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!

Biblical Churches & Schools Cannot Unite With Apostasy

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?

Bob Jones University: Are the Founding Principles & Practices in Sight?

October 2019 was essentially the first time we raised serious concerns with and sounded the alarm over what was taking place at Bob Jones University under Steve Pettit’s Presidency. See, "This is Not Your Father's Oldsmobile," and Neither is Bob Jones University

To be sure, the first five years of Pettit’s presidency left many friends and alumni deeply concerned with the trajectory of the school. In the months that followed the October 2019 article Steve Pettit’s non-separatist agenda for BJU became increasingly pervasive and egregious. Some of this was documented in Dr. David Beale's FACTS: An Enlarged Discussion.

The advancement and proliferation of Reformed Theology became a cornerstone of Pettit’s remake of the university's doctrinal core. Ecumenical compromise and worldliness went on virtually unchecked. See,

• Ecumenical Compromise with Franklin Graham
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Blasphemous Fashion Design Show
• Opening Campus to Roman Catholic and New Evangelical Entities
• Proliferation of Reformed, Covenant Theology and New Calvinism

Soon after Pettit’s departure we asked if the Board was ready to act on the future direction of the university. We didn't have long to wait. See, BJU: A Return to the Founding Principles & Practices?

Under its new president, Dr. Joshua Crockett, BJU begins its 2024-25 academic year August 26. Will we see new tangible evidence that President Crockett is leading the university toward some semblance of the very best of BJU's founding principles and practices?


LM

Archival Series: The Faith of the Gospel Dr. Bob Jones, III

Previously I posted a sermon excerpt from Dr. Bob Jones, III.  That was a continuation of a discussion I had at one of the Gospel Coalition blogs. There was some confusion there over whether or not Bob Jones, Sr., Jr., and the III preach the same gospel message as Dr. John MacArthur. In The Faith of the Gospel, Part Three1 we saw that there is a vast chasm between the gospel of grace and the works based, man-centered message of John MacArthur commonly known as “Lordship Salvation.”2 We saw that Dr. Kevin Bauder is wrong when he says that “fundamentalists and evangelicals believe preach and defend the [same] gospel.”3  Today, I am sharing opening portions from the fourth and final in the series, The Faith of the Gospel. Let’s hear from and read Dr. Bob Jones, III.

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,” (Phil. 1:27).

I hope you students and all university family know that I am preaching this series of messages out of a grandfatherly concern, out of a pastoral concern, for you. Because what you do with your lives after you graduate and leave this place is of immense importance….

The faith of the gospel…is the outflow of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.  The faith of the gospel, which as we have been trying to say in these previous messages encompasses everything about the Christian life.  And this is a verse about behavior, it says so right there in the first phrase…Let it be about the gospel stemming from the gospel.  We have tried to make it clear in these messages that those who say, “Well, it’s all about the gospel.”  If it’s all just about the gospel then we’ve missed the whole point of the gospel.

There is the saving gospel, which introduces us to the faith of the gospel. And if we embrace the philosophy that it’s just about the gospel we can put our arms around about every wrong, unbecoming Christian behavior in all the world. We can put our stamp of approval on counterfeit Christianity.  If they’re preaching the gospel… no matter what else is going on in those ministries, no matter what endorsements and involvements they have with liberal unbelieving religion, no matter what ecumenical reach they may have, no matter what distortions they may have, no matter what tolerance for the intolerable…we can embrace all of that and say that’s fine, that’s good they’re preaching the gospel.  This verse makes it very clear that there is a lot more than that….

I beg you to think about how the gospel is changed when it is conveyed in an unholy conveyance [that] God did not intend…

I encourage all guests to listen to the balance of this message (24 minutes) in its entirety. Dr. Bob Jones, III, The Faith of the Gospel, BJU Chapel, April 21, 2011 can be heard in its entirety at Sermon Audio.

Footnotes:
1) The Faith of the Gospel, Part 3

“First Corinthians 15:1-3, the nutshell of the Gospel, the saving Gospel. There is a difference between the saving Gospel, which starts it all and without which there is no faith in the Gospel. We love the saving message of the Gospel. It’s to be on our lips at all times and in all places wherever we go. But Paul is dealing here [Phil. 1:27] with the governing gospel. That which governs us, as members of the household of faith, citizens of Heaven, AFTER we have received and believed into the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

2) Summary of Lordship Salvation From a Single Page
3) Do Fundamentalists & Evangelicals, “Believe, Preach and Defend the [Same] Gospel?”

Archival Series: The Faith of the Gospel Dr. Bob Jones, III

Last week [May 2011] I participated in a discussion at one of the Gospel Coalition blogs. There was some confusion there over whether or not Bob Jones, Sr., Jr., and the III preach the same gospel message as John MacArthur's Lordship Salvation. Below is a transcribed sermon excerpt from Dr. Jones that I posted there to help settle the question. That was followed by my own personal commentary, which I have expanded for this article.

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,” (Phil. 1:27).

“Our behavior as citizens of Heaven is what Paul is dealing with here. Our personal behavior, our worship behavior, everything pertaining to the redeemed Christian life is at stake here in what Paul is saying. Let your behavior as citizens of the kingdom of Heaven be as it becomes the Gospel of Christ, the saving message of Christ. Are you washed in the blood of Christ, His death, His resurrection? The Gospel of Jesus Christ. First Corinthians 15:1-3, the nutshell of the Gospel, the saving Gospel. There is a difference between the saving Gospel, which starts it all and without which there is no faith in the Gospel. We love the saving message of the Gospel. It’s to be on our lips at all times and in all places wherever we go. But Paul is dealing here [Phil. 1:27] with the governing gospel. That which governs us, as members of the household of faith, citizens of Heaven, AFTER we have received and believed into the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”1

The crux of the LS controversy is not over the post-conversion issues such as sanctification, discipleship and following Christ. There is very little disagreement over what should be the results of a genuine conversion. The controversy is over the requirements for how to be born again, justification. Is a man born again by faith, believing in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-3) what He did to provide salvation or by faith, plus commitment of life to perform the “good works” (Eph. 2:10) expected of a born again disciple of Christ to become a born again Christian, which is the demand of Lordship Salvation?

In his opening remarks you have all you need to know that the saving message that Dr. Bob Jones III preaches and the Lordship Salvation message of Dr. John MacArthur are not one and the same. Following are just a few of many examples in which MacArthur is teaching salvation, how he believes the lost man must come to Christ for salvation, i.e., to be born again.

“Let me say again unequivocally that Jesus’ summons to deny self and follow him was an invitation to salvation, not . . . a second step of faith following salvation.”

“And he [rich young ruler] needed to be willing to submit to the Lord Jesus, even if it meant he had to give up all his earthly possessions. He might not ask, but the requirement for eternal life is the willingness to give it all up if he does.”

“Forsaking oneself for Christ’s sake is not an optional step of discipleship subsequent to conversion; it is the sine qua non of saving faith”

“Salvation is for those who are willing to forsake everything.”

Dr. Jones recognizes and articulates the separate and distinct biblical doctrines of salvation (the saving Gospel) and discipleship (the governing gospel). John MacArthur, however, insists salvation and discipleship are one and the same, which is why he frontloads faith with commitment to do the “good works” expected of a born again disciple of Christ to BECOME a born again disciple of Christ.

In an elongated series from 2010 Dr. Kevin Bauder included this statement,

“Both fundamentalists and conservative evangelicals believe the gospel, preach the gospel, and defend the gospel.... This mutuality in the gospel leads to a question. Since conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists are united in their allegiance to the gospel, should they not be able to cooperate at the level of the gospel? To put it positively, should fundamentalists and conservative evangelicals get together for the gospel?”2

Many Fundamentalists do not believe, preach and defend the [same] gospel as the evangelicals. Most first year Bible College students would know there is no mutuality, unity or allegiance to a single interpretation of the gospel. The evidence strongly suggests that Dr. Jones and Dr. MacArthur do not believe, preach and defend the same gospel! There is, furthermore, a clear divide in fundamentalism over the interpretation of the Gospel commonly known as Lordship Salvation.


LM


1) Dr. Bob Jones, III, The Faith of the Gospel, Part 3, March 3, 2011 which can be heard in its entirety at Sermon Audio. I encourage all guests to listen to Dr. Jones’s message (27:30) in its entirety. At 13:30 he begins to address the new trend of an “inappropriate conveyance of the gospel.” For example he says,

“We’ve been taking in some of the last messages about the error that can result from those whose credo is, ‘Well, it’s all about the gospel, as long as a man is preaching the gospel I can go to that church…and I don’t have to worry about all the rest of it…. If we take the attitude that it’s only about the preaching of the gospel and that makes everything else acceptable we’re going to embrace a lot of error. How we convey the gospel is a very important part of how we preach the gospel…. Is there a conveyance that is appropriate and is there an inappropriate conveyance to this sacred, holy message sent from the holy God in heaven to save poor sinners like us…? You’re going to have to make your mind up about the kind of Christianity that you practice, the kind of churches you will join, the kind of expression of the gospel that you accept. You see, if it’s only all about the preaching of the gospel and if that is all that matters then you can accept almost any other kind of manifestations of the gospel…then we have formed our own opinions and practiced them more than going to the Bible to see what God says is acceptable.”

2) Now, About Those Differences. Please refer to, Do Fundamentalists & Evangelicals, “Believe, Preach and Defend the [Same] Gospel?”

Related Reading:
Summary of Lordship Salvation From a Single Page

The Fault Line for Fracture in Fundamentalism

John MacArthur’s Discipleship Gospel
Lordship’s “Turn From Sin” FOR Salvation

Dr. Joshua Crockett Named New President of Bob Jones University

This afternoon Dr. Joshua Crockett was named the new president of Bob Jones University (BJU).

What Dr. Crockett's appointment means for the future of BJU is unclear. We are, however, hopeful President Crockett is committed to a meaningful return to the best principles and practices of BJU. He is going to need the wisdom of Solomon to succeed at it, coupled with a moving of the Spirit to quell any upsurge of rejection and outrage that may come about.

Let us pray for a special work of God on behalf of President Crockett and the leadership of BJU for the sake of His glory and the cause of Christ the world over.

LM

Related Reading:

BJU: A Return to the Founding Principles & Purpose?

BJU:A Ministry In Flux With its Future Uncertain

Bob Jones University: A Return to the Founding Principles & Purpose?

In recent days the Bob Jones University (BJU) Board of Trustees met. Among other topics it is believed narrowing the choice for the next president was on the agenda. Reaction to the person who will be named and speculation of what direction his coming might indicate for the university is sure to follow quickly.

The future direction, even viability of BJU remains uncertain. Possibilities include,

• Status quo- continuation of Steve Pettit's transition toward non-separatist evangelicalism and proliferation of Reformed theology
• Return to a reasonable semblance of what the best of BJU was prior to Pettit’s arrival
• Restructure and consolidate across campus
• Guide the school into a graceful closure

What of the Disenfranchised Base?

Most have moved on, formed or firmed up alliances with other educational institutions to support and send their young people to for Christian education. In March 2017 an opportunity to retain the "conservative" base was lost. See, Steve Pettit's Break With the Conservative Base  Whether or not they can be recovered is uncertain. 

Following that 2017 meeting conditions that raised alarms worsened. For example, but not limited to:

• Blasphemous Fashion Design Runway Show
• A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Ecumenical Compromise with Franklin Graham
• Opening Campus to Roman Catholic and New Evangelical Entities
• Proliferation of Reformed, Covenant theologies & New Calvinism

Staff Shake Up

It's widely known that BJU is not renewing the contract of Dean of Fine Arts, Darren Lawson. Lawson and his department are responsible for several presentations that had more in common with Broadway, Hollywood and Disney entertainment standards than conservative Christian principles. Additional persons who are aligned with Lawson's production values may be leaving campus. Budget considerations might lead to a structured downsizing including additional staff layoffs across campus.

Approved Places of Worship
There's been some discussion suggesting Presbyterian (PCA) churches may become off-limits. If the Board moves to add or return churches to a "prohibited" list it will be on a church by church basis. BJU has the right to set and enforce university policy and insist its employees agree to and abide by policies as a condition of employment. The same can be said of the student body. Believers have the right and soul liberty to attend whatever place of worship they choose. Should an employee or student decide to attend a church that does not align with BJU''s guidelines, that individual should leave the university voluntarily or expect to be removed.

A Better Direction

A little over 20 years ago Pillsbury could not recover from an agenda similar to what has taken place at BJU. Northland, Clearwater, TTU and Calvary Seminary (Lansdale) all suffered the same fate. Even though insolvency is a possibility BJU possesses a level of resiliency that the closed schools did not. 

In August 2023 we said the search for a new president presents A Choice Between "Respect for" and Returning to the "vision of Its Founder" or the Status Quo. 

Is a new, better future ahead for BJU? Instillation of a new president will be the crossroads. We tend to believe the Board has recognized the necessity of steering the school in a better direction.

If the ministry of BJU is to be saved it will ultimately be through the Lord's intervention. Pray for God to grant the wisdom needed among the decision makers. Pray for the Board to find a pathway to restoration of the very best founding principles and purposes of Bob Jones University. 


LM

Related Reading

FACTS: An Enlarged Discussion by Dr. David Beale

“After being the premier fundamentalist academic institution for eighty-seven years, BJU elected Dr. Steve Pettit in 2014, as the president who steered the University out of separatist Fundamentalism into the inclusive, Broad Evangelical movement,” David Beale, Christian Fundamentalism in America (Maitland, FL: Xulon, 2021), 179, 530.

BJU: A Ministry in Flux With Its Future Unsettled

"This is Not Your Father's Oldsmobile," and Neither is BJU

BJU Lurches Further Into Evangelicalism

Northland Closes

The Closure of Clearwater Christian College

Closure of Calvary Baptist Seminary

What "Philosophy of Ministry" Can Get a Man Invited to be a BJU Conference Speaker?

The annual Bob Jones University Bible Conference begins today, through February 16. Dr. Dave Doran is among the featured speakers. With Doran's invitation we recognize the ongoing pattern of a particular ministry experience BJU finds attractive for new hires and/or conference speakers. From the BJU Alumni Letter, The Voice we read,

"Dr. Alan Benson1 emphasizes in a BJUtoday article that 'Our speakers were chosen from sister institutions who share our biblical philosophy of ministry and passion for the gospel'." That provides a glimpse into the "share[d]...philosophy of ministry" Benson and the Executive Cabinet desire in potential conference speakers and faculty.

In 2022 BJU rehired Richard Stratton. For the recent CoRE Conference Tim Jordan was invited to speak. And, of course, BJU has invited Dave Doran to the current Bible Conference platform. What do these men share in a select application of "philosophy of ministry?" Stratton, Jordan and Doran each directly and/or by extension contributed to the demise of one time Fundamental separatist (Baptistic) colleges.

Stratton was president of Clearwater Christian College (2002-2011) he instituted changes that destroyed the school's legacy and reputation among the base. Clearwater could not recover from Stratton's presidency and consequently closed June 2015.

The Closure of Clearwater Christian College

This Pastor's Perspective of Clearwaters Closure 2

Tim Jordan at Calvary Baptist Seminary (alongside Sam Harbin) destroyed the seminary through a doctrinal shift and entangling the school with new evangelicals.

Calvary Hosts New Evangelical Haddon Robinson

Closure of Calvary Baptist Seminary: Predictable and Repeatable

Jordan is Accountable for Calvary's Failure and Won't Own Up to It

Doran supported Matt Olson's radical shift at Northland International University. Earlier, alongside Kevin Bauder, they supported Tim Jordan's embrace of non-separatist evangelicals and rank new evangelicals.

Northland Closes: The Pattern of Demise Continues

It appears repudiation of Fundamentalism and/or contributing to the demise of any one time fundamental, separatist college is an important consideration for BJU when evaluating potential speakers to appear on campus. We can look back over several years to recognize this pattern. For example BJU hosted Andy Naselli to present lectures at the 2019 Stewart Custer Lecture Series.3

This Bible Conference provides new compelling evidence that the current BJU Board and Executive Cabinet are determined to continue and accelerate Steve Pettit’s erasure of BJU's fundamentalist, separatist moorings.

"Sister Institutions?"

And again from Alan Benson’s statement above, "Our speakers were chosen from sister institutions." And over the years since Pettit’s arrival on campus most of those "sister institutions" are sisters, in large part, by virtue of their commitment to Calvinism and Reformed theology.

An Advocacy for the Advancement of Reformed Theology

BJU Foundations Conference: An Intrusion of Calvinism, Reformed/Covenant Theology, New Calvinism & Lordship Salvation

Candidates for BJU Presidency
Prospective candidates should be mindful that should they be called to interview for the position they will be stepping toward and into the university's transformational agenda into non-separatist evangelicalism.


LM

Footnotes:
1) Alan Benson’s Hidden History

2) "Although all of the above no doubt contribute to the demise of [Clearwater] CCC; I suggest from my vantage point that the leadership of the college over the past 10 years steered the college away from its founder’s purpose, philosophy and vision.  Rather than an institution dedicated to educating, challenging and equipping young people to be “soldiers of Christ”, CCC evolved to a pragmatic philosophy of accommodation lowering her standards, adopting CCM music in her chapels and athletic events and most recently featuring an activity night of rap and rock music." The Pastor's Perspective

3) Excerpt from Dr. David Beale's- FACTS, An Enlarged Discussion

“Dr. Andy Naselli, in his 2006 BJU dissertation, scorns independent, Fundamental Baptists for giving invitations to 'surrender oneself to God.' Naselli criticizes the practice and calls it a 'second blessing.' Naselli unsuccessfully tried to identify the Fundamentalist... He now serves on the faculty of John Piper’s College and Seminary, which are Reformed Charismatic schools urging every Christian to seek all NT gifts, including tongues and healing.... Naselli is a pastor of Piper’s Bethlehem Baptist Church.”

“Naselli seeks to transform Fundamentalists into Evangelicalism. In 2019, Dr. Pettit brought Naselli back to BJU to present the lectures for the annual Steward Custer Lecture Series. Naselli’s books were promoted. The late Dr. Custer all his life had been a stalwart Fundamentalist. Naselli represents Broad Evangelicalism. The bond between BJU and Evangelicalism has been clear since the beginning of Pettit’s administration.”

2024 BJU CoRE Conference Speakers

Following Steve Pettit's departure from BJU we ask if his agenda to proliferate Reformed & Covenant theologies on campus remain a priority. We may have the answer from the speaker line up for BJU's 2024 CoRE Conference.

LtR: Doran, Jordan, Dever, Bauder, Harbin

Tim Jordan: Retired pastor of Calvary Baptist Church at Lansdale, PA. Jordan received his training at Northland Baptist Bible College, Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary (CBTS), and Westminster Theological Seminary. In 1976, Tim's Fundamentalist father, Robert (Chief) Jordan (1925-2009), founded CBTS. In 1986, Tim succeeded his father, as pastor of Calvary Baptist. In 2014, after thirty-eight years of life, CBTS suffered closure, due to weak finances and its moving into New (Broad) Evangelicalism. 

Chancellor Tim Jordan and President Sam Harbin marched CBTS to its death knell by bringing in New Evangelical speakers such as Haddon Robinson and Mark Dever. Haddon Robinson (1931-2017) had been the President of Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary (now Denver Seminary) for twelve years. Mark Dever (b. 1960) is a Reformed theologian and pastor of the SBC church, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, in Washington, DC. He is President of 9Marks, formerly “Center for Church Reform.” In Reformed Theology, there is no biblical future for Israel; such future promises merely pass on as spiritual promises to the Church. Such is included in Dever’s Center for Church Reform. Dever is, furthermore, amillennial in his eschatology.1

Closure of Calvary Baptist Seminary

Jordan & Harbin: Accountable for Failure, and Won't Own Up to It

CBS Hosts New Evangelical Haddon Robinson

Daniel Dionne MD, in Spokane, Washington, is a certified counselor by the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC), an example of Broad Evangelicalism. See Speakers

See weak Doctrine of the Church

Stuart Scott, Professor of Biblical Counseling at Bob Jones University and Seminary, is also the Member Care Director of the ACBC. Scott received his BA at Columbia International University. He received a MDiv at Grace Theological Seminary, a MTh at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his DMin at Covenant Theological Seminary.

Scott’s current website reports that he still teaches graduate courses adjunctly at John MacArthur’s Master University in Santa Clarita, CA.  For nine years, Scott served as pastor of counseling at MacArthur’s Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA.

Scott has a ministry called “One-Eighty Ministries,” and among his most “trusted and faithful advisors” are SBC pastors. On July 6, 2022, Dr. Alan Benson wrote of Stuart Scott, “His careful scholarship and thought leadership exemplify our promise of uncompromised, next-level teaching. Dr. Scott will serve as director of biblical counseling.” See: BJU News

Stuart Scott is no true Fundamentalist. Scott is an Evangelical, at the head of the Division of Graduate Studies in BJU Seminary. See- One-Eighty Ministries & BJU Seminary

In past conferences we've observed the pattern of featuring almost exclusively Reformed speakers. The speakers invited to BJU's 2024 CoRE Conference strongly suggests Acting CEO Alan Benson and current BJU leadership remain committed to erasing the university's fundamentalist, separatist legacy and to Steve Pettit’s proliferation and advancement of Reformed and Covenant theologies. 

LM

Footnote:

1) Mark Dever is amillennial believing there will be no 1,000 year reign of Christ (with His saints) on Earth. He is among the leading voices in the so-called "conservative" evangelical camp. Groups like T4G, The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God is an assembly of men, who for unity around Calvinism and their Lordship Salvation interpretation of the gospel, routinely tolerate, allow for, ignore and excuse numerous doctrinal aberrations and worldly expressions of worship.

Related Reading:

Steve Pettit: An Advocacy for the Advancement of Reformed Theology

BJU Foundations Conference: An Intrusion of Reformed/Covenant Theology, New Calvinism & Lordship Salvation

An Analysis of BJU's Position Paper on Calvinism, Arminianism & Reformed Theology

BJU Partners with Tim Challies

Archival Series: It's Called "Calvinism," & It's Not That Long of a Line

 Nearly two years ago [2019] I heard a radio broadcast of a sermon series by Pastor Steve Lawson.1 The message title is, The Long Line Continues.2 In the message Pastor Lawson makes frequent use of the phrase, “the doctrines of grace.” What does this phrase “the doctrines of grace,” mean? Very simply “the doctrines of grace,” is a new way of introducing a centuries old theology popularized by the French theologian John Calvin (1509-1564). That theology is commonly known as “Calvinism.”

What is Calvinism? Calvinism is best known for its emphasis on five distinct doctrines. These are technically known as the “Five Points of Calvinism.” The five points are commonly recognized and defined from the acronym T-U-L-I-P. Taking each in turn, the letters of the acronym stand for:

1. Total (Human) Inability
2. Unconditional Election
3. Limited Atonement
4. Irresistible Grace
5. Perseverance of the Saints

The whole of Calvinism rests on these five points, and they are inseparably linked. So that you have a basic understanding of Calvinism’s five points, following this article I will be providing definitions for each under the heading, Defining Calvinism’s TULIP? Here we will demonstrate the terminology that Steve Lawson, essentially representative of every Calvinist, uses to rename Calvin’s T-U-L-I-P.

• Total Inability is renamed, “Total Depravity,” or “Radical Corruption.”
• Unconditional Election is named the same or “Sovereign Election.”
• Limited Atonement is renamed, “Definite Atonement,” or “Particular Redemption.”
• Irresistible Grace is renamed, “Effectual Calling,” or “Sovereign Regeneration.”
• Perseverance of the Saints is named the same or “Persevering or Preserving Grace.”

I do not believe it wise to accept and/or adopt in our language the evolved labels for John Calvin’s theology. We do not want to allow for terminology that tends to cloud, confuse or camouflage the theology of Calvinism’s T-U-L-I-P.

Compounding Error Upon Error
A fundamental understanding of Scripture makes clear that Calvinism is held together by forcing into or extracting from the Bible things that are not there. Calvinism proper, therefore, has spawned numerous theological errors.  Among them for example Steve Lawson said, “They [the doctrines of grace] are completely counter intuitive…are entirely antithetical to the natural mind…We would naturally reason that you must first believe and then you will be born again.” Lawson is saying that to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved (John 3:16; Acts 16:31), is solely based on our own human reasoning.

The Calvinist believes man is so “dead in trespasses and sins” that he must first be regenerated: That is to say, be born again (initial justification), made alive by the Spirit of God, indwelled by the Holy Spirit, and given the new nature prior to and apart from personal repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).3 Furthermore, even faith, according to Calvinism, is the gift that was given to him after he has been regenerated (Eph. 2:8-9).4 These are two examples of egregious errors rooted in Calvinism.

Just How Long is That Line?

Pastor Lawson gives the impression that Calvinism’s “long line” can be traced back to the Pentateuch, as far back as Genesis and throughout the Old Testament. He believes the “long line continues” through the New Testament, on to the church fathers, the Reformers and beyond.  He said,

“These teachers of the doctrines of grace [Calvinism] really began with Moses and Joshua and Samuel…. As we come to the New Testament we see Jesus Christ Himself…proclaimed and taught the doctrines of grace [Calvinism]…. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, began teaching the doctrines of grace [Calvinism]…the Apostle Paul became a chief author and architect of the doctrines of grace [Calvinism]….”

What we find, however, is that the “long line” of Calvinism is not so long after all. Calvinism traces directly from Augustine (4^th century). New Calvinists say Calvin merely re-iterated Augustine. Any placing of the five points of Calvinism to Genesis would be based on the idea that the church began in Genesis and continues to today.

Steve Lawson’s message sheds light on how he arrives at five-point Calvinism. What we find is in the answer to the question, “What is Rationalistic Fatalism?”

“Rationalistic fatalism is understandable in light of dictionary usage.  According to Franklin’s Dictionary and Thesaurus, ‘rationalistic’ is literally: ‘reliance on reason as the basis for the establishment of religious ‘truth,’ and ‘fatalism’ is the ‘belief that fate determines events.’ Of course, ‘fate’ is a cause beyond human control to determine. Looking at that statement in this light demonstrates that those referred to rely solely on reason rather than revelation as the basis for their theological moorings. The ‘circle logic’ of five-point Calvinism is just that for the whole system crumbles when a single link in the chain is broken. One must approach the system with reason rather than faith. That of course leads to the fatalism, which holds that God has predetermined the destiny of human souls and that all the witnessing, praying, and missionary effort in the world will not change the outcome.”5

Close:
Those who reject Calvinism should avoid falling into the trap of accepting and agreeing to the new terminology.  In any discussion about or debate over Calvinism, no matter how many times the term, “doctrines of grace” appears, we will refer to and reiterate the historic, unambiguous label, “Calvinism.” Calling the theology of John Calvin “the doctrines of grace” does not change the theology of what we know today as “Calvinism.” Our priority is to equip uninformed and/or unsuspecting believers to first recognize the so-called “doctrines of grace” as Calvinism, and then be able to reject it from the Bible.

Yours faithfully,


LM

(Originally published Sept. 20, 2021)

Among the many works available refuting Calvinistic theology the most recent, comprehensive and compelling I am aware of would be Forewarned and Forearmed: Preparing for Battle Against the Errors of Calvinism by Dr. Chris Shepler. 

"Forewarned and Forearmed will walk you through the five major tenets of Calvinistic theology of represented by the acronym TULIP. It will explain what Calvinists mean and teach by each of them. It will also expose Calvinism's error and show how it is truly misaligned with the clear teaching of the Bible."

Footnotes:

1) Steve Lawson: Professor of Preaching at The Master’s Seminary (John MacArthur, chancellor emeritus), member of The Gospel Coalition. 

For the 2023 BJU Foundations Conference five-point Calvinist Steve Lawson was presented as a keynote speaker. This was further evidence that BJU has adopted Calvinism and Reformed theology are core doctrines to be taught and promoted in the college and seminary. See also, An Analysis of BJU's Position Paper on Calvinism, Arminianism & Reformed Theology.

2) The Long Line Continues (Feb. 6, 2019 edition).

3) The key to understanding Calvinism’s irresistible grace is that the Holy Spirit regenerates the elected individual, thus, they can then receive the Word and exercise faith. This regeneration can occur years before exercising their act of faith. Some Calvinist’s define this regeneration as taking place at conception, others at physical birth, and others at some later time. But ALL Calvinist’s teach it occurs prior to and independent of any act of faith or any foreseeing by God of their eventual faith. When thought through, biblically to be regenerated, literally meaning to “be born again,” means that the elect one possesses or is indwelled by the Holy Spirit at that point. For further study see,
The Danger of Teaching That Regeneration Precedes Faith

4) The Danger of Teaching That Faith is the Gift of God

5) Dr. David L. Cummins, in an email to me answering the question, what is rationalistic fatalism.  Dr. Cummins response appears on pp. 261-262 of In Defense of the Gospel: Biblical Answers to Lordship Salvation, 1^st edition only, 2006.

Related Reading:

After reading Bob Jones University’s position paper, I feel that it reflects a style commonly employed by many New Calvinists. Their writing typically skirts issues to avoid offense or exclusion, while maximizing inclusivity. They achieve this by allowing the reader to supply his or her own theological definitions rather than offering clear-cut ones that would reveal Calvinist views. The fact that BJU’s paper appears to use a similar strategy concerns me. I see this tendency through the paper. For example, it contains the term “exercise faith” four times. (Dr. Rob Congdon: An Analysis of Bob Jones University’s Position Paper on Calvinism...)

Oops! I Thought I Was a Four-Point Calvinist & An Alternative View of Election

New Calvinism’s Upside-Down Gospel

Defining Calvinism’s T-U-L-I-P?

Following is a succinct definition of T-U-L-I-P. Following each of the five-points we will reiterate the way Calvinists rename each of the five points.

T- Total (Human) Inability
The Bible teaches man’s human depraved nature, human depravity, – that is all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3: 23). All are sinners and separated from God.  Calvinism added the term “total” to the term human depravity, to indicated that apart from God’s intervention through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit prior to faith, man can never understand, accept, react, or respond spiritually in any way to God, His Word, and the work of the Holy Spirit. (Jer. 17:9; Romans 3:10-12; Eph. 2:1)

Lawson renames Total Inability, “Total Depravity,” or “Radical Corruption.”

U- Unconditional Election

For the Calvinist God has elected only a select group of the world’s population for Heaven, while all the rest enter this world headed to an eternal existence in Hell. Some Calvinists explain God taking an active role in bringing the elect to salvation, but as for the rest, He is completely passive toward, and essentially abandons them on the road to Hell. (2 Cor. 5:18-19)

Many Calvinists, however, teach that God elected some to heaven and some to hell – in other words, He did not just extend grace to some, the elect, and allow the others to follow their own path, independent of God’s electing them to Hell. It should be noted that most people believe in Calvinistic Unconditional Election or Arminianism, which allow them to reject God later after first trusting Him. It is important to realize that the Bible’s use of the term “election” always refers to service and never salvation; hence there is a third view of election, independent of both Calvinism and Arminianism.
Lawson retains “Unconditional Election,” or “Sovereign Election.”

L- Limited Atonement

Limited Atonement is the most controversial of the five points. Many in the Reformed camp back away from this point of Calvinism and call themselves four-point Calvinists. Many five-point Calvinists consider those who do not fully embrace a limited atonement as falling short of being a true Calvinist. The five-point Calvinist believes Christ died only for the elect; the shed blood of Christ and His atoning work on the cross were intended only for the select group chosen for salvation. This means Christ’s substitutionary death paid the penalty of sin only for certain sinners, and not for the sins of all mankind past, present and future. (Isaiah 53:6; John 3:16; 1 Jn. 2:2)
Lawson renames Limited Atonement, “Definite Atonement,” or “Particular Redemption.”

I- Irresistible Grace

Calvinism teaches that the Holy Spirit extends a special inward calling, but only to those elected to salvation. Through this calling the sinner is irresistibly drawn to Christ and the Spirit causes the sinner to cooperate. The lost man may have no desire for Christ, no interest in the claims of the gospel, but he has no choice in the matter. Because he has been unconditionally elected for salvation the Spirit puts the choice in his mind, removes any barrier or hindrance and compels him to respond to the gospel invitation.

Many indicated it is not necessary to respond to a gospel invitation. They describe an eventual realization that they are elect and rather than an act of response, they merely believe their spiritual interest and/or acknowledgement of Christ indicates they are elect. The Calvinist often uses the term “exercise faith” rather than trust in Christ alone for their salvation.

This irresistible grace cannot be rejected and does not depend on man’s cooperation. The ability of individuals to reject Christ’s offer of salvation answers Calvinism’s irresistible grace. The Bible teaches that man can be reproved over and over, and resist the working of the Holy Spirit in his heart. (Gen. 6:3; Prov. 1:24-26; 29:1; Matthew 23:37; John 5:40; Acts 7:51-52)
Lawson renames Irresistible Grace, “Effectual Calling,” or “Sovereign Regeneration.”

P- Perseverance of the Saints

There are two views on Perseverance of the Saints. The traditional position is found in Reformed confessions of faith. The non-traditional view is typically found in some Baptist and Evangelical circles. The common denominator is that the elect are eternally secure and will persevere in the faith. The way Perseverance commonly addresses those who fall away is to conclude they were never saved in the first place or will return eventually. In its most extreme form Perseverance is articulated (for example by John Piper and Kevin DeYoung) as the only way to ensure “final salvation,” of final justification, to reach heaven, i.e., glorification.

To the Calvinist, a person must persevere their entire life by doing good works and spiritually living to demonstrate at the Great White Throne Judgment that they are truly elect. Thus, all men will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). Notice they are judged by their works. You often read in Calvinistic writing that a person cannot truly know they are righteous or the elect until the day they die, but Scripture says you can know you have eternal life right now (1 John 5:13). For the true believer who has accept God’s gift of salvation by faith alone, he does not have to persevere but depends upon God to preserve Him as promised in Jude 1 and Jude 24.

Thus, a saved man’s eternal security, his assurance and position in Christ are not dependent on how he performs as a Christian. He is saved and secure because of what Jesus Christ has done for him. (John 10:28-29; Eph. 1:13; 2 Tim. 1:12; 1 Peter 1:3-9) Lawson retains “Perseverance of the Saints,” or “Persevering or Preserving Grace.”