Archival Series: May the “Northland Heart” Perpetuate
Introduction (March 2020): Bob Jones University (BJU) has been set on much the same
course that ultimately ruined the former Northland Baptist Bible College. BJU alumni look
on with sadness as Steve Pettit and Sam Horn have converted the university into
something almost unrecognizable. It is difficult to gather how the current BJU
administration believes they can succeed with essentially the same changes
that brought down Northland. Near the time Northland closed its
doors former faculty member Dr. Dana Everson wrote what amounted
to Northland’s obituary. We believe his thoughts are applicable to what is
fast becoming the “tragedy” of BJU.
After a while,
one runs out of adjectives to describe the tragedy of Northland. This recent
news of SBTS’s decision NOT to bring the school under its wings after all is
yet another embarrassing blow to the ministry.* I was not expecting the
Southern Baptist support to be an improvement anyway, but their rejection of
accepting the school as a gift seems to
affirm the hopelessness of bringing the college into financial and ministry
solvency.
One grief is added to another for those of us
who felt a deep loyalty to what the school stood for in its best years. Was the
school ever perfect? None of us believed that. But the overall direction,
humility, and sincere attempt to be Biblical were consistent qualities over
most of its existence.
I hope no one will respond by saying “well, fundamentalist/conservative Baptist ministries are failing everywhere because they have become irrelevant, old-fashioned, or legalistic.” Northland and most of its supporting churches had much life and refreshing ministry as evidence of its heart and faithfulness to the Scriptures. I saw this first hand for over 12 years and continue to see this in Northland alumni in our own local church and school ministry.
These images may seem overinflated to those watching Northland Baptist Bible College’s demise from the outside. However, Northland had a lot of wonderful ministry for most of its years as an independent Baptist college. Thousands of people who have been trained, inspired, and encouraged by the school’s ministry are now seemingly watching the last faint pulses of the “Northland Heart.”
Hopefully, alumni and former faculty and staff who have transplanted the “Northland Heart” into themselves, and into their ministries and will perpetuate that kind of Biblical attitude till the Lord returns.
Dr. Dana F. Everson
Originally publish April, 2015.
*NIU a Gift? Thanks, but No Thanks!
Previous articles by Dr. Everson, on the tragedy that has become NIU:
Questions Answered on the Changes at NIU: An Insider's Report, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
For Dr. Everson’s philosophy of music please see Sound Roots, his dissertation in book form.
Current Reading on the Changing of BJU
BJU Lurches Further Into Evangelicalism
“This is Not Your Father’s BJU,”and Neither is BJU
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