PCC & Me: A Phone Call and Heart's Desire Fulfilled

Last time we looked at events where God preparing me for His eventual call to full-time ministry. How I at first hesitated, but finally surrendered. See, Call to Ministry Leading to PCC.

In this chapter I'd like to tell you what happened over the summer of 1987 that led to our move to Pensacola. In fact, it was a phone call that set wheels in motion.

Early in the summer of 1987 I submitted my application for graduate school. In late June Dr. Jerry Goddard, then PCC's VP for Academic Affairs phoned me. He said, "we have your application for graduate school, but we're also looking at your career resume." He then asked me, "would you be willing to take your graduate school classes on a part time basis so that you could teach full time on our college faculty ?"

Immediately I began fighting back tears of joy. In that moment I experienced the reality of Psalm 37:4, "Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."

For many years I had a desire to be a school teacher, but the Lord had never until that morning opened that door to me. All the years of unfilled hope were fulfilled in that moment. I responded with, "I would be pleased to come to PCC on those terms, Dr. Goddard." Later Dr. Goddard also suggested I delay starting graduate studies to devot my time to that first year of teaching. Another suggestion I decided upon, which I was grateful for early on my first semester teaching.

We wrapped up the phone call and soon after text books arrived for some of the classes I would be teaching. Dr. Goddard also sent me a list of the classes they wanted me to teach. Those classes over two semesters were: Salesmanship, Marketing & Advertising, Public Relations, Introduction to Communications, Oral Communication in the Professions and Tennis. In my third year they added Evangelism Seminar.

Next time we'll talk about arriving and those early days on faculty and look at a plan I prepared thinking it wouldn't amount to anything.

LM

Call to Ministry: Leading to Pensacola Christian College

Earlier we began this series with An Introduction.

In November 1984 my wife, one year old daughter and I first attended Marquette Manor Baptist Church (MMBC). Dr. Wayne VanGelderen, Sr. was the pastor then. We became regulars and joined the church soon after. Over the next two years we grew spiritually through Sunday school and worship services.

I began getting more and more involved with church programs. I took a series of soul winning classes, volunteered to help with various outreach programs in the church.

In October 1986 our Sunday school teacher (Dr. David Pennington) brought a lesson on Romans 12:1-2. I remember a few days after that lesson going to see Dr. Pennington for lunch to get a better understanding of what the passage meant for me. When he finished I went to my car and prayed a simple prayer, something like this, "Lord, I don’t care what it is, where it takes me, or what the cost, whatever you want me to do I will do it."

Looking back it seems to me that was my little Samuel response to the voice of God, "Speak; for Thy servant heareth." (1 Samuel 3:9-10 )Let me tell you the Lord took me up on the promise I made. Over the next six months there were numerous occasions when the Lord challenged me on my promise. I began making decisions and taking steps to live out the principles of that passage. I found myself responding to the Lord’s direction to get more of some things into my life, and other things out of my life. I was going forward during invitation time following sermons to make those decisions and commitments. A few days following one of those decisions I received a note from my Pastor, VanGelderen, Sr. It read, "Lou, that was a good decision. Keep it up." These steps of obedience to the Lord’s commands continued into April 1987.

That month MMBC held its annual Revival meeting with Evangelist Ron Comfort preaching that year. I can't recall what Dr. Comfort's first Sunday morning sermon was about, but at the invitation time God was clearly calling me to follow Him into full time ministry. I knew it, plain as day, but for the first time since October, committing to Romans 12:1-2,  I did not respond to His call.

It wasn't a crushing pressure, but God was in a loving, powerful way calling on me to surrender to full time ministry. I recall having this sense of the Lord speaking to my heart, "Why didn't you go forward, I called you, you said you would do anything I asked of you." This went on all afternoon and evening. Because of professional responsibilities in those days I was unable to attend the Sunday evening service, but God was still speaking to me, "I called you, why didn't you go forward?" This went on through Monday. I asked my manager if I could leave work early so I could attend the service at church. He gave that permission, and I drove straight to church. Dr. Comfort was preaching by the time I arrived. I took a seat in the foyer, still agonizing over God calling me to preach.

I don't know why I hesitated, I knew I had to surrender, but the unexpectedness of God's call caught me off guard, and I was wrestling through it all.

So, there I am sitting in the foyer, half listening to the sermon. One of our deacons John Ramler (a godly man, 10 years my senior, with the Lord now) approached me. He greeted me and asked how I'm doing. I told him, "God is calling on me to make an important decision for Him." The deacon replied, "Well, then you better do it."

I was seated right under one of the overhead audio speakers carrying Dr. Comfort's message. There is nothing I remember from his sermon, with the exception of one word, which was, "JONAH." Immediately upon hearing that name God said to me, "YOU ARE DOING THE SAME THING!"

That was enough! I rose to my feet, gripped the handle of a door to the auditorium, and on the first note of the invitation hymn I opened the door and made my way up the right side aisle to the front. John VanGelderen was there, I told him why I had come forward. When the invitation closed John took me to the church office, asked me to wait there while he got his father (Wayne, Sr.) to come meet with me. Moments later Dr. VanGelderen came in, sat down and listened as I told him what transpired over the previous 36 hours. He asked me a few questions, shared some comments, prayed with me, and then asked me to come back in the morning to meet with him and Dr. Comfort to discuss next steps.

Dr. VanGelderen, Sr.

That next morning Drs. VanGelderen and Comfort met with me. It was a time of encouraging me and to discuss getting trained in the Scriptures. Until that time my only college training was a B.A. in Telecommunications from Michigan State University, 1981. Dr. VanGelderen felt PCC would be a good fit for Bible training and the college might be able to use me there, somewhere. With that I reached out to PCC to begin the application process for graduate school.

Before I close this chapter I'd like to share a discussion between Drs. VanGelderen and Comfort once they were done speaking to me. Not recalling the specifics, the men were talking about the need for another Bible College. They discussed Dr. Comfort's thinking of opening a new Bible College. Two years later Dr. Comfort opened Ambassador Baptist College.

Next time I'll share what transpired over the summer of 1987, which led to my leaving Chicago for Pensacola, Florida. See, A Phone Call & Heart's Desire.

LM

Addendum:
In 1984 I was 29 years old. I recall seeing men there who were many years my senior. Good men who loved the Lord and faithful members of the church. Now, in 2025, I look around the congregation recognizing I'm one of the "old guys" now.

Pensacola Christian College & Me: An Autobiography, Introduction

In early March I published an article expressing my disappointment and concern that Pensacola Christian College (PCC) hosted Steve Pettit in the Campus Church and College chapel pulpits.  See, Are We Now Going to Lose PCC? 1

That said my love and hope for PCC remains strong and bright. I have a long and rich history with PCC. Some of my greatest strides in spiritual growth, ministry opportunities, delights in ministry, and personal enrichment are because of and through my relationship with PCC. I will be sharing some favorite, even fun times I had on faculty.

Today, I am beginning a new series of articles to, in autobiographical form, share my life experiences with and about PCC.

My love for and appreciation for the PCC I know runs deep within me. I will be sharing many stories of how I came to work, study and thrive at PCC. None of what I share is meant to be a self- aggrandizement campaign. They are the retelling of my favorite and cherished memories. The first, coming soon, will discuss how the Lord was working in my life, which led me to reach out to PCC. See, Call to Ministry Leading to PCC.

Yours faithfully,


Lou Martuneac

Addendum: I have no set schedule for publishing the upcoming articles in the series. I will write and publish each as I am able. My goal is to post each article on Monday and Thursday morning.

Footnote

Steve Pettit is Reformed in his theology, a non-separatist evangelical and an ecumenical compromiser. His agenda over nine years as Bob Jones University president almost completely erased BJU's historic fundamentalist, separatist legacy. Pettit's dismantling of BJU's foundation caused irreparable damage to the school and has to this day left what form it will take or its survivability in question.  Pray that God will give the leadership the wisdom and way to revitalize and restore BJU to the best of what it has been, and can be again. See,

Steve Pettit Entangles BJU Students in Ecumenical Compromise

Steve Pettit: An Advocate for the Advancement of Reformed Theology

Steve Pettit Opens the Campus to Roman Catholics & New Evangelicals

Chris Anderson's The Scandal of Schism Reviewed by George Zeller

What follows are select excerpts from George Zeller's comprehensive review of Chris Anderson's, The Scandal of Schism.

In light of the helpful contributions Anderson has made with his hymn compositions, etc., I was saddened to learn that he had published this book which is an attack against fundamentalists. He accuses them of causing schisms and sinful divisions in the churches. In this review I will cite page numbers of Anderson’s book so that his statements can be easily found and checked.

Anderson’s new attack against fundamentalists reminds me of a very similar attack by Jack Van Impe as set forth in his book, Heart Disease in Christ’s Body (written 1984). In this book Van Impe expressed his concern over the divisiveness within the church and he makes a strong plea for broader fellowship among brethren based on love and doctrinal toleration. The book was a virulent attack against what he labeled as“neo-fundamentalists” or “extreme separatists.” I reviewed that book over 40 years ago.See https://middletownbiblechurch.org/separate/heartdis.pdf

Anderson’s position reminds me of a book Chuck Swindoll wrote back in 1990 called, The Grace Awakening. He attacked believers with high standards as “legalists” and pushed his “freegrace” ideas way beyond their boundaries.

Let me comment briefly on some of these “divisive issues” mentioned by Anderson:

Contemporary music- Anderson has no problem with the music of the Gettys, Sovereign Grace, CityAlight or Steve Green (pages 62,132,125 ).

Concerning degrees of Calvinism- Anderson wants believers to be united around the gospel, but how can we join together with men who deny that “God so loved the world,” teaching instead that He loved and died only for the “world of the elect.” Limited atonement is a denial of the true gospel which is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. Also many Calvinists teach that regeneration precedes faith. That is, you do not believe to be born again but you are born again so that you can believe. But according to Anderson we should all seek unity under one big tent and not be concerned about such doctrines.

Opinions of a well-known author. Anderson seems to be referring to men such as John MacArthur, Al Mohler, John Piper, etc. Are we to embrace such men even if they hold some very unbiblical positions?

1. MacArthur’s denial of the eternal Sonship of Christ (teaching that Christ did not become the Son of God until His incarnation);
2. MacArthur’s teaching that a believer does not have an old nature, but only a new nature in Christ;
3. MacArthur’s teaching on “Lordship Salvation,” that the requirements for salvation include obedience, surrender and fulfilling the demands of discipleship;
4. MacArthur’s denial of unlimited atonement.
5. MacArthur’s weak positions on dispensationalism; etc.

Does Anderson believe that exposing errors like this is an attack on Christian unity? Apparently he does.

Excessively modest dress- He criticizes women for “excessively modest dress” (p. 53) but has nothing to say about women, even professing believers, who are excessively immodest.

Second degree separation- Anderson is opposed to secondary separation and believes that fundamentalists are guilty of “excessive separation” (p. 58).

The Use of Alcohol- There is a trend today towards a position where believers may partake of alcohol in moderation but avoid getting drunk. The IFCA in recent years changed their policy on alcohol, basically allowing for social drinking and the consumption of alcohol but condemning drunkenness. Anderson takes the same position.

Other positions Anderson takes, reviewed by Zeller, include:

• The timing of the rapture
• How people should dress for worship
• Worship Styles
• Short hair on men

Ernest Pickering in his excellent book, Biblical Separation, wrote, “Church history yields no example of a group or denomination that, having been captured by apostates, has been rescued and restored to a Biblical witness.” Anderson takes issue with this statement and believes that the Southern Baptist Convention has been rescued and restored to a Biblical witness, due to a conservative resurgence around 1979 (p. 72 footnote). He accuses David Beale of maligning SBC brethren instead of encouraging them (p. 73). He cites Beale’s book, SBC: House on the Sand? and claims that the SBC experienced a successful conservative resurgence and a great victory (p. 73 footnote). This “conservative resurgence” in the SBC is highly questionable.

How do we handle the various teachings and positions that are held among Bible-believing Christians? Anderson believes that if a person holds to the fundamentals of the faith and preaches the true gospel then he should be welcomed into “one big gospel tent” and we should not fight over any of these secondary issues. Anderson loves the slogan, “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity” (p. 151). The problem here is this: Who decides what is non-essential?

How can we summarize the position of Chris Anderson?
The following quotation is taken from WorldwideImpact, a Campus Crusade for Christ publication, May 1972. Even though this was written a number of years ago, it seems to accurately reflect Anderson’s position,

We are to put aside the peripheral issues (that is, doctrinal issues) that divide us .... Men are reminded that the real issue is Jesus Christ, and that we are to love one another even if we do not agree theologically or philosophically [or doctrinally]. I encourage you to apply this principle of love and acceptance with all of your Christian friends, and help make Christ the real issue.

This philosophy could perhaps be restated as follows: “It is sinful to divide the body of Christ on earth by separating ourselves from any Christian over any doctrinal or ecclesiastical issue. The mark of true orthodoxy is love, not doctrine.

Today as I think of that song [You are Always Good] and the several other Chris Anderson songs that have meant so much to me and to our congregation, I am saddened. I am saddened because the man who had the potential to be one of the finest song writers of our day has decided to go on the attack against fundamentalists and join the ranks of a much wider and broader evangelicalism. It brings to mind the title of Dr. Pickering’s book, The Tragedy of Compromise.

See Brother Zeller's Full Review. It is the sixth article down.

Site Publisher's Closure:

Chris Anderson is squarely among the non-separatist evangelicals who will allow for, tolerate, ignore and excuse a wide range of doctrinal aberrations for the sake of unity. Anderson is doing all he can to influence the next generation to join him in compromise of the Scriptures for the sake of unity with his mentors and friends in T4G and The Gospel Coalition.

LM

Related Reading

John MacArthur Requested to, and Resigns the IFCA

A Mood of Broadmindedness: The NEW New Evangelicalism, Dr. Ernest Pickering

Dr. David Beale Reviews Chris Anderson's Book

Another Shake Up at BJU?

It has just been reported that in less than one year as BJU president Joshua Crockett announced on April 7 he may be called to become senior pastor at Morningside Baptist Church.  If he is called, and accepts the call, it's virtually certain he will step down as president for a lesser role at the university. See, BJU President Josh Crockett Announces Possible Role Change.

Yours faithfully,

LM

Announcement to Alumni from Bob Jones University:

This morning, [April 7] Dr. Joshua Crockett informed the Bob Jones University faculty and staff he is a candidate for senior pastor of Morningside Baptist Church in Greenville, the position he held for nine years prior to becoming the president of BJU in May 2024. He also plans to continue in a leadership role at BJU working alongside a CEO. 

Dr. Crockett has a pastor’s heart and believes he is best suited to shepherd a congregation and individuals within that congregation. Morningside Baptist Church’s pulpit committee will present the dual role to the congregation for a vote as early as April 27.

If the congregation votes to call him as pastor, his responsibilities at the University will shift primarily to preaching, leading chapel and interacting with and shepherding students.

Dr. Crockett remains dedicated to the mission and vision of BJU, and his ongoing leadership will continue to support the University’s commitment to academic excellence and spiritual growth. 

The BJU Board of Trustees is confident that with the planned transition and the appointment of a new CEO, the University will continue to thrive in its mission to serve students, faculty, and staff. 

As the process to appoint a new CEO progresses, Dr. Crockett strongly encourages the pursuit of unity. In his statement to faculty and staff this morning, he acknowledged the past and even present disagreements within the BJU community saying “the answer is not to retaliate or escalate a family feud – like the Hatfields & McCoys. The answer is not to react or pick fights on social media.  New Testament Christians are called to build up, not blow up.  We’re called to edification not detonation.  We need to pursue reconciliation and restoration.  We need unity.”  

In his closing this morning, Dr. Crockett also shared clear reasons for optimism including a 23% increase in confirmed applications over last year at this time!