Archival Series: May the "Northland Heart" Perpetuate

 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.

The rapid ruin of the school brings to mind images of the Hindenburg. The fact that the disaster might have been prevented or at least delayed had there been honesty and a willingness at the top level 4-5 years ago (cf. Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12:8) to hear counsel from scores of pastors, alumni, and staff brings to mind images of the Titanic.

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.

“Lord, in your mercy please bless and protect other schools and their leadership, which are doing your work with integrity and a right heart!” 

No doubt there will be last-gasp attempts to salvage the ministry, but unless the LORD by some miracle sends wholesale revival, R.I.P. Northland Baptist Bible College.

Dr. Dana F. Everson

Epilogue (October 2023): There was no saving Northland from the ruinous decisions made for the school by Matt Olson and his administration. They attempted to transform the once fine fundamental Baptist college into a non-separatist, compromising evangelical institution. The base gradually abandoned the school as Olson made it clear he would not reverse course.

Originally appeared: April 27, 2015 with commentary.

*NIU a Gift? Thanks, but No Thanks!

Here's a Video of Northland's Campus taken in 2021. This will be a bittersweet moment for those who remember Northland at its best. The campus grounds remain beautiful, but the classrooms and dorms are empty shells.

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.

Related Reading

Is NIU "Unchanged...?"

NIU: Plunging Headlong Into a Liberal Entertainment Approach to Ministry

The Real "Unchanged" NIU Comes Forward

NIU Students Perform "Jesus Loves Me" and It's Blasphemy

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.

The rapid ruin of the school brings to mind images of the Hindenburg. The fact that the disaster might have been prevented or at least delayed had there been honesty and a willingness at the top level 4-5 years ago (cf. Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12:8) to hear counsel from scores of pastors, alumni, and staff brings to mind images of the Titanic.

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.

“Lord, in your mercy please bless and protect other schools and their leadership, which are doing your work with integrity and a right heart!” 

No doubt there will be last-gasp attempts to salvage the ministry, but unless the LORD by some miracle sends wholesale revival, R.I.P. Northland Baptist Bible College.

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

Archival Series: "Our Children Learn Not Only What We Teach Them, but by What We Tolerate."

In its history Northland International University (NIU), the former Northland Baptist Bible College, has not been in a situation requiring a strong call to separate. In the early days Northland was a refreshing voice because of it’s good conservative stands, refreshing Northwood’s feel, friendly campus, servant’s heart, with a love for revival and the Lord Jesus Christ. Students were being discipled with a demerits system in place and properly emphasized for correction and growth. There are many fine pastors and Christian workers serving the Lord today because of Northland’s ministry to them.

“Our children learn not only what we teach them, but by what we tolerate.”

According to NIU alumni Dr. Les Ollila (former NIU Chancellor) said that over and over to the student body. With decisions made in recent weeks at Northland a new kind of teaching and tolerance has come to the campus.

In 2005, because of Rick Holland’s inclusion as a speaker, Dr. Ollila pulled out of the God-Focused conference. It is believed that NIU president Matt Olson insisted Ollila withdraw. Just five years later Dr. Ollila along with Matt Olson, Sam Horn and Doug McLachlan reach out to and travel across the country to meet with John MacArthur, Rick Holland and Phil Johnson. Then Ollila/Olson/NIU have this same man (Rick Holland) speak in chapel to impressionable young people.

What changed between 2005 and 2010? It wasn’t Rick Holland. He is today what he was in 2005: an advocate for Lordship Salvation1 and the founder of the Resolved Conference, which merges preaching with the world’s CCM/rock culture and extreme Charismatic style worship.2 NIU embracing MacArthur, Johnson and putting Rick Holland in its chapel pulpit confirms they are willing to teach Lordship Salvation, teach/tolerate a neutered form of biblical separatism, tolerate and allow for the worldly culture of events such as the Resolved Conference.

Regrettably, in just five years, Les Ollila has changed. NIU is being transformed by its president, Matt Olson, and administration decisions. With and because of their change the historical trajectory of NIU has been radically altered. 

With the changes at NIU many share concerns over ministry, direction and leanings of NIU. There is a declining interest in maintaining fellowship by many former alums, good Christian leaders and lay workers. Many who have some relationship with NIU are contacting the administration to express their concerns. Others will quietly pull away and encourage their young people to look elsewhere for a Christian college. Now unfortunately, because NIU’s administration wants it both ways their friendship base will have to change just to maintain status quo not to mention growth.

Many alumni view what Northland is doing today as completely contrary to what was taught not very long ago. Students were told that they will become in the future based on two things: the friends you have and the books you read. Is it any wonder they have done what they have? If you live long enough, you will have to change your friends or change your doctrine. NIU is changing its friends for new ones in the so-call  “conservative” evangelicalism. Certain doctrines, separatism in particular, is not far from being compromised for the sake of their new friends.

Why do men who claim a heritage and commitment to separatist Fundamentalism take the initiative to reach out to evangelicals who openly repudiate biblical separation in principle and in application? Is it possible that these alleged fundamental separatists want to retain the label they are comfortable with, but have lost the will to contend, to wage the battle for fidelity to the God-given mandates? Is it possible they will redefine the principles and application of separation to accommodate the need to tolerate, allow for and excuse aberrant doctrine and ecumenism for the sake of fellowship with evangelicals?

Have self-described fundamental separatists decided to move toward a safe, non-confrontational middle ground at the expense of fidelity to the Word of God on separation to be accepted and respected by evangelicals?

The “conservative” evangelicals have not and show no inclination of moving toward a Fundamentalist’s commitment to authentic biblical separation. Someone is moving, someone is changing, and it isn’t the evangelicals.

With recent revelations we are learning a great deal about Northland’s new trajectory. NIU will try to placate alumni and donors while it moves further away from its historic stand. Matt Olson’s recent open letter to Friends in Ministry was just such an attempt that, in the opinion of many, was an abject failure. If Northland maintains this new direction and discussions among concerned persons are any indication of a national response, I fear Northland’s best days are behind it and the worst is yet to come.

Northland’s new trajectory has a historic parallel. The devastating effects of introducing Evangelicalism’s philosophy and practices into a biblical Fundamentalist setting are no more stark than the demise of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College.3


LM
First Published Nov. 29, 2010 & again Jan. 2, 2018

Publisher's Addendum: On April 30, 2015 NIU announced its closure.  See,
NIU Closes: A Continuation of the Pattern of Demise

For previous articles in this series see-

NIU’s Convergence With Evangelicalism: What Does It Mean for Impressionable Students?

NIU Presents Executive Pastor of Grace Community Church to It’s Student Body

1) An Example of Lordship Salvation’s Man-Centered Message

2) The Merger of Calvinism With Worldliness, by Dr. Peter Masters

3) Discussion Over the Closing of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College

“Although Pillsbury struggled for a number of years to recover itself from the devastating effects of hob-nobbing with Evangelicalism, it never really dealt with (in any real tangible way) its ruined reputation. Although it was repeatedly brought before them by many friends of the college, they never really did what was necessary to regain the trust of the pastors and parents who send students.”

Northland International University Closes: Continuation of the Pattern of Demise

Earlier today Daniel Patz announced the closure of Northland International University.

This is the result, predicted result, of Matt Olson’s Experiment with the “new wave” of new evangelicalism.  In the closure letter Daniel Patz wrote, “In the last two weeks, Northland has faced unexpected events that led to this decision.” To any objective observer of what Matt Olson was doing to the former Northland Baptist Bible College, it was clear that the school would not survive Olson’s changes.  The last two weeks event NIU a Gift? Thanks, but No Thanks was the final of many nails Matt Olson and his team had already pounded into the coffin of a once fine, fundamental, Baptistic, separatist school.

In our previous article, May the “Northland Heart” Perpetuate, Dr. Dana Everson called it, “R.I.P Northland Baptist Bible College.”

 

 

LM

 

Related Reading

What Does NIU, Pillsbury, TTU Have in Common?

 

A Predictable Pattern of Merger With Only One Survivor

An Anecdotal Answer to the Demise of Fundamentalist Schools
 

Northland Joins Southern Seminary: Culmination of a Modern Day Tragedy

Not that today’s joint NIU, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) announcement should come as any surprise, but NIU made it official, and has come under the umbrella of the SBTS.  Is it, however, simply a “strategic partnership,” or has something deeper transpired here?

Daniel Patz, president of Northland since 2013, attended the meeting and told trustees “This is a gift from Northland to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. But really, I feel almost, even more so, it is gift to us in order for this legacy and this mission to continue....”

The NIU website carries the same announcement and quote from Daniel Patz. The Southern News headline, “Southern Seminary Trustees Accept Gift of Wisconsin University Campus.”

From those joint statements one might reasonably conclude that NIU has been sold to or otherwise turned over to the Southern Baptist Convention.

NIU has become the property of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary!

In the same Southern News release the irony of this note should not be lost, “Trustees also celebrated the 20^th anniversary of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry.” Billy Graham, the high priest of New Evangelicalism, honored by SBTS.  Today, the former Northland Baptist Bible College (NBBC) is now in formal partnership with Graham’s legacy of betraying the Word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the many fine former NBBC faculty, staff and graduates this is indeed a tragic and closing chapter for their alma mater.  Northland once was unique and unwavering in its fidelity to the whole counsel of God.  Under Matt Olson’s tenure as president the school was steadily lead into compromise and ultimately ruined for the cause of Christ.

The slide that Matt Olson initiated finally landed Northland in the mire.  One need look no further than Daniel Patz warmly shaking hands with Al Mohler to understand that NIU has aligned itself with a modern day leader of New Evangelical like compromise.

Al Mohler Signs the Manhattan Declaration

What Does John Piper and Al Mohler Have in Common? Rick Warren!

Al Mohler Joins Hands with the Mormon Church

So ends the once fine ministry of Northland Baptist Bible College.  We have been witness to a modern day tragedy for the New Testament church.

LM

Links to the Announcements:
Northland Joins SouthernSeminary

Southern Seminary Trustees Accept Gift of Wisconsin University Campus

Related Reading from NIU:

A Woman Preaches in Northland’s Chapel

Is NIU “Unchanged?”

NIU Plunges Headlong Into Liberal Entertainment Ministry

Is NIU Opposed to the Modern Day Charismatic Movement?

Northland Takes Giant Step Toward Closure

“Northland and Central Seminary will not survive having abandoned their fundamental heritage, disdain for those who have gone before, and pursuing a path toward [so-called] ‘conservative’ evangelicalism.” (Closure of Calvary Baptist Seminary: Predictable and Repeatable, Aug. 2013)

On April 7 NIU President Daniel Patz made an announcement to the student body.  You can read his announcement in its entirety under April 2014 Announcement1 at the NIU website. 

“…It’s clear that we need to make more changes in order to live within our means…. reduce and eliminate programs and schools…the Discover. Develop. Deploy. program, our music department, and our education department, as well as our 5 school/outcome-based approach.”

In the article it is plain that NIU is taking a giant step closer to closure.  The closure of NIU, and its camp ministry, has been predictable and is IMO imminent.  The only question is when will NIU be shuttered.  A key contributor to NIU’s closure was the betrayal of clear statements of doctrine and practice stated in Northland’s Academic Catalogs and Articles of Faith. See, Is NIU “Opposed to the Modern Day Charismatic Movement?”

We have three statements from the Northland Graduate School Academic Catalog that unequivocally opposes and rejects the Charismatic Movement signs and wonders teaching.  The academic catalog explicitly rejects cooperation with the Charismatic Movement.  Yet, Matt Olson has honored the men and embraced the ministry of a church within the Sovereign Grace, Charismatic Movement.

The “NIU is unchanged” changes Matt Olson instituted at Northland alienated a vast swath of the Northland Baptist Bible College alumni and core base of support.  New enrollment fell sharply and some existing students transferred out because of Olson’s changes to the school.  For example see, Dr. Matt Olson, “I Apologize to You for…” What?

No, we do not doubt Matt Olson’s sincerity – we doubt his wisdom. He brings in Josh Beers and other men, possibly including Jason Janz for a “Day of Prayer.” Matt leads the young people to mix, that which is most holy (Prayer) with that which is profane (the world’s CCM/Rock music) and then renders an apology. Why doesn’t he inform and apologize to their parents and pastors? The students who are learning how to be involved in mixed-worship may not want to come home to the old ways.

Does Matt Olson believe he can succeed where others have failed? Matt Olson’s hard left turn put NIU on a trajectory to suffer the consequences, which began with losing most of the alumni. Significant numbers of alumni have already seen enough of Matt Olson’s leftward turn to decide they’re not going with him. (What Do Pillsbury, Tennessee Temple & Northland Have in Common? Oct. 2012) 

Northland is moving toward realizing the same fate that Pillsbury Baptist Bible College did in 2010, only NIU has been brought to ruin far more quickly. It was the radical changes that Matt Olson brought to NIU that has brought the once fine fundamental Baptist separatist school to ruin.  Those who never wanted to see the historic and biblical foundation of Northland Baptist Bible College dismantled have been affected.  Pray for these as they are or soon will be in transition to another place of service in God’s good will and timing for them. (Isaiah 65:24; Phil. 2:12-13)

LM

Footnotes:

1) Daniel Patz, April 2014 Announcement

Related Reading:

Closure of Calvary Baptist Seminary: Predictable and Repeatable (Aug. 2013)

It is my belief that the closure of Calvary Baptist Seminary was predictable and will be repeated. Calvary joins Pillsbury Baptist Bible College and Tennessee Temple in their demise. I also believe we will see the closure of Northland International University (NIU) and Central Baptist Seminary (Minneapolis, MN). For drifting far from their original markers as fundamental Baptist separatist schools NIU and Central will not survive. NIU and Central will not survive having become non-separatist, evangelical schools. They will not survive having alienated their base and alumni! NIU and Central cannot compete for students with the star personalities of and/or high-profile schools in the so-called “conservative” evangelicalism.  Northland and Central will not survive having abandoned their fundamental heritage, disdain for those who have gone before, and pursuing a path toward [so-called] “conservative” evangelicalism.

Is NIU “UnChanged?”

Has NIU remained unchanged? In 2010-11 school year would NIU hand the Northland Baptist Bible College Position Statement on Contemporary Issues in Christianity to a visiting pastor and/or parent and state that the university still abides by the philosophy and practice it defines? Is the NBBC Position Statement still in force, or has it been set aside to allow for what has the appearance of a change in direction for NIU?

The Real “Unchanged” NIU Comes Forward

With the imbedded video and accompanying pages at NIU’s web site the downward spiral of compromise of a once fine school continues. For some NIU has hit bottom. It’s one thing (not a good thing) for NIU to be participating in CCM/Rock concerts, which I have documented. It is quite another to have officially brought the CCM/Rock genre to the campus itself.

Northland Students Perform New “Jesus Loves Me” Recording and It’s Blasphemy!

This video is another sad revelation of what happened to the remaining faculty and student body once Northland’s leadership took a tolerant view toward CCM and RAP, yet tells the public NIU has not changed. The students know the real position of the administration on such matters….  And it is only a matter of time until this kind of behavior is seen in the chapel hour and on ministry tours.

Dr. Doug McLachlan, Community is Being Elevated Above Theology…

On September 9 a TV station in Chattanooga reported that the “Highland Park Baptist Church [was] Relocating and Renaming.”1 The Highland Park Baptist Church (HPBC) will henceforth be known as the Church of the Highlands. The report noted that,

“In 1946, Highland Park Baptist Church started Tennessee Temple University. While the church is relocating and renaming, Tennessee Temple University will remain in the Highland Park neighborhood.”

Is the name change simply because the church will be relocating out of the Hype Park neighborhood? That is a reasonable answer, but certainly not the only reason. It is widely known that HPBC has steadily been moving away from its historic Baptist, separatist roots.

This kind of news is becoming all too common among once independent Baptist, separatist churches. The same is increasingly true of some colleges. Northland International University (NIU) was originally founded 36 years ago as the Northland Baptist Bible College (NBBC). It may be impossible to know for certain which change came first, but we do know that along with the name change the former NBBC as NIU has drifted from its fundamentalist, separatist moorings.2

Following is an excerpt from Dr. Doug McLachlan’s President’s Page. The subject is Philosophy of Ministry and was published in 1998.

In recent years there has developed a “tendency toward generic Christianity.” (Millard Erikson and James Heflin on Old Wine in New Skins, pp 50-ff). The trend, these authors say, is toward a “doctrinally generic Christianity” where the “specifics” of doctrine are dismissed or unimportant. One of the most visible symbols of this trend is the decision of denominational tags from the church name. In my mind this is a dangerous trend. It seems to me that the engine driving such change is the belief that specific labels inhibit church growth i.e., the expansion of community. 

Community is being elevated above theology, growth becomes more important than truth.

In earlier times the theology of a church was reflected in its name. To me, that approach still has great merit. The reason is this: generality in name of leads to a loss of specificity in belief. Covering our beliefs, hiding our theology by masking our identity and camouflaging our name may indeed attract a larger crowd (most contemporary consumers think little of “brand loyalty”), but it has great potential to jeopardize and weaken our doctrine, our truth-claims. It produces an environment where beliefs tend to be minimized, changed and in some cases even abandoned as irrelevant to mission, unimportant to ministry (Erickson and Heflin). 

Whatever their liabilities (and there are some), names reflect our belief-system. They say something about us. They announce to others who we are and what we believe. Even today, in our postmodern world, names like Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist alert us to a basic set of beliefs. The name becomes a summary statement of certain basic theological commitments. One of the reasons our name “Baptist” still has merit is because it identifies for honest seekers who we are and what we believe. And it represents our belief-system, the theological bedrock which is the enduring ground of our belonging. (Dr. Douglas McLachlan, President’s Page: Philosophy of Ministry, 1998)

Has anything changed from the time of this writing in 1998? Of course, Northland dropped “Baptist” from its name. Dr. McLachlan wrote,

“Even today, in our postmodern world, names like Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist alert us to a basic set of beliefs. The name becomes a summary statement of certain basic theological commitments. One of the reasons our name “Baptist” still has merit is because it identifies for honest seekers who we are and what we believe.”

That statement begs the question from honest seekers: Since Northland dropped their name “Baptist Bible,” we ask- who are they, what are NIU’s basic theological commitments and what do they believe? Sincere questions such as these one might expect clear, precise, unambiguous answers from the University president, Matt Olson. Yet, those answers (to date) have not been forthcoming.

Dr. McLachlan wrote, “specifics’ of doctrine are dismissed or unimportant.” In Matt Olson’s Confidence in the Next Generation article on the Grace Bible Church, a member of CJ Mahaney’s Sovereign Grace Ministries, a major specific of doctrine is not even mentioned. A doctrine that the current official NIU doctrinal position states was “temporary,” must be “rejected, opposed” and “cannot accept.” That major doctrine is Charismatic theology, which teaches that the sign gifts of tongues, prophecy and healings are active and should be sought after today. Yet, Matt Olson praised this church and its pastor.3

Has Dr. McLachlan Contributed to the Changes at NIU?
Dr. McLachlan played a role in the initial wave of visible changes that Matt Olson has brought to the former NBBC. Dr. McLachlan contributed to the new trajectory of NIU with his being one of the three (Sam Horn, Les Ollila) who traveled with Matt Olson to call on John MacArthur, Phil Johnson and Rick Holland at Grace Community Church. From that meeting (April 2010) came the invitation to Rick Holland to speak to NIU’s impressionable young people in the college chapel.4

Dr. McLachlan wrote, “One of the reasons our name ‘Baptist’ still has merit is because it identifies for honest seekers who we are and what we believe.” Northland, your name was changed. You are no longer the “Baptist Bible College.” Who then are you and what do you believe?


LM

Site Publisher Addendum:

Beginning Friday we will begin a discussion of Dr. Matt Olson’s What Matters Most series.  Brother Olson’s series originates at his personal blog and is reproduced at the pseudo-fundamentalist site SharperIron. Our new series will be under the title, What REALLY Matters Most?

Footnotes:
1) WRCB-TV, accessed Sept. 10, 2012.

2) Is NIU “Unchanged?”

3) Is NIU “Opposed to and Reject[ing of] the Modern Charismatic Movement?”

4) Resolved Founder, Rick Holland, Speaks to NIU Students

The Joseph Zichterman Issue

I trust many have heard the news about Dr. Joseph Zichterman, a well-known man from Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) circles. On May 7, 2007 it was suddenly announced Joe Zichterman was leaving the IFB movement and would transfer his church membership to the Willow Creek Community Church (WCCC). Joe’s announcement and departure has apparently caught even his closest friends completely by surprise. Joe’s shift was announced by him at a new web site he opened to break this news. The site, which is now offline, was called Life of Faith Ministry*.

News of Joe’s departure was broke at Sharper Iron (a pseudo- fundamentalist blog) under this title: Joe Zichterman Launches Website (JZLW)**. This article and the discussion thread was removed by then SI site publisher Jason Janz. In that deleted thread was a comment written by a student from Northland Baptist Bible College now known as Northland International University. I reference his notes below.

The JZLW article and thread which followed generated well over 25,000 hits in just four days. This is pretty much unprecedented for a single article in the Christian blogosphere. I posted several comments in the JZLW thread, which I have republished here:

I do not know Joe and I am not familiar with what I see now appears to be his former ministry in Fundamental circles. I can see many are saddened by this announcement. I sense the loss.

From what I have read in the first few pages of this thread it appears Joe was fairly high profile and quite influential with young people. Joe’s transition could very well become a catalyst or bridge for others to follow him over to the Willow Creek mentality/ministry.

For the sake of those who Joe had an influence with, and while keeping the spirit of Colossians 4:6 in mind, it needs to be made loud and clear that membership with the Willow Creek church is wrong and especially why it is wrong.

Another article with a thread discussion was opened as a follow-up to the JZLW article. Like the first, however, this was also deleted by SI site publisher Janz. It was titled, Crossing The Bridge!! There I contributed two posts, and these did generate a good reaction. Following are my two comments from Crossing the Bridge!!

Was it Known?
I am going to wonder out loud for a moment. Did some in positions of leadership over and/or in fellowship with Joe have some inkling, or even a strong sense that Joe's shift was possible, and may even be on the near horizon, while he continued, what we must conclude, was a facade ministry in IFB circles?

Showing Them The Way
Anyone can miss something boiling under the surface. In regard to Joe, however, it seems to me that he did not go to bed one Sunday night as a Fundamentalist and roll out of bed on Monday morning in the Willow Creek community. In cases like Joe’s there is usually a gradual slide from where he was (IFB) to where he just landed (WCCC).

Joe Zichterman was relatively high-profile, and well connected with many in leadership positions in IFB circles. Did this 180 shift take everyone by surprise?

How to respond: That appears to be ramping up in regard to how some might like to address Joe personally. If some men think they can in some way recover Joe I am all for it. My chief concern, however, is how we respond to Joe’s shift back here in our IFB circles. I think a type of Damage-Control is in order.

One need only read the post by Anthonydi (from NBBC) in the Joe Zichterman thread. He wrote, “I know that my opinion as a twenty year old matters little, but there are those students here that respect Dr. Z for what he is doing. Frankly this scares me.”

That post IMO was the most significant and prolific in the entire 20 page thread. That should scare and wake all of us up! Do IFB Bible college students respect Joe’s move to Willow Creek? I would hope the NBBC administration took note of that. We had all better take note of that. Anthony’s note sounds much to me like a cry for help.

Joe Z. did and is still having an impact on college students and his impact may linger and draw some of these young people to the WCC and Emerging Church Movement. I believe Joe has become another bridge that has the potential of showing IFB young people the way to the New Evangelical and Emergent Church movements.

Men, if we pass on addressing this close to home with our young people we are going to see a lot more of what we just saw with Joe Zichterman.

My chief is concern is how leadership in Fundamentalism responds in our own circles to what has transpired. I am praying for those in a position who can do so, to take this event with Joe Zichterman to heart and set out to lovingly, patiently, passionately help our young people understand what has happened.

These concerns I have expressed are NOT about saving a movement (Fundamentalism); it is about preserving a generation to come. A generation who will understand the necessity of being stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, (1 Cor. 15:58). That they will see fidelity to God, His Word and proclamation of the saving message of Jesus Christ, His Gospel, as a sacred duty.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,” (John 3:16).

Vance Havner said, “God has always been in the remnant business.” God does not need an organization or big crowd to accomplish His plan. Just a “faithful few on fire” are enough. We have a task ahead of us. If we don’t pass on to the next generation who sit in the college classrooms:

A passion for God,
Unshakeable desire for fidelity to the Scriptures,
Dedication to personal holiness, and
Heart for the evangelization of the lost;

God will raise up another remnant for His name sake and glory.


LM

For Related Reading:
Purpose Driven’s Compromise of Scripture

Your First Step Won’t Be Your Last: Avoiding the Path to Compromise

*The Life of Faith site Joe opened to coincide with his move to the WCCC was deleted presumably by Zichterman sometime in early 2008.
**Sharper Iron blog also deleted the article in regard to Zichterman’s move.