Has Hope for BJU to Reverse Course Been Dashed?

In recent years Bob Jones University (BJU) has put into effect changes in policy, speakers and alignments. These have raised serious concerns and questions among alumni and friends of the university. In one of our previous articles This is Not Your Father’s BJU1 we saw that the university has drifted far from its separatist heritage. While briefly mentioned in that article we will review here in greater detail the implications of BJU hosting Dr. Billy Kim and his Korean Children's Choir.2

Dr. Kim w/ Billy Graham

While hosting the children’s choir posed no particular problem, welcoming on campus Dr. Kim most definitely did. Dr. Billy Kim, a BJU graduate, spoke at Billy Graham’s funeral, and was the translator for Graham’s Korean campaign in 1973. Dr. Kim was president of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) 2000-2005. During Kim’s tenure as BWA president, in June 2004 the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) voted to pull out of the BWA.

“The SBC study committee noted in recent years the BWA’s increasingly anti-American stances, tolerance of liberal theology and disregard for its own procedures in accepting the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as a member in 2003.”  (Baptist Press: SBC Severs Ties with BWA as Theological Concerns Remain. June 15, 2004)

 

“The Southern Baptist Convention voted yesterday to pull out of the Baptist World Alliance, accusing the worldwide organization of a drift toward liberalism that included growing tolerance of homosexuality, support for women in the clergy and ‘anti-American’ pronouncements.” (Washington Post: Wednesday, June 16, 2004; Page A02.)

We can’t remember a time when the SBC practiced authentic biblical separation.  So, when the SBC decides to split from another Baptist organization that is saying something. This begs the question- Why would BJU host the BWA’s former president when the SBC saw enough to separate from the BWA under Kim’s leadership?

The optics of hosting Dr. Kim, a new evangelical, was terrible.

We understand the invitation to Dr. Kim was extended by Dr. Bob Jones, III. In his own words he explained the rationale for invitation. Dr. Jones, whom we love and appreciate, had left the president’s office several years prior. Then and current BJU president, Steve Pettit would have done well to disallow Kim’s appearance on campus.

We are documenting numerous disconcerting occurrences at the university. For example:

• Featuring the men’s music group Cantus for their Artist Series. Cantus is partly compromised of practicing homosexuals, which was known to the university when the invitation was extended (Jan. 2015).
• A modernized casual dress code that strays from modesty for Christian young women (Sept. 2018).
• Hosting evangelicals Ken Ham (twice) and Tim Tebow.
• Sam Horn and Steve Pettit in cooperative ministry with Southern Baptists and Presbyterians.
• Retaining Southern Baptist (SBC) ministers on faculty. (Lonnie Polson & Jeffrey Stegall)
• Inviting to campus for special meetings Dr. Andy Naselli from The Gospel Coalition and John Piper’s seminary (Nov. 2019).
• Dr. Pettit forming BJGrass, a bluegrass performance group compromised of himself and BJU students. The vocals present a country western style, with vocal scooping and sliding. This takes BJU into the realm of popular culture.
• Directing its Bible Conference offering to Save the Storks, a secular pro-life organization headed by new evangelical Herb McCarthy (Feb. 2020).
• BJU brings Cary Schmidt to its Bible Conference, (Feb. 2020) on staff at Lancaster Baptist Church with Paul Chappell, and further contemporary and pragmatic than West Coast and Chappell. (Ht: What is Truth blog)
• Dr. John Street- featured speaker at the CORE conference. A Southern Baptist, adjunct professor at Southern Baptist Theological and Chair of Biblical Counseling at John MacArthur’s Master’s University & Seminary (March 2020).
• Steve Pettit crossing the country to participate in John MacArthur’s Shepherd’s Conference and meets with John MacArthur (March 2020).

The Pattern is Self-Evident

Steve Pettit and Sam Horn have BJU on a pathway much like that which ultimately ruined Northland Baptist Bible College. The first indication that Northland had changed was Sam Horn’s role in bringing non-separatist Rick Holland from John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church and Master’s University to speak in Northland’s chapel. Rick Holland at the time was John MacArthur’s executive pastor and founder of the Resolved Conference.3 Since Sam Horn’s arrival at BJU the university has seen many so-called “conservative” evangelicals on its campus.

Doran left, Dever center, Bauder 2nd right


Early Sign of the Coming Compromise
Nearly ten years ago I began discussing and documenting examples of Drs. Kevin Bauder and Dave Doran spear-heading a movement to practice and encourage men in their sphere of influence to set aside the principles of biblical separation for a type of “separation in academic contexts.”4 This legitimized entering into fellowship and cooperative ministry with the so-called “conservative” evangelicals.

2001 Graham Crusade

I suggested then that their efforts could eventually bridge the gap from Fundamentalism toward new evangelicalism through the “conservative” evangelicals. At the time we had already seen John Piper and Al Mohler embracing new-evangelicalism. Examples such as: Dr. Billy Graham, Rick Warren, the Mormon Church and signing the Manhattan Declaration.

Have Hopes Been Dashed
One pastor wrote, “It saddens me greatly that [Steve] Pettit is bringing down my alma mater.”  He followed with, “I doubt there is an alumnus, who graduated during [or prior to] the Bob Jones III era, which would be unwilling to acknowledge the university, has and is violating the very separatist principles we were taught as students.”

BJU’s changes in policy, speakers and alignment compromises are eerily similar to those that brought down Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, Tennessee Temple, Clearwater Christian College, Calvary Baptist Seminary (Lansdale, PA) and the former Northland Baptist Bible College.

Good men pray for and have met with BJU President Steve Pettit encouraging him to reverse the current direction of the university. Their appeals, while given a hearing, have not produced any positive moves to reclaim its separatist heritage. What more does one need to see to be convinced that BJU has changed? The situation there appears to have become unrecoverable. Hopes for the school returning to its foundational principles have essentially been dashed.

Steve Pettit and Sam Horn have pushed BJU far off its historical moorings to come alongside compromising, non-separatist evangelicalism.


Lou Martuneac

Related Reading:

NIU Closes: Continuation of the Pattern of Demise

What Does NIU, Pillsbury & Tennessee Temple Have In Common? 

Footnotes:

1) This is Not Your Father’s BJU

2) Billy Kim and The Korean Children’s Choir

3) NIU Presents Rick Holland to its Student Body

In April 2010 Matt Olson, Sam Horn, Les Ollila and Doug McLachlan traveled to the Grace Community Church (GCC) to meet with John MacArthur, Phil Johnson and Rick Holland. After a day of discussions the NIU men came away finding no reason not to have and increase fellowship with them. Inviting GCC’s executive pastor, Rick Holland, to speak in chapel confirms a new alliance for NIU with evangelicalism.

4) Under the guise of a so-called, Second Definition for Separation in Academic Contexts, we have seen scores of younger men encouraged to neuter, water down or sidestep the doctrine of biblical separation for the sake of cooperation with compromising evangelicals. Kevin Bauder, Dave Doran, et., al. have by their own example encouraged the next generation to cooperate with evangelicals, and thereby put them on the road toward new evangelicalism.

The Coronavirus of Ecumenical Compromise: Are You Infected?

Following is an excerpt from the new article by Dr. Travis Smith.

Twentieth century philosopher George Santayana observed, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  I fear that truth has befallen many churches, Bible colleges, and institutions in recent years.... Sadly, I have lived to witness the failures of venerable Bible-preaching churches, closures of Bible colleges, and compromises of Christian institutions led by men either ignorant of the lessons of the past or dismissive of the spiritual heritage of the fundamental institutions. The result of leadership that either lacks spiritual discernment or is contemptuous of the past is the same: those fundamental Bible institutions either close their doors or become a shadow of what they were in their golden years.

For the complete article please continue to,  From the Heart of a Shepherd

LM

Related Reading:
Is Northland International University, "Unchanged?"

This is Not Your Father's BJU, A Continuation

Bob Jones University Lurches Further Into Evangelicalism

BJU's Subtle Rejection of Ecclesiastical Separation: Is This Northland All Over Again?

Bob Jones University Lurches Further Into Evangelicalism

In a recent article we reported Sam Horn was leaving Bob Jones University (BJU) to assume the presidency of The Master’s University and Seminary.1 Some men openly wondered how long it might before BJU would join hands with John MacArthur.  The wait was not long.

Men in Fundamental circles will recall Les Ollila constantly warning that “it’s not what a person says, it’s where his feet are pointed,” that brings corruption. He illustrated the concept with Solomon who wrote wonderful truths (Proverbs), but pointed his feet toward pagan women and was corrupted.

When Northland International University was moving towards its demise Matt Olson had been saying, “Northland is unchanged!” His feet, however, were pointed toward Reformed, non-dispensational, amillennial, non-separatist, CCM /Rock-music-oriented, non-Baptist, Continuationists.

The difference here is that BJU is not claiming to be “unchanged.” The university is changing. The changes, which we have documented, are out-front and proudly displayed.2 Steve Pettit and the BJU administration have abandoned the university’s legacy as a fundamental, separatist institution.

When we see BJU president Steve Pettit crossing the country to participate in John MacArthur’s Shepherd’s Conference, posing for pictures and posting them on Twitter we can know for sure the direction his feet are pointed, and where he is taking BJU. The direction is undeniably toward non-separatist evangelicalism. And with it BJU is embracing the aberrant theology, ecumenical practices and worldly culture of the evangelicals, all of which has already found a home on the university campus.

Maybe you’re one who has been trying to give benefit of the doubt and/or hopeful BJU would reverse this trajectory. With all that we have seen in recent months, leading up to this event, the course is set.  Bob Jones University is taking a sharp turn away from its roots and legacy. There will be no turning back.

In Transitional Fundamentalism Dr. Milton Jones stated how we must respond to institutions moving away from their fundamentalist roots.

Further we must refuse to surrender resources to those institutions, agencies, and churches who are moving. It is not wise to continue to send our children to colleges, give our money to agencies, or support churches that are in transition while we wait to see where they will land. By then it is too late! Look at where their feet are pointing! At some point there must be separation from this disobedience. It is the only tool which God has given to us to police ourselves and to maintain the priority and purity of our position.3

We believe nothing more needs to be seen, and we haven’t seen the last, to make any clearer that Bob Jones University has drifted far from its foundational moorings.


LM

Footnotes:
1) The Master’s University & Seminary Appoints Sam Horn President

With his departure for Masters what does Sam Horn leave in his wake at BJU? Very much the same conditions he left Northland in, which ultimately destroyed the once fine fundamental Baptist college. Now he leaves BJU on the same trajectory toward non-separatist evangelicalism. We believe Sam Horn’s appointment to Master’s will lead to greater collaboration between so-called “conservative” evangelicals and BJU.

2) Articles documenting the changes at BJU include:

BJU’s Rejection of Ecclesiastical Separation: Is This Northland All Over Again?

BJU has embarked on a departure from ecclesiastical separation. Since the installation of Dr. Steve Pettit as president followed by Dr. Sam Horn as an executive vice president, BJU becomes increasingly unrecognizable to the purpose and philosophy upon which it was founded. Is this Northland all over again?

“This is Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile,” and Neither is Bob Jones University

BJU has become a marginalized shell of its former self.  Steve Pettit’s redesign has transformed the school into something that is, “Not Your Father’s BJU.”  You can’t come into an institution and take a hard right or hard left and expect to have your alumni with you. Continuing its current trajectory BJU will continue to diminish, and very possibly as with the Oldsmobile brand, it will go away.

This is Not Your Father’s BJU (ReDux)

Under Dr. Steve Pettit’s leadership, Bob Jones University 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. At least we who were in classes and privileged to be challenged by separatists like Drs. Bob Jones., Bob Jones III, Gilbert Stenholm and Richard Rupp can take consolation in this: Whilst the current administration has sadly tarnished the reputation of Dr. Stewart Custer, they have so far spared the Jones’ of that humiliation.

An Analysis of BJU’s Position Paper on Calvinism, Arminianism and ReformedTheology

After reading BJU’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.

Is BJU Moving Closer to “Pseudo-Fundamentalism”?

Last semester Andy Naselli, a member of TGC, was invited to BJU as a special speaker. BJU collaborating with and financially supporting Save the Storks for a positive social good is not an indifferent thing. We see BJU adopting methods that have more in common with The Gospel Coalition’s ecumenical movement than with the separatist, fundamental university it once was.

3) Transitional Fundamentalism (Reprinted by Permission)

Is Bob Jones University Moving Closer to “Pseudo-Fundamentalism?”

Today we are looking at Bob Jones University’s 2020 Bible Conference, The God of All Comfort. We’re grateful for the university’s long tradition of setting a few days aside to focus hearts and minds on the Word of God. Is it possible that the conference could somehow be controversial? The Bob Jones University (BJU) Conference site states,

“This year’s offering will support Save the Storks—a pro-life organization that supports crisis pregnancy centers as they assist expectant mothers through pregnancy and the birth of their child. They also provide valuable resources to centers by dispatching Storks mobile medical units, providing training services and offering marketing assistance to crisis pregnancy centers.”1

Herb McCarthy

Save the Storks board chair is Herb McCarthy. For 16 years Herb McCarthy was VP of Crusades for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.2 Save the Storks is ecumenical3 in its associations.

We are abhorred at abortion, and pray for an end to the insidious practice. Must BJU collaborate with an ecumenical organization to financially support pro-life efforts?

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

The Bible Conference offering might have been sent to where it could do the most good for the cause of Christ. If not invest the Bible Conference offering back into the university surely there are ministries that would make worthy recipients of the offering. Ministries such as: foreign itinerant church planting missionaries or domestic Christian camps that are reaching lost kids for Christ and edifying our youth?

One of The Gospel Coalition (TGC) leaders, Thabiti Anyabwile on ecumenism in the civil rights movement said, “…the civil rights movement becomes a fairly ecumenical movement. The question I ask is, ‘Is that a net positive thing, a good thing, or a net negative, a bad thing?’  I think in many respects it is an indifferent thing. I’m not sure it affects the church negatively.” Anyabwile went on to support, “collaboration of co-belligerency of alliance forming for an obvious positive social good.”4

Last semester Andy Naselli, a member of TGC, was invited to BJU as a special speaker. (See below, This is Not Your Father’s BJU, a Continuation) BJU collaborating with and financially supporting Save the Storks for a “positive social good” is not an “indifferent thing.” We see BJU adopting methods that have more in common with The Gospel Coalition’s ecumenical movement than with the separatist, fundamental university it once was.

There was a time when things were happening at the schools and Fundamentalists had spoken out. From 1994 for example,

The FBF [Fundamental Baptist Fellowship] in the late 1970s termed the direction taken by Jerry Falwell as “pseudo-fundamentalism,” which was defined as New Evangelicalism in embryonic form. We believe that this observation was correct as subsequent events have shown…. Fundamentalists repudiated Falwell’s brand of compromise while he claimed to be a Fundamentalist. His refusal to be governed by Scriptural commands of separation is evidenced today in Falwell’s participation in Tim Lee’s CORE conferences, in the convention speakers on the platform of Liberty University, and the appearance of Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son and heir apparent, on Falwell’s platform recently (bold added).5

You might say, “Ohh, BJU would never become what Liberty did.” In light of BJU hosting Tim Tebow, Ken Ham, Billy Kim, Cantus, Andy Naselli and collaborating with known a New Evangelical Herb McCarthy consider these questions,

1. Over the past five years has BJU moved closer to or further from “pseudo-fundamentalism?
2. Over the past five years has BJU moved closer to or further from fellowship with and the practices of so-called “conservative” evangelicals?
3. Over the past five years has BJU moved closer to or further from its stand for the “Scriptural commands of separation?”

In recent years enough has come to light (see related reading below) that leads us to believe BJU is morphing into a kind of “pseudo-fundamentalism.”


LM

Related Reading:

This is Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile and Neither is BJU

This is Not Your Father’s BJU, a Continuation

Analysis of BJU’s Position Paper on Calvinism…Reformed Theology

BJU’s Rejection of Ecclesiastical Separation: Is This Northland All Over Again?

BJU’s Soteriology: “Turn From Their Sins,” for Salvation

Footnotes:

1) The God of All Comfort

2) Save the Storks

3) Generally speaking, ecumenism is a movement that seeks to bring various denominations together for mutual cooperation. The mixing of denominations can compromise core Bible teachings.

4) Thabiti Anyabwile on Ecumenism of the Civil Rights Movement (Jan. 24, 2019)

5) FBFI Resolution 1994.03 Regarding the Jerry Falwell Ministries.

Sam Horn in Historical Perspective: Northland & Bob Jones University

Previously we discussed Dr. Sam Horn departing Bob Jones University for John MacArthur’s The Master’s Seminary. We found that Sam Horn and the compromising evangelical, non-separatist school constitutes a very good fit. In the article we said, “...Sam Horn’s appointment to Master’s will lead to greater collaboration between so-called ‘conservative’ evangelicals and BJU.”1

In April 2010 then Northland International University (NIU) president Matt Olson along with Sam Horn, Les Ollila and Doug McLachlan traveled to John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church (GCC). There they met with MacArthur, Phil Johnson and Rick Holland. Following that meeting Northland invited Rick Holland (GCC executive pastor) to preach in Northland’s chapel (Oct. 2010). The significance here is that,

1. Opened a new alliance between NIU and non-separatist, compromising evangelicals.
2. Sam Horn orchestrated the meeting at Grace.2

Northland never recovered from that event and the subsequent compromises that followed. Moving forward we find BJU today on much the same trajectory, of embracing evangelicals including honoring them with a pulpit presence.  Most recent case in point: Gospel Coalition member and Piper’s Bethlehem Seminary faculty Andy Naselli in a prominent speaking role (Nov. 2019) on campus.3

With Sam Horn departing for Master’s will BJU reverse the drive toward evangelicalism and return to the university’s legacy as a fundamental, separatist institution? Since Steve Pettit assumed the presidency ecclesiastical compromise and embracing the spirit of pseudo-fundamentalism has continued unabated. All observable changes indicate the university is committed to much the same course that resulted in Northland’s demise.

The Northland/Bob Jones pattern is virtually the same, casting off its fundamental, separatist roots, and the common denominator is Sam Horn.

Bob Jones University is learning what the colleges learned the hard way when they took the road of embracing evangelicalism.  And that lesson is: You cannot turn a college to a hard right or hard left and expect to have your alumni with you.

Earlier we noted from the previous article, “Sam Horn’s appointment to Master’s will lead to greater collaboration between so-called ‘conservative’ evangelicals and BJU.”  As it turns out we don’t have to wait to very long. In March we’ll see BJU hosting another evangelical from Sam Horn’s newest employer, The Master’s Seminary. 

On Thursday morning we are going to see a new way in which BJU is moving closer to a form of new evangelicalism.


LM

1) The Master’s University & Seminary Appoints Sam Horn President

2) Northland’s Convergence with Evangelicalism

3) This is Not Your Father’s BJU, Redux

The Master’s University & Seminary Appoints Sam Horn President

The Master’s University & Seminary Appoints Dr. Sam Horn President.

“It is an honor for any higher education institution to have a current vice president become president of another university,” says BJU President Steve Pettit. “Both Dr. Horn and Bob Jones University are greatly honored today by Dr. Horn’s presidential appointment.”

We believe Sam Horn and the evangelical Master’s Seminary are a very good fit. Sam Horn got his D.Min. from John MacArthur’s Master’s Seminary in 2007.

The announcement from the Bob Jones University (BJU) website puts a positive spin on the announcement, but is it truly a good thing when a BJU alum is president of any evangelical institution? That doesn’t speak well of a BJU alumnus that they would accept a position with an evangelical institution. Unless, of course, Sam Horn has at heart been an evangelical all along.  That would certainly explain why he brought to Northland International University the things that he did, which contributed to the school’s demise.1

With his departure for Master’s what does Sam Horn leave in his wake at BJU? Very much the same conditions he left Northland in, which ultimately destroyed the once fine fundamental Baptist college. Now he leaves BJU on the same trajectory toward non-separatist evangelicalism. It is, furthermore, worth stating the changes at Northland could not have happened without President Matt Olson’s willing participation in it. And you can be sure that the path BJU is on toward evangelicalism is not happening apart from President Steve Pettit’s knowledge and backing.

We believe Sam Horn’s appointment to Master’s will lead to greater collaboration between so-called “conservative” evangelicals and BJU.


LM

See, https://today.bju.edu/news/the-masters-university-and-seminary-appoints-dr-sam-horn-president/

Continue to: Sam Horn in Historical Perspective: Northland & Bob Jones University
“With Sam Horn departing for Master’s will BJU reverse the drive toward evangelicalism and return to the university’s legacy as a fundamental, separatist institution? All observable changes indicate the university is committed to much the same course that resulted in Northland’s demise.”

1) NIU Presents Executive Pastor of Grace Community Church to the Student Body 

Related Reading:
BJU’s Subtle Rejection of Ecclesiastical Separation: Is This Northland All Over Again?

For BJU Sam Horn’s participation in the E3 Pastors Conference [alongside SBC preachers] is much more than the University hosting the vocal group Cantus (a male ensemble partially comprised of practicing homosexuals) for an artist series, more than hosting new evangelical Billy Kim and his Korean Children’s Choir, and more than an ambivalent dress-code change.  This is BJU’s leader of ministerial training sharing a platform, in joint ministry, with SBC pastors. Make no mistake, Dr. Horn’s appearance at the E3 Pastors Conference is a departure from BJU’s legacy as a separatist institution, which raises the stakes of compromise to an unprecedented level with serious implications for BJU’s School of Religion and the Seminary.