcommunities. We want to encouragegenuine exploration and seriousresearch while recognizing that freeinquiry, untethered from tradition orfrom the church, often results in theunbelieving skepticism that character-izes so much of higher education today.The directionless state that can be seenas we look across much of higher educa-tion is often found among many formerchurch-related institutions that havebecome disconnected from the churchesand their heritage. We need a renewedvision for Baptist higher education thatwill help us develop unifying principlesfor Christian thinking, founded on thetenet that all truth has its source inGod, our Creator and Redeemer.

As we do so, we will likely struggle withmany issues because there are numer-ous matters that remain ambiguous,matters for which we still see through aglass darkly. Some questions will haveto remain unanswered as we continue tostruggle and wrestle together. Yet weenvision a distinctive approach to high-er education, different from the largemajority of higher education institu-tions in the United States.

A Distinctive Vision for Baptist HigherEducation

We must not be naïve to the challengesthat will be encountered along the way.Unfortunately, some in the churcheswill be satisfied with a minimal commit-

ment to warmhearted piety that encour-ages campus Bible studies, kind rela-tionships, and occasional mission trips.Certainly, we want to encourage andapplaud such things but not as anencompassing vision for Christian high-er education. Some of these things canbe carried out on public university cam-puses among parachurch organizations.We want to see these things take place,but more importantly, we want to seeBaptist institutions that are primarilyconcerned with Christian thinking andthinking Christianly, learning to thinkcarefully, creatively, and critically, seek-ing to engage the academy and the cul-ture. And as we do so, we need to beaware that some in both the academyand the culture as well as the church,will question the legitimacy of this pro-ject.

We thus dream of Baptist campuses thatare faithful to the lordship of JesusChrist, that exemplify the GreatCommandment, that seek justice,mercy, and love, that demonstrate

responsible freedom, that priori-tize worship and service as cen-tral to all pursuits in life. Theseinstitutions must seek to buildgrace-filled communities thatemphasize love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control as the virtues needed tocreate a caring Christian contextwhere undergraduate and gradu-ate education grounded in theconviction that all truth has its

source in God can be offered. In sum,we hope to provide quality Christ-cen-tered education that promotes excel-lence and character development inservice to church and society.

A Focus on Students

We must constantly remind ourselvesthat we do what we do as Christian edu-cators for the sake of the students. Wewant to encourage student concentra-tion in at least one field of learning,which will include the ability to expressand articulate their own thoughts clear-ly while learning to appreciate, respect,understand, and evaluate the thoughtsof others, resulting in the lifelong habitof learning that will prepare students for

We thus dream of Baptist campuses thatare faithful to the lordship of Jesus

Christ, that exemplify the GreatCommandment, that seek justice,mercy, and love, that demonstrate

responsible freedom, that prioritize wor-ship and service as central to all pur-

suits in life.


careers as well as for graduate and pro-fessional studies. Our goal is to preparestudents for living a Christian life incontemporary society, to enable themto be kingdom citizens in our twenty-first-century world.

Student-life teams must seek to guidestudents in the development of priori-ties and practices that will contribute totheir overall well-being and effective-ness intellectually, emotionally, physi-cally, socially, and spiritually. Facultyhave as their aim to stimulate studentsto think about issues of truth, values,and worldview, along with the ques-tions of how subject matter bears onpeople’s lives, so that they are equippedfor God-called vocation and service.Simultaneously, in our rapidly chang-ing world we will need to continueexploring new educational delivery sys-tems, given the economic challengesand the developing understandings oftechnology in the times in which welive.

Community and Christian Scholarship

We recognize that a commitment torigorous and quality academics is bestdemonstrated by God-called faculty.Research should be encouraged in allfields. Still, classroom teaching, mustbe prioritized and emphasized. Facultyin all disciplines, including librarians,should be encouraged to explore howthe truth of the Christian faith bears onall disciplines. This means thatChristian higher-education institutionsin the Baptist tradition cannot be con-tent to display their Christian commit-ments merely with chapelservices and required Bibleclasses. We desire to see stu-dents move toward a maturereflection of what theChristian faith means forevery field of study. In doingso, we can help develop a grace-filled,convictional community of learning.

Because we can think, relate, and com-municate in understandable ways, sincewe are created in the image of God, wecan creatively teach, learn, explore, andcarry on research. We want to maintainthat there is a complementary, andeven necessary, place for teaching and

scholarship. A Baptist institution, incommon with other institutions ofhigher learning, must surely subordi-nate all other endeavors to theimprovement of the mind in pursuit oftruth. Yet a focus on the mind and themastery of content, though primary, isnot enough. We believe that characterand faith development, in addition toguidance in professional competencies,are equally important. Furthermore, wemaintain that the pursuit of truth isbest undertaken within a community oflearning that includes colleagues of thepresent and voices from the past, thecommunion of saints, which alsoattends to the moral, spiritual, physical,and social development of its studentsfollowing the pattern of Jesus, whohimself increased in wisdom andstature and in favor with God andhumankind (Luke 2:52).

One of the things for which we dreamas we envision faithful Christian aca-demic communities involves the pro-moting of genuine Christiancommunity and unity on our campuses.We appeal for a oneness that is foundedon the person and work of Jesus Christand the common salvation we share inhim. One of the ways that we authenti-cate the message of the gospel and ourshared and collaborative work inChristian higher education is the wayChristians love each other and live andserve together in harmony. It is thiswitness that our Lord wants andexpects from us in the world so that theworld may believe that the Father hassent the Son to be the Savior of theworld.

Conclusion

As we envision a blessed future for theshared work of Christian higher educa-tion, we are in no way naïve to the mul-tifaceted challenges and multilevelchanges all around us: economic, tech-nological, denominational, educational,

and cultural. The challenges facingChristian colleges and universities can-not be neutralized simply by addingnewer facilities, better campus-ministryopportunities, and improved student-life programs, as important as thesethings may be.

Our twenty-first-century context mustonce again recognize the importance ofserious Christian thinking as necessaryand appropriate for the well-being ofChristian academic communities. Weoffer the Christian intellectual traditionto twenty-first-century Christ followersas a guide to truth, to that which isimaginatively compelling, emotionallyengaging, aesthetically enhancing, andpersonally liberating.

We believe that the Christian faith,informed by scriptural interpretation,theology, philosophy, and history, hasbearing on every subject and academicdiscipline. While at times theChristian’s research in any field mightfollow similar paths and methods as thesecularists, doxology at both the begin-ning and ending of one’s teaching andresearch marks the works of believersfrom that of secularists. As GeorgeMarsden has observed, we recognizethat some might consider our proposal“outrageous.”

The pursuit of the greater glory of Godremains rooted in a Christian world-view in which God can be encounteredin the search for truth in every disci-pline. The application of the greatChristian tradition will encouragemembers of Christian college and uni-

versity communities to see theirteaching, research, study, studentformation, administrative service,and trustee guidance within theframework of the gospel of JesusChrist. In these contexts, faithfulChristian scholars will see their

teaching and their scholarship as con-tributing to the unity of knowledge.Faculty, staff, and students will worktogether to enhance a love for learningthat encourages a life of worship andservice. The great tradition of Christianthinking helps all of us better see therelationship between the Christian faithand the role of reason, while encourag-ing Christ followers to seek truth and

We are calling for a vision for Christianhigher education that is unapologetically

Christian and rigorously academic.

133rd Trimester 2018

engage the culture, with a view towardstrengthening the church and extendingthe kingdom of God.

We are calling for a vision for Christianhigher education that is unapologetical-ly Christian and rigorously academic. Itinvolves developing resources for seri-ous Christian thinking and scholarshipin all disciplines, not just theology, bib-lical studies, and philosophy. We believethe time is right to reconsider afreshthis vision because of the challenges anddisorder across the academic spectrum.The reality of the fallen world in whichwe live is magnified for us in day-to-daylife through broken families, sexual con-fusion, conflicts between nations, andthe racial and ethnic prejudice weobserve all around us.

This vision helps us understand thatthere is a place for music and the artsbecause God is the God of creation andbeauty. We recognize that the social sci-ences can make observations tostrengthen society, families, and reli-gious structures by recognizing thepresence of the image of God in all menand women. Those who study eco-nomics can help address problems fac-ing communities and society at large, aswell as expand our awareness of howwealth is produced and good steward-ship calls for it to be used. Political-phi-losophy scholars can strategize aboutways to address issues of government,public policy, war, justice, and peace.Ethical challenges in business, educa-tion, and healthcare can be illuminatedby reflection on the great tradition.Exploring every discipline from a con-fessional perspective—which affirmsthat “we believe in God, the FatherAlmighty, Maker of heaven and earth”—will both shape and sharpen our focus.The more we emphasize the pattern ofChristian truth, the more important willits role become for teaching, learning,research, and scholarship. This proposalis rooted in the conviction that God, thesource of all truth, has revealed himselffully in Jesus Christ (John 1:14,18), andit is in our belief in the union of thedivine and human in Jesus Christ thatthe unity of truth will ultimately beseen. What is needed is a renewedunderstanding and appreciation of thedepth and breadth of the Christian intel-

lectual tradition, with its commitmentsto the church’s historic confession ofthe Trinitarian God, and a recognition ofthe world and all subject matter as fullyunderstandable only in relation to thisTrinitarian God. While our approach tohigher education values and prioritizesthe life of the mind, it is also a holisticcall for the engagement of head, heart,and hands.

It is our hope that the ideals and com-mitments called for in this first lecturewill not be culturally confined, for webelieve that these are things that cannotbe easily expunged without great perilto ourselves personally and to Christianinstitutions of higher education corpo-rately, both in the present and in thefuture. In the midst of a confused cul-ture and the cultural ethos of our day,we need commitments that are firm butloving, clear but gracious, encouragingthe people of God to be ready to respondto the numerous issues and challengesthat will come our way, without gettingdrawn into every intramural squabble inthe church or in the culture.

Let us pray that we can relate to oneanother in love and humility, bringingnew life to our shared efforts inChristian higher education. We pray notonly for renewed confessional convic-tions but also for a genuine orthopraxythat can be seen before a watchingworld, a world particularly in theWestern Hemisphere that seeminglystands on the verge of giving up on theChristian faith. We trust that our collab-orative efforts to advance distinctiveChristian higher education in the daysto come will bring forth fruit, willstrengthen partnerships, alliances, andnetworks, and will extend the kingdomof God.

Let us ask God to renew our sharedcommitments to academic excellence inour teaching, our learning, ourresearch, our scholarship, and our ser-vice, as well as in our personal disciple-ship and churchmanship. We gladly joinhands together with those who desire towalk with us on this journey, seekingthe good of all concerned as we servetogether for the glory of our great God.

GROUNDED IN TRUTH

UNITED IN SPIRIT

FOUNDED IN 1823 | JACKSON, TENNESSEE uu.edu


How did you come to faithin Jesus?

My dad is a pastor; when I wasvery young, he heard me drop theF-Bomb in a hallway atchurch; our family rule wasthat if you used foul lan-guage, you had to get yourmouth washed out withsoap, accomplished by lath-ering up your toothbrush.On this occasion, my dadused his toothbrush to washout his own mouth and toldme that this is what Christdid for us all, taking uponHimself our sins and accept-ing the punishment so wecould become sinless in thesight of God. It made quitethe impression on me, and Iprayed the Sinner’s Prayer inthat bathroom.

How long have you beenpresident at NorthGreenville University, andwhat did your path to thepresidency look like?

I’ve been president at NGU since2017. I had a pretty traditionalacademic path to the role, serv-ing as chief academic officer attwo universities, Union inTennessee and Palm BeachAtlantic in Florida. I had threeincredible mentors: David

Dockery (UU) in presidential lead-ership, Carla Sanderson (UU) inacademic leadership, and WilliamFleming (PBA) in fundraising &community engagement.

What is the best adviceyou've received about lead-ership or Christian service?

Always surround yourself withthe best possible people andnever be afraid for the peoplewho serve alongside of you tooutshine you. If you all are serv-ing Christ and the institution,then He gets the glory anyway, so

hire slowly, hire well, and fire

What is one change, addi-tion, or event you instituted

at your school that hasmade a big impact?

This is our second year ofreading the Bible cover tocover aloud in front of ourprayer chapel. Students, staff,and faculty sign up for timesto read, they sign the Biblewhere they start and wherethey finish, and when we aredone, we deposit the copy inthe university archives in thelibrary; this both reflects anddocuments our commitmentto being biblically faithful,which is one of our core val-ues.

What is your favorite wayto engage with students?

My media team set me up with anInstagram account that I usepretty often, posting selfies, pro-files of people on campus, and myattendance at events. The stu-dents have already set up a spoofaccount (my last name, “Fant,” iswidely punable) and we also postme engaging in the “FantFrenzy,” which is where I runthrough the stands at sportsevents on campus, high-fivingthe students.

Dr. Gene Fant, President ofNorth Greenville University


How long have you been presi-dent at Cal Baptist, and what didyour path to the presidency looklike?

I will begin my 25th year as president ofCalifornia Baptist University Nov. 1,2018. At the age of 25, while pursuingmy master’s degree at Baylor University,I completed an internship in higher edu-cation whereby I shadowed leaders ofvarious departments such as admissions,financial aid, physical plant, fundraising,etc. During that experience, I felt a call-ing to be a president of a Baptist collegeand particularly wanted to turn arounda struggling college.

Dr. Wilson Manning, dean of students,who directed my Baylor internship,guided me to pursue a Ph.D. in HigherEducation Administration, which I sub-sequently did at Texas A&M University.My first full-time non-internship posi-tion in higher education was as regis-trar and coordinator of church andassociational relations at LouisianaCollege. The next steps were: assistantdirector of institutional research andtesting at Baylor University; executiveassistant to the president at Lee Collegein Baytown, Texas; executive vice presi-dent at Campbellsville College (nowUniversity) in Campbellsville, Ky.; andthen president of California BaptistCollege (now University).

What do you see as the biggestchallenge to Christian highereducation today?

Rapidity of change in the many areas inwhich Christian higher education func-tions: accreditation, technology, politics,societal issues, regulatory environment,globalization, etc. In order to prosper,colleges and universities balance beingnimble while seeking to remain true tocore principles.

Who are/were some of your men-tors in Christian higher educa-tion and what did you learn fromthem?

Dr. Grady Hogue, president of BeeCounty College in Beeville, Texas, whereI completed a full-time one-year intern-ship as part of my Ph.D. program. Gradyhad been a chemistry professor, repre-sentative in the Texas legislature, andpresident of Cisco Community College,and was asked to be the founding presi-

dent of Bee County College shortly afterthe County passed a bond to begin acommunity college. As founding presi-dent, he was involved in designing everyacademic program, building the campus,hiring every employee, as well as creat-ing policies. The depth and breadth ofhis knowledge as well as his passion forthe institution inspired me.

Dr. Vivian Blevins, one of the first femalecollege presidents in Texas in the 1980’s,whom I served as executive assistant at

Lee College in Baytown, Texas. Herboundless energy and ability to turnmultiple ideas into reality were valuablelessons for me.

Dr. Ken Winters, president ofCampbellsville University, modeled pro-fessionalism, quiet strength and problemsolving. As executive vice president I wasable to play a key role in helping trans-form the institution.

How did you come to faith inJesus?

I was born in Louisiana and grew upin a strong Southern Baptist familywhere my father was a deacon andboth of my parents taught Sundayschool. We moved to Las Vegas, Nev.,where my father taught at Las VegasHigh School, when I was five yearsold and lived there until I was 13. Atseven years old, I accepted Christ asmy savior at the First SouthernBaptist Church of Las Vegas, whichwas the mother church for SouthernBaptist church plants in the rapidlygrowing Las Vegas area. At nine yearsold, during Vacation Bible School,one of our activities was to make aposter with our favorite Bible verse

on it. I chose Matthew 28:19-20, theGreat Commission, which has remainedmy life verse ever since. Since arrivingat California Baptist University ourvision has been to be a premier, compre-hensive Christian university committedto the Great Commission.

What aspect of your school areyou most proud of?

Our ability to be nimble, effective, andgrow in an environment that sometimesappears to be moving from secular tohostile toward traditional Christian val-ues.

Dr. Ronald Ellis, President ofCalifornia Baptist University


How did you come to faithin Jesus?

I was blessed to have been raisedin a Christian home where Christwas exemplified by my father andmother. In addition, I wasexposed to stories from the Biblein worship,Sunday School,TrainingUnion, RoyalAmbassadors,and Wednesdaynight prayermeetings eachweek thathelped shapemy under-standing ofGod as Creatorand Redeemer.At age 9, I rec-ognized mysinful natureand need for a Savior and com-mitted my life to follow Christ.

What is the best advice youhave received about leader-ship/Christian service?

My father shared at my ordina-tion to “let God be God.” Atpoints throughout my leadershipwhen things weren’t going theway I wanted or thought theyshould, or perhaps when encoun-tering a difficult person or situa-

tion, I have often reflected uponmy father’s advice not to attemptto control or fix things beyondmy control; rather, I have turnedmy challenges over to God andtrusted God to work all thingstogether for good.

What event in your presi-dency has been most mem-orable?

Certainly, an inauguration hasinstitutional significance for thecampus community that symbol-izes a transition in leadershipand new beginnings, as well astremendous personal significanceand meaning as one takes up themantel of leadership for an insti-

tution of higher learning.However, it’s hard not to describean all-time record enrollmentthat occurred this fall as themost memorable moment todate!

What is your favorite way toengage withstudents?

Kathryn and Ienjoy having stu-dents in our homefrom time to time,but my favoriteway of engagingwith students issimply sitting withthem in the dininghall and talkingwith them over ameal.

Besides yourBible, what is the best bookyou've read lately?

I enjoy history, and, being aTennessean, I found the book,Andrew Jackson and the Miracleof New Orleans by BrianKilmeade, fascinating. I contin-ue to be amazed by the dramaticacts of a few that have had such aprofound impact on who we aretoday as a nation.

Dr. David Olive, President ofBluefield College


How long have you been presidentat Baylor, and what did your path tothe presidency look like?

I have served as President of BaylorUniversity since June 2017. From 1991to 2002, I served on the faculty atBaylor’s Hankamer School of Business. Iwas awarded tenure in the Departmentof Management before serving four yearsas associate dean of graduate programsfor the Hankamer School of Business.From 2002 to 2014, I served as dean ofPepperdine University’s Graziadio Schoolof Business and Management, and from2014 to 2017, I served as dean and pro-fessor of management at The GeorgeWashington University School ofBusiness.

What is one initiative you institutedat your school that has made a bigimpact?

We’ve recently developedand rolled out an academicstrategic plan for the uni-versity called Illuminate. It’srooted in Matthew 5:14-16—that we as Christiansare the light of the worldand are called to let ourlight shine before others.We believe that Baylor’sgrowing academic enter-prise is illuminated by ourChristian faith and the loveof truth.

I believe higher educationcontinues to need Christianuniversities that offer high-quality, impactful research and scholar-ship. There are immense challengesfacing our world, and it is imperativethat there are Christian universities thattake the lead on finding solutions tothese challenges

How did you come to faith in Jesus?

I was raised in a Christian home, attend-ing a small, Methodist church inPerkins. When I was in sixth grade, Iattended a lay witness mission that ourchurch hosted. It was there that I heardthe gospel shared in a way that madesense to me for the first time, and that’swhen I accepted Christ as my savior. Iwas baptized shortly after that experi-ence. When I enrolled at OklahomaState University, I began attendingBaptist churches, starting withUniversity Heights Baptist Church nearthe Stillwater campus. In college, I alsowas very active in Fellowship ofChristian Athletes. Another importantpart of my spiritual development in col-lege was working during the summers atCamp Soaring Hawk and Kanakuk, bothlocated in southwest Missouri.

Tell us about a mentor you've hadand why they were influential toyou.

The owner of Camp Soaring Hawk, aman named Heno Head, was a signifi-cant mentor to me. Heno was probablythe most godly person I have ever met.Christ seemed to ooze from him, andeverything he did reflected Christ andhis desire to serve God. When campersarrived by bus at the camp, Heno knewevery single child by name the minutethey stepped off the bus. He loved everyone of the campers with all of his heart,soul, mind, and strength—what a won-derful example to all of us who workedat the camp! The love and joy of Christwas reflected in his face, demeanor, andactions every single day. He led Biblestudies with the counselors that weredeeply influential in my Christian walkand development as a college student. Iwill be forever grateful for his exampleof a selfless life of service to Christ andto others.

What is the best advice you havereceived aboutleadership/Christian service?

One weekend at Camp SoaringHawk, my then-boyfriend (now hus-band) Brad came to visit me. Henostopped us in the camp parking lot asBrad was leaving camp and asked ifhe could pray with us. As we pre-pared to pray, Heno commented thatwe should be willing to pray for any-one, anytime, anywhere. This put awhole new light on prayer for uswhen we were in college. It was alsoa great reminder that we are to praywithout ceasing (1 Thessalonians5:17) and “pray in the Spirit on alloccasions with all kinds of prayers

and requests […] and always keep onpraying for all the Lord’s people”(Ephesians 6:18). From a leadership per-spective, is a great reminder that weshould be continually in prayer as lead-ers for anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Dr. Linda Livingstone, President ofBaylor University


Give us a brief history ofyour school.

Blue Mountain College was foundedin 1873 by General Mark PerrinLowrey as a school for women. In1920 BMC became one of threeMississippi institutions of higherlearning affiliated with theMississippi Baptist Convention. In1956 men called into church-relatedvocations were admitted to theCollege. BMC became fullycoeducational in 2005. A lib-eral-arts based institution,BMC currently has an enroll-ment of over 630 students.

How long have youserved at BlueMountain, and whatdid your path to thepresidency look like?

I have served as president ofBlue Mountain College sinceAugust 1, 2012. Prior to my role atBMC, I served at Union University fortwenty years (1992-2012). At UnionI wore a variety of hats, includingEnglish faculty member, departmentchair, dean, and ultimately associateprovost and dean of instruction.

What keeps you excitedabout Christian higher edu-cation?

Christian higher education is a min-istry with the potential to impactevery facet of our culture for Christand for His Kingdom. Our institu-

tions are producing graduates whoare prepared to be salt and light aseducators, health-care professionals,entrepreneurs, public servants,entertainers, artists, scientists—andthe list goes on. Such breadth anddepth of influence should inspire usto pursue our calling with greatenergy and great enthusiasm.Seeing lives changed daily and know-ing that those lives will impactcountless others keeps me going.

What is the best book you'veread in the last few yearsand why?

In the personal growth area I couldprovide a fairly long list, but I willsummarize by referencing prettymuch anything by Mark Batterson.His Draw the Circle: The 40-DayPrayer Challenge has been a greatsource of encouragement and inspi-ration. It has challenged me toembrace and practice a high view ofwho God is and to live in pursuit of

what only God can do. As Battersonnotes, when we live this way, Godgets all the glory.

In the profession growth category, Ihave been very influenced by JeffDocking’s Crisis in HigherEducation. Docking relates the storyof how Adrian College, where he ispresident, has been transformed by astrategic growth initiative builtaround a high accountability model.Docking’s insights and strategies

have given me much foodfor thought, serving as amodel for our growth planat BMC.

Who is/are your lead-ership mentors andwhat advice have theygiven you?

I am grateful for the leader-ship and mentorship of twoindividuals, both from mytenure at Union University.

David Dockery taught me the impor-tance of casting a clear, God-inspiredvision, articulating that vision withsincerity and truth, and stayingfocused on the vision despite theinevitable challenges and distrac-tions. Carla Sanderson, my Provostat UU, taught me through heractions that the simple act of listen-ing can go a long way toward solvinga host of problems. From both ofthem I have learned the criticalnature of fostering a grace-filled andexcellence-driven environment.

Dr. Barbara McMillin, President of BlueMountain College


The Baptist International Scholars Roundtable (BSIR), formerlyknown as the Young Scholars in the Baptist Academy (YSBA), pro-motes scholarship from Baptist perspectives across time and spaceby facilitating a scholarly forum for exchanging ideas. EmeritusDirector and BSIR Fellow, Dr. Roger Ward of Georgetown College,Kentucky, established and led the program from 2004 to July 2018.Each year BSIR meets at the Baptist- affiliated Regent’s Park Collegein the University of Oxford.

In August 2018, the BSIR took a new name and transferred leader-ship. Dr. Laine Scales and Dr. Beth Allison Barr direct the BSIR fromits administrative hub, Baylor University Graduate School, Waco,Texas. During this transition time, BSIR will be emphasizing threegoals. We are working to:

Make the program more diverse and international by drawing diversescholars from disciplines and from outside the United States.

Engage with visiting senior scholars from Britain, Europe, and otherparts of the globe during the annual gathering.

Develop a sustainable model of funding for the BSIR to provide trav-el stipends to Fellows and Scholars.

We are deeply grateful that the IABCU has shown its support by com-mitting four travel stipends of up to $1000 for full time faculty fromIABCU member schools whose papers are accepted. We will bereporting at the IABCU annual meeting in June. Meanwhile, pleasepass the call for proposals to your faculty and doctoral students forour annual gathering in Oxford, July 1–4, 2019.

Call for Proposals

The Baptist Scholars International Roundtable (BSIR) invites pro-posals for its 15th annual meeting, to be convened at Regent’s ParkCollege in the University of Oxford, on July 1–4, 2019. This year’sconference theme is the kingdom of God. We encourage scholarsfrom a broad array of disciplines to consider how Baptist perspec-tives on the kingdom of God inform and shape the life of the acade-my and the life of the church. Topics may range widely, but mightconsider themes such as the following:

The kingdom of God in the history of Christianity

God as King in literary, philosophical, and theological studies

God’s reign and culture

The kingdom of God in music and the visual arts

Political or scientific ethics concerning a world under God’s kingship

Social patterns and behaviors associated with kingdom living

Poverty, wealth, and the economics of the rule of Christ

The relation of the kingdom of God to the Church

We encourage participation by scholars from all career stages, espe-cially junior scholars and doctoral candidates. While papers shouldpertain to the Baptist expression of Christianity, scholars from allfaiths are welcome.

Format: Seven BSIR Scholars are selected to present their originalpapers of 15-25 pages. BSIR Fellows offer responses, followed bygroup discussion. To promote a vibrant conversation, all participantsagree to prepare in advance for engagement with each paper.Occasionally, BSIR offers publication opportunities in journals oredited volumes.

Proposals should be submitted at: BSIR 2019 Proposal SubmissionForm. The submission deadline is January 4, 2019. Because submis-sions must be completed in one sitting, applicants are advised tohave the following information ready:

Name, Affiliation, and Contact Information

Paper Title and Abstract (500–750 words)

Bio (150 words, including degrees and selected publications)

Proposals will be selected based on quality and clarity of proposalcontent, relationship of paper to conference theme, and contributionto the Baptist academy. Limited financial assistance will be availablein special cases by applying at: BSIR Financial AssistanceApplication.

For more about BSIR please visit our website athttps://www.baylor.edu/graduate/currentstudents/index.php?id=9554%2052

BAPTIST INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS ROUNDTABLE


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Please Join us for the 2019

IABCU Annual Meeting at

Dallas Baptist UniversityJune 2-4, 2019

21

ST LOUIS, MO.— Missouri Baptistinstalled Dr. Keith L. Ross as theUniversity’s seventh president onFriday Oct. 19, during an officialinauguration ceremony.

Dr. Keith L. Ross assumed the presi-dency of Missouri Baptist Universityon January 10, 2018. He is the 7thpresident in the institution’s historyand the first alumni to serve in thisrole.

Previously, Dr. Ross served as MBU’ssenior vice president for universityadvancement. During his time atMBU, he successfully led threemajor fundraising campaigns thatprovided resources to further theUniversity’s mission.

During his inaugural speech, Dr.Ross demonstrated a vision for theUniversity in tandem with theUniversity’s five core values, and let-ting MBU be a “city on the hill.”The five core values of the universi-ty are:

1. We are serious and intentionalabout our Christian faith.

2. We will freely and responsiblysearch for truth.

3. We strive for excellence.

4. We believe in the importanceand cultivation of character.

5. We believe in social changethrough service and leadership.

Stated Ross, “First and foremost, nocore value is more important to usthan our seriousness and intention-

ality about our Christian faith. It isthis unique mission that distin-guishes us from other outstandinghigher education institutions in theregion.”

He further challenged, “Millions inthis world are hungry and manymore long for healing, still otherswho live in arepressive soci-ety seek justice.These greatneeds are metby leaders whopossess a ser-vant’s heart andskills that aChristian liberalarts educationoffers.”

As the chief

enrollment officer, Dr. Ross led theenrollment management team toexecute a student recruitment planthat enrolled a balanced and diversestudent body. Undergraduate enroll-ment on MBU’s main campusincreased 30 percent over the pastdecade culminating in the largestfreshman class in University historyin 2017. Recently, Dr. Ross wasinstrumental in launching both theundergraduate online programs andthe University’s new School ofNursing.

In 1987, Dr. Ross earned a bachelorof arts from MBU. He later receivedhis master of arts from RegentUniversity and his doctorate of edu-cation from Maryville University. Inaddition, Dr. Ross has completedpost-graduate work at HarvardUniversity’s Institute forEducational Management.

Ross and his wife, GingerMontgomery Ross, have one daugh-ter, Madaline, who is in college.

Keith Ross, seventh president ofMissouri Baptist University, and wifeGinger Ross.

3rd Trimester 2018


BOLIVAR, MO. -- Dr. Eric A. Turner of Pocahontas, Ark., wasunanimously selected as the 25th president of SouthwestBaptist University.

Dr. Turner, 46, is a current college president with a widerange of experiences and a strong calling for Christian high-er education. He worked in fundraising, academics andaccreditation at Williams Baptist University in WalnutRidge, Ark., for 17 years before becoming president of BlackRiver Technical College (BRTC) in Pocahontas, Ark., in2014.

“Dr. Turner has demonstrated success in higher educationleadership,” said Dr. Don Fahrni, chairman of the SBUBoard of Trustees. “We are excited for his family to join theSBU family.”

At BRTC, Dr. Turner provided leadership and oversight forall areas of thecollege system.His leadershipincluded rectify-ing long-standingissues related tofinance, accredita-tion and aca-demics. He ledthe college todevelop its firstcomprehensivestrategic plan, aswell as a compre-hensive outcomes assessment plan.

“I was excited for both Eric and SBU to learn of his appoint-ment to the presidency,” said Dr. Jerol Swaim, PresidentEmeritus of Williams Baptist. “I have observed and interact-ed with him for nearly 30 years in a variety of settings as achurch member, deacon, Williams student and a member ofthe administrative team at Williams. The 15 years we servedtogether at Williams is a particularly meaningful and cher-ished time in my time as president. He is a classic exampleof the type of individual our Baptist colleges and universi-ties strive to produce — individuals who live out their faithevery day.”

Turner has an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administrationfrom Vanderbilt University, an M.A. in History fromArkansas State University and a B.A. in History and Englishfrom Williams Baptist University.

He is active within Southern Baptist life as a member ofFirst Baptist Church in Pocahontas and a board member forthe Arkansas Baptist Foundation.

“Eric has proven to be a principled leader within our board,denomination, and state,” said Bobby G. Thomas, presidentand CEO of the Arkansas Baptist Foundation. “His leader-ship has been thoughtful and thorough in moving towardour established vision and mission. Along with natural giftsand talents, Eric has always shown commitment to the taskat hand. He has been a true team player and has managed tofoster positive discussions, which have led to the best possi-ble outcomes.”

He and his wife, Barbara, have been married for 23 years.They have a 15-year-old daughter, Emma, who will be asophomore at Bolivar High School.

“We are humbled, honored and excited to be joining theSouthwest Baptist University family,” Dr. Turner said.

He desires to build on the legacy and foundation of a com-mitted board of trustees and the 22 years of service by retir-ing SBU President Dr. C. Pat Taylor.

Dr. Turner succeeds Dr. C. Pat Taylor, who has been giventhe honorary title of President Emeritus.

Southwest Baptist UniversityAppoints Dr. Eric Turner as 25th

President

The Board of Trustees of ChowanUniversity has announced theselection of Dr. Kirk E. Petersonas the 23rd president of ChowanUniversity. Dr. Peterson tookoffice on June 1, 2018.

“My family and I are thrilled toreturn to Murfreesboro andChowan University,” stated Dr.Peterson. “We are eager tobecome reacquainted with mem-bers of the Chowan community,faculty, and staff and to becomeacquainted with those memberswe have yet to meet. Our familyis blessed beyond measure toserve a remarkable university, itstalented faculty, its dedicatedstaff, and its most importantconstituents: the students.”

“Dr. Peterson’s academic creden-tials are impeccable,” statedFrank Rose, Chair of the Boardof Trustees. “Dr. Peterson is nostranger to Chowan University,for he served as a faculty andstaff member from 2004-2010.During these years, he served asthe Chair of the Department ofHealth and Physical Education,as the founding Dean of theGraduate school, and asAssociate Provost.”

Dr. Peterson earned the Doctorof Philosophy degree from theUniversity of Tennessee in 2000,along with a Master of Sciencedegree in education with a majorin mental health counseling, andholds a second Master of Sciencedegree in education with a majorin sports psychology earned in1996. In 1994, he received theBachelor of Science degree in

Psychology from University ofWisconsin-La-Crosse.

Dr. Peterson also has experienceas Senior Vice President andInterim President followed byPresident at Urbana University inOhio. After facilitating a suc-cessful merger of Urbana, savingthe university from absolute clo-sure, Dr. Peterson became super-intendent of two private schoolsin Ohio. His breadth of experi-ence as both faculty and admin-istrator in higher, secondary, andelementary education uniquelyprepares him to lead ChowanUniversity.

Dr. M. Christopher White, theChowan University past presi-dent, announced last fall hewould transition to the role ofChancellor after thirty-two yearsas a university president. Thistransition was coordinated withDr. Peterson’s arrival in June.This cooperative succession willallow Dr. White to assist Dr.

Peterson, raise funds for impor-tant projects, and help raise theprofile of the University.

“I commend the trustees ontheir wisdom in the selectionprocess,” said Dr. White. “I high-ly commend the new president.If the past is the prologue to thefuture, he will lead Chowan tounprecedented heights. I believehe is God’s chosen leader for thistime in Chowan’s history.”

“Dr. Peterson is a man of faithand integrity,” Rose concluded.“He knows Chowan and her stu-dents. He believes in Chowan’smission and values. He is aproven leader. In summary, thetrustees believe that Dr. Kirk E.Peterson is the leader thatChowan University needs at thistime.”

Dr. Peterson is accompanied inhis service to Chowan by his wifeRachel, and their sons, Caleb,Cody, and Justin.


Chowan University Announces Dr. Kirk E. Peterson as23rd President


“John Doe and Jane Roe were stu-dents at the University ofMichigan. Halfway through Roe'sfreshman and Doe's junior year,the two crossed paths at a “RiskyBusiness” themed fraternity party.While there, they had a drink,danced, and eventually had sex.”

So begins the Sixth Circuit'srecent opinion (September 7,2018) in Doe v. Baum. Two daysafter the party, Roe filed a sexualmisconduct complaint with theuniversity claiming she had beentoo drunk to consent. Doeclaimed that Roe did not appeardrunk and that she was an activeparticipant in their sexualencounter. After interviewingsome twenty-three witnesses(almost all of the male witnessescorroborated Doe's story, and allof the female witnesses corrobo-rated Roe's), the investigator con-cluded that the evidencesupporting a finding of sexualmisconduct was not more con-vincing than the evidence offeredin opposition to it. Accordingly,applying the preponderance ofthe evidence standard, the inves-tigator recommended that theadministration rule in Doe's favorand close the case.

Roe appealed this decision. The

three-member appeal panelreviewed the investigator's reportand, without considering new evi-dence or interviewing any stu-dents, reversed. The panel foundRoe's description of events “morecredible” than Doe's, and Roe'switnesses more persuasive.Facing the possibility of expul-sion, Doe withdrew from the uni-versity. He was 13.5 credits shortof graduating.

Doe then filed a lawsuit claimingthat the university's disciplinaryproceedings violated the DueProcess Clause and Title IX. Heargued that because the universi-ty's decision turned on the credi-bility of Roe and the adversewitnesses, the school wasrequired to give him an opportu-nity to question (that is, to cross-examine) them.

John Henry Wigmore, who liter-ally wrote the book on evidencein legal proceedings, said “Crossexamination is beyond any doubtthe greatest legal engine everinvented for the discovery oftruth.” John Paul Stevens, asso-ciate justice of the U.S. SupremeCourt from 1975 to 2010, calledcross examination “the principalmeans of undermining the credi-bility of a witness whose testimo-

ny is false or inaccurate.”

But cross examination has beenstrongly criticized when appliedto a university’s Title IX proceed-ings arising from a claim of sexu-al assault. The U.S. Departmentof Education issued guidance let-ters in 2011 and again in 2014which "strongly discouraged"schools from allowing the partiespersonally to question or cross-examine each other during thecourse of a Title IX hearing on asexual assault charge: “Allowingan alleged perpetrator to questionan alleged victim directly may betraumatic or intimidating, there-by possibly escalating or perpetu-ating a hostile environment.”

While those guidance letters wereofficially withdrawn by theDepartment under the leadershipof Betsy DeVos in September,2017, victim advocacy groupscontinue to speak out against anyprocess which may result in acomplainant being "re-victimized"by harsh questioning by anaccused student or his/her lawyer.

Courts (especially the SixthCircuit Court of Appeals whichhears federal appeals in Michigan,Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee)have become increasingly criticalof university processes which do

Legal Notes by James D. Jordan

WANTED: The Truth, but

Gently

25

not allow some form of crossexamination. In Doe v. Baum,the Court finally reached theconclusion that cross-examina-tion is constitutionally requiredin public university disciplinaryproceedings in which the credi-bility of the witnesses is at issue.

Not only does cross-examinationallow the accused to identifyinconsistencies in the otherside's story, but it also gives thefact-finder an opportunity toassess a witness's demeanor anddetermine who can be trusted.So if a university is faced withcompeting narratives aboutpotential misconduct, the admin-istration must facilitate someform of cross-examination inorder to satisfy due process.

In my experience, universitiesare almost always faced withcompeting narratives in sexualassault cases. In fact, there is awidely used short-hand descrip-tion of such cases: “he said/shesaid.” Does this mean your uni-versity’s disciplinary process isfatally flawed in all disciplinaryhearings where credibility is atissue, particularly Title IX pro-ceedings arising out of a sexualassault?

“Aha!” you cry. “I have you now!Private universities are not sub-ject to constitutional require-ments of due process. Doe v.Baum does not change anythingfor private schools.” Maybe youare right; but before you dismissthis warning and the need to re-examine your Title IX proce-dures, carefully consider thefollowing:

Many courts have held that pri-

vate schools have a contractualobligation to treat their studentswith fundamental fairness. Howwill the fair process courtsrequire of private schools differfrom due process in publicschools on the issue of crossexamination?

The Baum court held that Doesucceeded in casting doubt onthe accuracy of the university’sdisciplinary decision because theuniversity did not provide anopportunity for cross-examina-tion even though credibility wasat stake. Do you want to handstudents a tool they can use toquestion your school’s disci-plinary outcomes in court?

Secretary DeVos said in a speechon September 7, 2017, “Due pro-cess is the foundation of any sys-tem of justice that seeks a fairoutcome. Due process either pro-tects everyone, or it protects noone.” The Department ofEducation is currently draftingnew regulations expected to pro-vide greater protection for stu-dents accused of sexual assault.Those safeguards will apply toboth public and private schools.

While Baum is a binding prece-dent only in the Sixth Circuit,courts in other circuits are likelyto be influenced by Baum’s coreruling: if credibility is in disputeand material to the outcome, dueprocess requires cross-examina-tion (and so may fundamentalfairness).

Many schools use the more effi-cient “single investigator” modelto investigate and adjudicateTitle IX claims rather than hold-ing a true hearing before a panel.

How can cross examination beused in the single investigatormodel?

The Baum court recognized that“Universities have a legitimateinterest in avoiding proceduresthat may subject an alleged vic-tim to further harm or harass-ment. [A]llowing the accused tocross-examine the accuser maydo just that.” How can universi-ties reconcile the need and desireto protect a sexual assault victimfrom “the emotional trauma ofdirectly confronting her allegedattacker” with the accused’s rightof cross-examination? The Baumcourt suggested letting the stu-dent’s representative/advisor(who may be a lawyer) conductthe cross examination. However,many schools have adopted poli-cies which carefully (and, in myopinion, correctly) limit the rigtof the representative to partici-pate actively in a university’snon-judicial interview or hear-ing.

I recommend that all schoolsreview their Title IX proceduresthrough the lens of the Baumdecision. Perhaps the regula-tions promised by theDepartment of Education willhelp answer the questions posedin this column and guide usthrough the ever-changing pathsin this thicket of Title IX compli-ance.

- Jaime Jordan

3rd Semester 2018


ISSUE

The “repeal” of the “JohnsonAmendment” has not happened(yet). In this election year, insti-tutions should be aware of therules regarding political cam-paign intervention.

SITUATION

Marathon Bible College (MBC) isa private college exempt underInternal Revenue Code section501(c)(3) and 170(b)(1)(A)(ii).They are required to file Form990 annually.

MBC is building a new dorm.

Their President invitesCongresswoman Mary P. Knews,the representative for the districtcontaining MBC, to attend thegroundbreaking ceremony forthe new dorm. CongresswomanKnews is running for reelectionat the time. MBC’s Presidentmakes no reference in her intro-duction to CongresswomanKnew’s candidacy or the election.Congressman Knews also makesno reference to her candidacy orthe election and does not do anypolitical campaign fundraisingwhile at MBC. Per the IRS, MBChas not intervened in a politicalcampaign.

RULES

From Revenue Ruling 2007-41:

Candidate Appearances WhereSpeaking or Participating as aNon-Candidate

Candidates may also appear orspeak at organization events in anon-candidate capacity. Forinstance, a political candidatemay be a public figure who isinvited to speak because he orshe: (a) currently holds, or for-merly held, public office; (b) isconsidered an expert in a nonpolitical field; or (c) is a celebrityor has led a distinguished mili-

Tax Issueswith Political

CandidateAppearances

Advice from Capin Crouse

273rd Semester 2018

tary, legal, or public servicecareer. A candidate may chooseto attend an event that is open tothe public, such as a lecture,concert or worship service. Thecandidate’s presence at an orga-nization-sponsored event doesnot, by itself, cause the organiza-tion to be engaged in politicalcampaign intervention. However,if the candidate is publicly recog-nized by the organization, or ifthe candidate is invited to speak,factors in determining whetherthe candidate’s appearanceresults in political campaignintervention include the follow-ing:

Whether the individual is chosento speak solely for reasons otherthan candidacy for public office;

Whether the individual speaksonly in a non-candidate capacity;

Whether either the individual orany representative of the organi-zation makes any mention of hisor her candidacy or the election;

Whether any campaign activityoccurs in connection with thecandidate’s attendance;

Whether the organization main-tains a nonpartisan atmosphereon the premises or at the eventwhere the candidate is present;and

Whether the organization clearlyindicates the capacity in whichthe candidate is appearing anddoes not mention the individual’spolitical candidacy or the upcom-ing election in the communica-tions announcing the candidate’sattendance at the event.

Situation 11. Chairman H is thechairman of the Board of

Hospital Q, a section 501(c)(3)organization. Hospital Q is build-ing a new wing. Chairman Hinvites Congressman Z, the rep-resentative for the district con-taining Hospital Q, to attend thegroundbreaking ceremony forthe new wing. Congressman Z isrunning for reelection at thetime. Chairman H makes no ref-erence in her introduction toCongressman Z’s candidacy orthe election. Congressman Z alsomakes no reference to his candi-dacy or the election and does notdo any political campaignfundraising while at Hospital Q.Hospital Q has not intervened ina political campaign.

BOTTOM LINE

Revenue Ruling 2007-41is a great source of infor-mation – what yourinstitution can and can-not do – in an electionyear.

Internal Revenue CodeSection 501(c)(3) stillstates, “…and whichdoes not participate in,or intervene in (includ-ing the publishing ordistributing of state-ments), any politicalcampaign on behalf of(or in opposition to) anycandidate for publicoffice.”

It is possible for candidatesto speak at your schoolwithout it being considered“political campaign inter-vention.”

Your school can mention“what’s going on” withalumni who are politicalcandidates – but within

guidelines.

Specific questions? Email DaveMoja

The information provided hereinpresents general information andshould not be relied on asaccounting, tax, or legal advicewhen analyzing and resolving aspecific tax issue. If you have spe-cific questions regarding a par-ticular fact situation, pleaseconsult with competent account-ing, tax, and/or legal counselabout the facts and laws thatapply.

DaveMoja is dedicated to meeting client needs inthe exempt organization tax arena throughreview of client returns, consulting engage-ments, training, and the compilation of theannual CapinCrouse Higher Education TaxReporting Trends Project. He has 29 years ofaccounting experience and serves several indus-try committees, including the AICPA Not ForProfit Advisory Council. Dave has also served onthe IRS Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt andGovernment Entities (ACT).


Documents

Volume LXXXII, No. 3 • 3rd Trimester 2018€¦ · 2 The Baptist Educator Contents Vol. LXXXII, No. 3 3rd Trimester 2018 Publisher: Barbara McMillin, President and Board Chair, IABCU