Roman Catholicism Isn’t the Only Thing Come to Bob Jones University

Earlier we considered the appearance of Roman Catholic prolife advocate Abby Johnson speaking at Bob Jones University. We referenced and linked to the article addressing the event from the Musings of a Fundamentalist blog.1 Today we are going to expand on that discussion.

The Piedmont Women’s Center (PWC) and Abby Johnson event was hosted by Bob Jones University (BJU). The event was promoted through the university’s website. Some may have interpreted the event as having been sponsored by BJU.  That, however, is not the primary concern.

The university did not need to host the event, and should not have exactly because Abby Johnson was a keynote speaker. Abby uses the prolife platform to propagate Roman Catholicism. Knowing Abby Johnson’s journey into the RCC and the university’s separatist legacy wouldn’t better judgment have dictated that the university not be opened to PWC? Was there no other venue in Greenville capable of hosting PWC?

Roman Catholic Abby Johnson

A prolife event might be consider just another political event. There have been times a politician was welcomed to the university who, perhaps loosely Christian, spoke mainly about political issues. Most never had a problem with BJU inviting a variety of politicians or other speakers for political purposes. Abby Johnson, however, changed the dynamic because she presented a Bible message. (See the photo at left) Because Abby brought a Bible message the prolife event crossed the line into ministry cooperation.

Herb McCarthy

Not even a month prior to Abby Johnson BJU held its annual Bible conference. At the time we asked: What was the rationale for directing the Bible Conference offering to Save the Storks? Save the Storks is an ecumenical organization headed by Herb McCarthy, a new evangelical former VP of crusades for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Was there no worthy alternative, no missionary enterprise reaching the lost to receive the offering?

“We see the BJU Bible Conference offering to Save the Storks as a mark of social activism and financially supporting ecumenical compromisers. We can’t imagine such a thing happening, prior to the coming of Steve Pettit and Sam Horn, when Dr. Bob Sr., Jr. or III occupied the president’s office.”2

Over a mere two weeks BJU gave its Bible Conference offering to an ecumenical organization headed by a new evangelical, and rented the university for a Roman Catholic to take the platform. Looking at Save the Storks and Abby Johnson, as well as similar BJU sponsored events or affiliations (Tim Tebow, Ken Ham, Billy Kim, Cantus, BJGrass, the SBC the Presbyterian Church of America and Andy Naselli…3) a conclusion can be fairly drawn. Evidence from on campus shows that

The University is Turning Ecumenical.

Apparently Pettit and Horn believed they can bring similar kinds of change to BJU that ruined Northland, Clearwater, Pillsbury, Tennessee Temple, Calvary Seminary (Lansdale) and not ruin the university. Pettit and Horn began remaking BJU with a larger student base and cash on hand than the others. By continuing on this trajectory toward non-separatist evangelicalism they will eventually, like the other schools, burn through both.

The university is being transformed into something the founder never intended it to be. A BJU alum and pastor who has seen his alma mater being transformed wrote the following, “Unless the trustees insist Steve return back to a Biblical position on separation, or force him out, then the school is gone, a lost cause.” That sentiment is widely shared.


LM
Original article:
Roman Catholicism Comes to BJU

Footnotes:

1) Musings of a Fundamentalist: BJU Then & Now…Abby Johnson

2) Save the Storks: Is BJU Moving Closer to “Pseudo-Fundamentalism?”

3) This is Not Your Father’s Bob Jones University

Roman Catholicism Comes to Bob Jones University

Admittedly, I opened with that title for shock value. That is because what you are about to read has shock value.  Brother Machen White, a 2004 Bob Jones University graduate, has published a number of articles addressing the changes made at BJU since the time he graduated. His blog is Musings of a Fundamentalist.

Abby Johnson

In my opinion nothing in the last two years is any more disturbing than what took place on the university campus on March 5, 2020. With that I direct you to read brother White's

BJU Then & Now...Abby Johnson

Folks left the event believing [Abby] Johnson to be a born again Christian. Here is what they did not know...Johnson was raised a Southern Baptist. Through a series of events, she converted to Roman Catholicism…. Johnson explains her journey away from a gospel-preaching church and into Romanism. She proudly admits that she uses the pro-life platform to evangelize for Romanism.

You might be one who has not yet have seen enough to recognize Bob Jones University has abandoned its founding principles and separatist moorings. This event should certainly erase any lingering hope for the university.

Updating (4/14/2020):
Knowing Abby Johnson’s journey into the Roman Catholic Church, her mission to propagate Roman Catholicism through the ProLife platform Steve Pettit should not have allowed for renting university space to The Piedmont Women's Center. The university, furthermore, through its website and The Collegian gave the impression that PWC/Abby Johnson was a BJU sponsored event.

Yours faithfully,


LM

Related Reading at
Musings of a Fundamentalist

BJU Lurches Further Into Evangelicalism