There has been a lot of buzz in Louisiana Baptist circles recently about an alleged attempt by “Calvinists” to take over Louisiana College. Both the Alexandria Daily Town Talk and the Baptist Message, have helped fuel this paranoia by publishing stories that have painted persons who have raised concerns about Louisiana College as pushing a Reformed agenda. Those accusations are completely false. The people opposing the presidency of Joe Aguillard include a broad spectrum of persons who represent literally every theological persuasion imaginable. What unites us is a commitment to seeing the college that has meant so much to so many restored to academic and spiritual integrity.
I am somewhat perplexed about why people seem so up in arms about an alleged Reformed takeover of Louisiana College that is not happening while they fail to recognize that a Charismatic takeover of the administration of Louisiana College happened long ago. During my time as a faculty member at Louisiana College, I witnessed official administrative endorsement of practices that were clearly charismatic in nature and which most Louisiana Baptists would find objectionable. In fact, I was often uncomfortable as someone from a Baptist background teaching at a Baptist school because much of the spirituality at the top was decidedly not Baptist.
Joe Aguillard often invited a charismatic faith healer named Delores Winder to campus to “prophesy” over the football team and share her spiritual insight with members of the administration. One Vice-President, who had a Native American heritage, told me that Winder commanded her to get rid of some turquoise earrings that were family heirlooms because their Native American origins made her vulnerable to demonic oppression.
When Winder arrived on campus, devotees would flock to her side as if Moses had just descended from Sinai. Aguillard kept these meetings quiet because he was very aware that Louisiana Baptists would not approve. Impressionable young football players who had little knowledge of Christianity often got their earliest exposure in the context of these meetings. It should be noted that Louisiana College, like all Southern Baptist schools, firmly insists that faculty sign a statement indicating that they will not promote women taking leadership roles in ministry or “exercising authority over a man.” Mrs. Winder’s pronouncements were almost given the weight of scriptural revelation and there were certainly many men among her devotees.
Delores Winder was not the only “prophet” to dubiously grace the Louisiana College campus. Joe Aguillard employed a personal assistant named Joseph Cole who later departed under a cloud and with an outrageous final payoff. During a chapel service, worship leader Fred Guilbert paused to say openly before the entire student body, “Joseph (Cole) has received a prophecy that God is going to shower abundance down upon our college!” There were often whispers that administrators believed that Cole was endowed with prophetic gifts. He was definitely endowed with an amazing level of power considering that he had no previous experience and no undergraduate degree. Football coach Dennis Dunn joined the pantheon of prophets when he predicted with great confidence at the opening of the new football field in 2008 that the football team would win the conference championship that year as a means of evangelism. This pivotal evangelistic event has yet to happen. Dunn came to Louisiana College from Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, a school with ties to the Duron families’ Shreveport Community Church, which was formerly known as First Assembly of God. Dunn recently replaced Dr. Chuck Quarles, Dean of the Caskey Divinity School, as a chapel speaker this spring. It seems Dunn looked like a safer bet for the administration than Dr. Quarles.
Aguillard regularly anointed not just people, but objects with oil. These objects included buildings, doorways, and classrooms. One could only wish that he had anointed the SACS documents as diligently. He condoned the practice of “deliverance ministry” to assist troubled students and faculty. Deliverance ministry is a form of Protestant exorcism. The practice is based on the premise that a person’s sinful habits and desires can be fueled by demonic “oppression.” While Christians generally agree that Satan works in tandem with our sinful desires to tempt us, supporters of deliverance ministry believe that demons control us to such a degree that their hold over us is almost akin to demonic possession. They hold that demons cannot possess Christians, but they can oppress them. The problem with this form of ministry is that people are often left in despair when the attempt to cast out demonic influences does not result in immediate victory over sinful habits. They will often delay seeking real pastoral or professional counseling because they trust in the quick fix of the deliverance minister.
Joe seems newly troubled about the Reformed people serving in the Christian Studies department, but he was blissfully content with a former professor serving as an associate pastor at a local church that embraces a Oneness theology. Oneness Theology is particularly prevalent among some Pentecostal groups. It is an anti-trinitarian theology that rejects the equality of the Son and Spirit with God the Father, resembling the heresies of Docetism and Modalism that troubled the Christian church in the second and third centuries. So accordingly, Kevin McFadden and Ryan Lister are a deadly threat, but anti-trinitarians are our new friends.
While this is not an example of administrative endorsement of charismatic practices, several students who are loyal supporters of Joe have promoted Theophostic prayer as a way to deal with mental issues. Theophostic prayer adopts the theory of repressed memory phenomena from the field of psychology and weds those principles to Christian language. The psychological theory on which Theophostic prayer is based has been increasingly discredited by psychologists because of the instances of false memories being surfaced by the power of suggestion. I personally interacted with people whose families had been negatively impacted by Theophostic prayer gone seriously wrong. While Theophostic prayer is not strictly a charismatic practice, it draws much of its energy from the same unfettered emotionalism that characterizes less responsible charismatic groups. More recently, the administration has authorized the formation of a Pentecostal student group whose by-laws require the president of the group to speak in tongues.
I have no issue with persons who observe their charismatic beliefs scripturally and responsibly. Nor do I have a problem with students and faculty embracing those beliefs at a school like Louisiana College as long as those practices do not conflict with the theological commitments faculty made when they came to Louisiana College. However, we should all have a problem with an administration at a Baptist school actively promoting practices that are at best on the fringes of Baptist life and even marginalizing those who do not agree with them. We should all have a problem when that same administration begins to persecute Reformed Christians, who like it or not have been historically in the mainstream of Baptist life, while actively supporting practices that have dubious scriptural support and which have never been part of the mainstream of Baptist life.
So I ask again, why have we never heard of the Charismatic takeover of Louisiana College? Why do these sorts of things not trouble David Hankins? Many of those who promote them regularly worship with him at Philadelphia Baptist Church in Deville, Louisiana. Why is Kelly Boggs not reporting on the Charismatic bent of Joe’s supporters? I humbly suggest that the answer lies in the fact that the issues at Louisiana College are not about theology except in the general sense that no man can serve two masters. It is about power and typical Louisiana dirty politics. Do not be fooled by propaganda and half-truths. The only people interested in dominating Louisiana College are the people who currently control the school and have used the it for their own benefit while treating the students as mere tools in their game of power politics. It is time for a restoration of spiritual and academic integrity at Louisiana College. Join all of us, Reformed and Arminian alike, in calling for truth and integrity to reign supreme so that students may grow and not be hindered in their walks with Christ.
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Why didn’t you think to write this post earlier? I knew about some of these issues, but not all of them.
That is a fair question. We have talked about these issues for a long time. I brought some of the issues up in my second letter in 2011. But, Scott has been closer to these issues than I have. Interestingly, I have just learned more about these issue. LC gets crazier the more you learn.
This also didn’t even bring up the famous quoting of T.D Jakes at commencement. You were there and know my reaction to that. :)
I hesitated to write about it before because I wanted to take the high ground and focus on the professional and ethical issues rather than theological mudslinging. When it became obvious this week that the theology is all Baptists care about, I decided it was time to talk about this stuff.
That is one thing that has really surprised me about the developments at LC. You can demonstrate ethical, spiritual, and academic illness and people take note but that is about it. You cry Calvinism or Charismatic and people get up in arms. I am not saying those issues are not important. But, what does it say about us when we are more concerned about the theological battles than simply doing right?
I haven’t heard about this. Do tell?
I mean about the TD Jakes quote.
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This is exactly why I’m no longer Baptist nor aligned with any organized religion! No organization or family or college is immune to the infiltration of the influences of evil and of false prophets. I loathe seeing my alma mater fall so far into the “dark side.”
Here is the real underlying issue. It all fits together now
It is sad that Southern Baptists are more at home with error than truth.
Thanks Scott
In addition, I was a double whammy…a calvinistic charismatic who hosted a weekly radio program that featured both Culpepper and Reynoso! Triple threat! Love you guys! Praying for LC and all involved!
Those were fun shows.
By the way did you guys catch T.D. Jakes in the Elephant Room episode with James Macdonald and Mark Driscoll, good to see him sitting down with notable calvinist pastors, the exchange about the Trinity vs. oneness was very interesting.
I haven’t seen it.
It’s so sad that believers in Jesus can’t get a long. Baptists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Pentecostal, Charismatics take more pride in their differences than in their commonalities. Talk to me about kids failing and murders and rapes, then your school has an issue. But men would rather piss and moan about religious differences and everyone wanders why the church lacks power to make disciples and converts in the world. Christianity is a sub culture in America – no longer being the influence, but is this little bubble, kinda like the Amish. How about people repent of their divisive ways and join in UNITY with believers – that’s right! Be proud to be a believer, not a Baptist or a Catholic. There’s churches on every street corner in this country, but their not beacons of hope rather they are a reflection that even Christians can’t get along with eachother – yet they have the HOPE of the world – Jesus Christ. Sounds like we could all use a good dose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit – which according to Acts 1:8 says you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere. But I’m sure many churches skip over that whole ‘weird’ book, right?
Elizabeth,
I appreciate your comments and agree with your frustration that unity has always eluded the Body of Christ on earth. I am not questioning the reality of miracles in the Bible or in contemporary times. I believe that God is a God who can do whatever He chooses. My issues is with movements and ministries that skirt the edge of basic Biblical orthodoxy or engage in spiritual abuse on the pursuit of the sign gifts. I appreciate health Charismatic ministries and the support they give to millions of Christian around the world. You are preaching the choir in regard to division over petty theological differences. If you read the article closely, you can see that it is written in response to an attempt by the Louisiana College administration to label Reformed Christians (some of whom are sometimes also Charismatic) as a dangerous theological influence. My point here was to demonstrate that Joe has his own theological preferences that lie outside the theological parameters he is trying to enforce. As a Christian historian, Acts is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I was blessed to receive the Holy Spirit in all of His fullness when I was save at the age of tweleve.
Scott,
“I was blessed to receive the Holy Spirit in all of His fullness when I was saved at the age of twelve.” Your words. My question, Do you currently practice any of the gifts of the spirit (1 Corinthians) and pray in tongues? There’s a difference between the Holy Spirit on you and in you. The HS prompts believers and reveals God winks to beckon those to come to faith in Jesus. And then the HS can fill you and indwell you. Just like you can go to IHOP and either get blueberries on your pancakes or blueberries in your pancakes. They are not the same. Being spirit filled or as some pitch it, charismatic is not a movement, my friend. It’s a command! See Jesus’s words. It seems to me in Acts 1:8 that Jesus didn’t want anyone to leave that upper room until the HS had come and done exactly what Jesus foretold (oops, did he prophesy there too?) ..’you will receive power when the HS comes on you and you will be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere.’ (NLT). In Acts 3:12, we can see how the boldness and power of God came on Peter to speak that same message. I don’t know, I think it’s odd to me that people who don’t believe in the PROMISE of the HS and the gifts that ensue are quite sure it was a new testament (at that time only) thing. You’ll just have to explain that to the ‘crazies’ who are filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesy, pray for the sick and they recover – which isn’t all that the HS does through Humans, but it’s certainly what rubs the religious christians the wrong way.
Certainly there are times when men can get in the way of the things of God. In your church history study, Anointing people, or possessions with oil is not uncommon – maybe to the uptight religious it is. Shepherds anointed their sheep with oil that had certain herbs and scents in it. This was a dual purpose – one – if a sheep roamed into another flock, that shepherd could determine that the sheep didn’t belong to him by the scent. Two – they oil poured over the sheeps head and other areas, but their ears and eyes too, lest the insects crawl into their ears and cover their eyes making them blind, but more importantly, if they get in the ear, then they can get to the brain and literally drive the sheep mad. That anointing has a whole other spiritual and deep layer when it comes to the lives of His sheep today. If I were you, I’d be saying, let the oil flow. How about this? Instead of being known for what you’re against, let ‘s be known for what we’re for. This world, our country and the many lost people don’t need another religious nut telling people about their wrong whether in the church or outside of it. People need to know how much God loves them and accepts them AS IS!
Blueberries????
Elizabeth,
I believe scripture teaches that we receive the Holy Spirit in all His fullness at salvation. I do not agree with Wesleyan and Charismatic teaching that we must await a second blessing to receive the fullness of His power. Nor do I believe that a person indwelt by the Spirit must practice the sign gifts. In fact, I see any requirement for salvation besides faith in the crucified and risen Christ as a legalistic distortion of the true gospel. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), not any particular gifts, are the true indicators that one is being filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit.
[…] the annual Professor of the Year Award. Recent winners of the award include Drs. Wade Warren, Scott Culpepper, and Mr. Andrew Hunter. This year, there will not be a professor of the […]
[…] structure or for the kingdom of God (they are not the same)? When fundamentalists such as Aguillard and Jack Graham embrace non-Trinitarians while denouncing Calvinists, why continue the […]
” I am of Paul” “I am of Apollos” I am of this denominational franchise or that one”. I am so glad Almighty God saved me at home many years ago. I am so glad He saved me from being converted into a denomination and subsequently rootbound by it. I am so glad that He saved me, then later delivered me from demonic oppression, and later baptized me mightily in His Holy Spirit. So many defend their denomination and background. Who will rather “Launch Out into the Deep and confirm the Call of God alone on their lives? Were we set free to be a Pharisee ? I think Martin Luther had it right. He started a work, knowing there would be more to be revealed and recovered to the Church. God help us carry on so that we will have the courage and singularity of purpose to leave the desert and continue on to our Promised Land .The Writer’s remarks about Delores Winder are truly unfortunate and show his utter ignorance in following the same Holy Spirit Jesus urged His Church to follow in His absence. I’ve known Delores and her husband for over 30 years, examined their testimony closely. They are the real deal, and have the fruits, gifts and spiritual authority to prove it. She has seen the Lord and operates in signs and wonders, which Corinthians cites as prerequisites of the Apostle, something only upon further query she confirmed as being true in her life. Regarding her gender in this office, Delores often cited that God chose a woman among other reasons as so few men would arise to His Call. Who will follow Him? Who will leave the comforts of men and religious clubs ran by failing men to answer not the call of a denomination but the Call of God? So many have been ruined by this: Choosing that counterfeit call. “My Sheep hear my Voice” Be not settled until you have heard it and obeyed.
Glenn,
A couple of points beg commit. First, your comment about my supposed ignorance in the ways of God and following the Holy Spirit is insulting and absolutely unfair. You do not know me and if you took the time to find out who I am you would see how wrong you are. Secondly, I am not the one challenging the suitability of Delores serving as a woman. That would be Joe Aguillard and the Southern Baptist Convention, at least per the letter of the Baptist Faith and Message. I am pointing out Delores’ gender specifically to indicate the hypocrisy of Agulllard forcing his faculty to oppose women in ministry while he gives one an amazing level of authority on that same campus. Third, you and I would probably disagree on the interpretation of the Biblical text regarding the nature of sign gifts. If that makes me any less of a Christian in your eyes then it gives the lie to your claim to be committed to an ideal of nondenominational unity. My point was not to evaluate the validity of Delores ministry, but to indicate that it is out of step with the Baptist mission of Louisiana College. Further, my point is that Joe claims to care about Calvinism being inconsistent with Baptist polity, at least according to him, while he regularly sponsors practices that the majority of Baptists would not endorse. It might surprise you to know that I have never embraced radical devotion to denomination. Go back and read the article with more care. You seem to have missed several vital points.
Scott,
I can’t speak to the alleged school politics, so I didn’t then, won’t now. What first drew my attention to your piece was your eye-rolling tone and clearly insulting copy regarding Delores Winder and those who followed after her there. You didn’t show any possibility that she might be correct (Actually, for the thirty-plus years I’ve known her, “Dead-on” is her normal) but rather dismissed her out of hand through the small lens of your own limitations and frankly, error. The picture that accompanies her text (which is not of her, by the way) belittles and disrespects her in an attempt to make her look as if some side-show attraction brought in by the administration. If you actually knew her or even read her book, which I highly recommend, especially for you, you’d know that she opposed any idea of the fake, ostentatious sideshow with every molecule of her being. By my “especially for you” remark, let me qualify that by saying that it tells her own story of a hopelessly incurable and dying woman who is miraculously healed, despite all her very limited beliefs – she knew nothing about all the things of the Spirit – like yourself, fought tooth and nail against Him – but He illuminated the Word so she could properly align the scriptural with the experiential. She and her husband remain as absolute gifts to the church, the body needs more like them! True enough, not only do I recognize her as a friend, but also recognize that you do not recognize and disrespect the spiritual authority she clearly walks in, by the clear demonstrations of the Spirit’s power through her – just like the ones Jesus had when He walked the earth, even as He commissioned – us- you and me. For those who’ve experienced the Holy Spirit Baptism, sooner or later, experiences and POWER happens – it’s just not mere talk. Remember, the Book of Acts really has no end. It is true we’ve never met, however, you told me so much about you that it was pretty easy to draw the obvious conclusions that I did in my previous post. You bashed Delores, deliverance, things supernatural, you placed academic accomplishment over calling and anointing (par 4) and you set yourself up as judge of things you do not know in your intellectualized and formulaic theology. The Holy Sprit Baptism does sometimes occur at salvation, usually not so much in North America, but trust me, if you indeed had the HS baptism, you wouldn’t write as you did. You just wouldn’t dare. You’d take the Word in one hand, utter reliance on God in the other to see you through the experiences – just like the Bereans. That’s been my prayer “God help me to get it right! Nothing but You!” We are but the little boy with the loaves and fishes – He multiplies through us, beyond our logic, beyond our reason. Scott, I know you fall short, as the beliefs you claim for yourself are alot like the same ones I had to sort through and get over in year #2 of my Christian development. I yearned for all of God, no error, no matter what the cost. It was a high cost, but barely worth mentioning in light of what He gave. He was faithful. All I had to do was obey. Do I reject others from the body as you allege, including you just because, despite your doctorate you don’t know any better, and are probably pretty limited in the things of the Spirit? No. It’s mostly pity, because of the blindness or refusal of the possibility of growing up in the things of the Kingdom. This Joe guy you wrote of sounds a bit intriguing and promising -maybe exactly what the folks there really need.. You described him unfavorably, I’ve never met him either, but from your description I can see him as more as a Nicodemus who is willing to go beyond his denominational bounds to honor the True and Living God of the Word, despite the limitations of the franchised educational product offered, to get to the truth – and isn’t that what good educators do, teach the truth, not error? Note the first thing you did in your reply was defend yourself and self-life. You were insulted? I’m sorry to hear that. It tells me you have enough pride to get by in religious busy work but not enough humility to free your heart and let true wisdom get a hold of you (Remember her in Proverbs 1? She’s a sweetheart, but she can be rough ! ) Rather My aim was that you’d be ashamed for your disrespectful remarks against a true servant of the Lord, and for misrepresenting the things of God which you clearly don’t seem to remotely understand or can reconcile with your book education and formulas that largely won’t work when put to the hard, hard test. George Fox, Charles Finney, A.W. Tozer, William Seymour, so many others – even many of the prophets and all of the first Apostles. None had a so-called “proper education”. My aim also was that you and others would consider what ( or more correctly “Who”) they had that made them fit and more than a match for the work: The School of the Holy Spirit, an education money can’t buy, and bible colleges and seminaries can’t equal, imitate or qualify. Ask Paul. Book learnin’ was OK- Oh, he was “educated” ,devout, religious, well-intended – but useless and purposeless, unqualified for the work until he went through THAT school. When folks decide to yield to that THEN there will be a true unity in the Spirit, and that of Truth.
Glenn,
While I don’t agree with you theologically, I also see that debating these points would be futile in this environment. I did however want to address a couple off issues.
1) You are missing the entire point of Scott’s article. Scott is pointing out the hypocrisy of Joe Aguillard’s recent positions. Aguillard has stood against Calvinistic theology because he is claims it is outside of proper Baptist theology (a position that can be historically disproven with ease) while he simultaneously embracing positions which are much more at odds with Baptist theology. Scott is not necessarily attacking these theologies. For example, I know Scott holds a different position on the roll of women than LC would embrace. By not understanding the context of this article you are misunderstanding its content.
2) Don’t blame Scott for the photo. His article came to me with no images. I selected the images. I knew the image was not Delores but I thought it illustrative of the article. It was not meant to be offensive but to underscore the contrast between Aguillard’s rhetoric and his reality.
3) Your comments about Aguillard belie your claims of wisdom and spiritual discernment. A comparison of Aguillard to Nicodemus is shocking to those of us who know and have seen Aguillard’s fruit. Nicodemus sacrificed everything to follow truth despite the political and social consequences to him due to the corrupt religious system in which he lived. Aguillard, on the other hand, manipulates his religious system for his own power and glory. You may want to read the other articles on this site about Aguillard to get a better feel before commenting about things which you do not understand.
4) Your caricature of Scott as a disconnected academic further illustrates the ravine between your self proclamations and demonstrated reality. Scott is no doubt a bright and thoughtful historian that has a healthy respect for God’s gift of the mind. But, he also spent time as a pastor before returning to graduate school and has a good deal of experience grounding him in the world beyond the ivory tower. He defended himself not out of pride but because you accused him of “utter ignorance in following the same Holy Spirit Jesus urged His Church to follow in His absence.” That is a serious charge. You attack not only his understanding of the situation but his very faith. These sort of ad hominid methods continued in your second post and, in my judgement, weaken the force of your argument by making it personal in a rather unhealthy way.
On a final note, I did enjoy how you used the phrase “I think Martin Luther had it right.” in your original post considering that Luther rejected post scriptural miracles and believed that modern miracles are from the Devil. I’m not saying I am in full agreement with Luther. But, I do agree with Scott that they are not normative today and are not indicators or salvation or even spiritual maturity.
Glenn,
I am not sure how I am supposed to answer given the fact that any defense of myself is portrayed by you as an expression of pride. I will say that it is hard to see your condescending and hateful diatribe as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. If that is the behavior produced by the “second blessing”, you might want to check the source. Rondall answered many of the important points well. I appreciate his support and feel no need to repeat the points he expressed so well. I will say that just because I do not agree with you does not mean that I have not weighed these issues. I have weighed them carefully, experientially, and scripturally. I believe that God works in miraculous ways today, but I have serious concerns about the promotion of practices that have no firm biblical support as essential for salvation. We can debate all day that issue, but as Rondall said, we will not solve in five minutes a debate that has raged for two thousand years without resolution. I actually think my treatment of Delores was gentle considering all the things I could have written. She actually demonstrated that she does have some spiritual discernment by eventually distancing herself from Joe, but she has continued to maintain silence about his hypocrisy despite the fact that she knows a great deal that would shed light on the debates at Louisiana College. If she is the person of integrity that you say, she needs to share the truth instead of protecting Joe. Joe Aguillard is no hero, Charismatic or otherwise. By so avidly defending him, you reveal that you are very eager to make pronouncements regarding things about which you have no direct knowledge. Your arrogance and condescension towards those who are Christian academics illustrates that unrestrained anti-intellectualism is just as dangerous to genuine faith as unrestrained intellectualism. “For I bear witness about them that they have a zeal toward God, but not according to knowledge.” Romans 10:2 If Delores feels that I have unfairly represented her, I will be glad to speak with her. I have read her books and am quite familiar with her testimony. (I made a very careful study when I heard what was going on with the students in her prayer meetings). I do not dispute that God may have worked miraculously in her life. I do stand by my assertion that what was happening in those sessions at Louisiana College was not something that should have been promoted by a Baptist administration, especially one that persecutes Reformed Christians in the name of their version of Baptist orthodoxy. This statement may not matter much to you since you clearly question my salvation, but I will be praying for you Glenn. Despite what you might think, I am not the one demonstrating clear signs of spiritual immaturity. I pray that God may give you wisdom, grace, and an understanding of the deeper things of God that may sometimes be accompanied by miraculous works, but which just as often are expressed in the gentle and quiet influence of his still, small voice.
Seems everyone here is more wrapped up in “extending their comments” than resolving the conflict at LC. LC has a history of hiring tyrants as President (Lee being a recent, possible, exception); after 50 years of observing the school, it seems to be that this is the fault of the inability of the LBC, or any SBC state convention, to settle upon a firm course of action. Said fault springs directly from that organizational characteristic we all seem to admire the most: localized democracy within every individual Baptist church.
The sad truth, with apologies for speaking the obvious to those who have written about this, is that simply God-given logic tells us that belief-structures which are in conflict (that means churches, denominations, faiths) can not all be right. If two sets of beliefs are contrary, both may be wrong, but both can not be true. Simple Aristotelian Square of Oppostion contraries.
None of that has anything to do with this neo-Guinn (Aquillard) using LC as a private fief.
If he is the only issue, I suggest your shake LC’s dust from your sandal and never look back: LC, it’s Board and the LBC deserve what happens. However, if you are convinced the school is teaching in a manner contrary to the will of God, then it would seem to me you are obligated to continue, and intensify, the battle. Your decision: I suggest you pray for direction.
David,
I am not sure to which comments you are specifically responding or if it is to the whole thread. I agree that LC and the LBC have indeed made their bed and now deserve to wallow in it. Unfortunately, that also means that many innocents who had nothing to do with creating this tragedy will suffer as well. You can note the time/date stamps on the comments and see that I have “shaken the dust off” and have actually been done with this controversy for some time. I returned in response to Glenn’s comments, which actually deal much more with Delores Winder and the nature of her Charismatic beliefs than they do Louisiana College. You will notice that it was several weeks after he made his comment that I responded. The reason is because I have not been paying attention to the thread. Glenn brought me back so I could receive more self-righteous venom from the Bayou State since what I have experienced already in terms of Louisiana backwoods invective (Before I get labeled as an anti-Southern elitist, I was born in El Dorado, Arkansas and raised in Bernice, Louisiana) was just not enough. Intimating that those of us who have participated in this thread have no interest in “resolving” the issues at Louisiana College is more than a little unfair. Rondall and I have risked almost everything to try to resolve the issues at LC. At this point, I fear that there will be no resolution until things hit rock bottom. It is true that people will disagree about the particulars of theology and practice. I think this is often healthy and contributes to the dynamic vitality of a Christian college. The primary issues at stake, which are better explained in my previous post also on Rondall’s site, are issues of basic ethics and academic best practice that should resonate across ideological and theological divides. You are correct that Louisiana College has a very troubled history. Sadly, that troubled history directly reflects a spiritually and ethically dysfunctional denominational setting. There have been no winners in the Louisiana College debacle. She continues to degenerate to the great shame of Louisiana Baptists and the embarrassment of all who believe that rigorous intellectual labor and sincere faith are not mutually exclusive.
David,
We have met our “obligations” and then some in this affair. Your counsel is more appropriately directed to the large number of faculty and staff who have left the college and know what has happened, yet stand in shameful silence.
Damn… This whole discussion is pathetic. Intelligent, but pathetic. “God, please shield my children from Christians who treat each other with such disrespect.” In spite of our differences, we should be kind to those who interpret Scripture differently. I’m saddened, and literally have knots in my stomach after reading through all this. Yuck! And we wonder why non-Christians are turned off……
Louisiana College is a difficult to understand microcosm of the worst parts of evangelcialism, especially when Joe Aguillard was the President.