During the presidency of Steve Pettit his primary agenda became unmistakably clear. That was to erase the school’s historic fundamentalist, separatist legacy. The agenda he engineered took various forms. Among them was minimizing and/or removing a commitment to ecclesiastical separation.1
In articles going back to 2019 we provided numerous examples of this pattern. Steve Pettit and Sam Horn participated in cooperative ministry with Southern Baptists, Presbyterian Reformed, and compromising evangelical men and/or their conferences. Non-separatist compromisers were given platforms at the university from which to speak to and influence students.2
In 2019 Pastor Travis Smith had written, “Under Dr. Steve Pettit’s leadership BJU continues to follow a path of ecclesiastical compromise, embracing the spirit of Neo-evangelicalism, and rejecting its historical legacy as a Bible fundamental, separatist institution.”3
BJU has installed a new president, Dr. Joshua Crockett. Have we any examples of his stance on ecclesiastical separation?
In May 2024 Pastor Crockett at Morningside Baptist Church hosted a prayer meeting with the whole SBC’s Greenville Baptist Association, led by Al Phillips, Director of Missions. All of BJU was called to come. In the bulletin (at right and below), note the people (and their affiliations) who were chosen to lead the praying.
➢ Praise – All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name – Todd Jones (Morningside Baptist Church)
➢ Welcome – Rev. Al Phillips (Greenville [SBC] Baptist Association)
➢ Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving – Al Phillips
➢ Responsive Reading – Psalms 100 – Dr. Matt Wireman (Christ the Redeemer Church)➢ Prayer of Confession – Rev. Will Broadus (Reconcile Church)
➢ Prayer for Our Leaders – Dr. Josh Crockett (Morningside Baptist Church)
➢ Prayer for Schools – Dr. Matt Rogers (Christ Fellowship Cherrydale, SBC)
➢ Prayer for Peace and Healing – Rev. Joezel Allcea (Nuevo Comienzo.)
➢ Prayer for Church Unity – Mr. Curtis Carr (One Prayer)
➢ Prayer for Revival – Dr. Byron Battle (Tabernacle Baptist Church)
➢ Prayer for Kingdom Advance – Rev. Michael Bayne (Greenville Community Church)
➢ Prayer of Blessing and Benediction – Dr. Brian Habig (Downtown Presbyterian Church)
The National Day of Prayer is the first Thursday of every May. Many biblical churches wisely choose their own day of prayer. Morningside Baptist Church pastor Dr. Joshua Crockett did not. Biblical churches and schools cannot unite as one with compromisers and apostasy.
As I considered the “One Prayer” union hosted by Pastor Crockett, Promise Keepers came to mind. From the seven promises of a Promise Keeper, the sixth Promise states, “A Promise Keeper is committed to reaching beyond any racial, denominational, generational, and cultural barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity.”4 The problem with setting aside denominational barriers is you have to set aside, tolerate, allow for, excuse, and ignore doctrinal barriers.
Pastor Crockett joined a cooperative ministry, a mix of denominations, that feature men and women who take doctrinal positions that run them afoul of biblical truth. Hosting the National Day of Prayer at his church, Pastor Crockett exchanged ecclesiastical, biblical separation for ecumenical compromise. We find his decision to cooperate with “One Prayer” much like Steve Pettit's decision to entangle BJU students with Franklin Graham's ecumenical movement.5
Will BJU through the influence of its new president be returned to its historic stance on biblical (ecclesiastical) separation? Will BJU be returned to its founding principles and practices?6 If the above example provides any insight, we have to conclude, probably not.
LM
Footnotes
1) “Ecclesiastical separation is the flipside of fellowship. A refusal to fellowship (in the sense of theological agreement and ministry which flows out of that agreement) reflects the lifestyle, positions, and values of a church and its members.” A Theology of Separation by Dr. Larry R. Oats, Maranatha Baptist University.
See also, Dispensationalism: A Basis for Ecclesiastical Separation by Dr. Larry R. Oats, Maranatha Baptist University,
2) Andy Naselli was the featured speaker for the 2019 Dr. Stuart Custer Lecture series. See, FACTS: An Enlarged Discussion by Dr. David Beale
3) Lunging Toward the Cliff of “No Return.” (Nov. 14, 2019)
4) I believe the original stated only “denominational” barriers.
5) BJU Embraces Franklin Graham's Ecumenical Movement
6) BJU: A Return to Its Founding Principles & Practices?