We covered the recent fundamentalist coup at Bob Jones here.
Mark Wingfield has the latest at Baptist News Global. John Lewis, the chairman of the Bob Jones University board of trustees, has resigned.
Here is Wingfield:
…[President] Pettit resigned March 30.
That prompted 17 faculty and administrative leaders to write to the full board, declaring the university in “real and imminent jeopardy” and demanding the resignation of both Chairman Lewis and Vice Chairman Hantz Bernard.
“We are appealing to you, the recognized fiduciary stewards of the mission of BJU, that you exercise special care for the institution during this extreme crisis,” the faculty letter began. “The BJU leadership appeals to you with a plan of action that we believe will minimize damage to the people we, and you, love and may potentially save the ministry. We appeal to you as a Board to put the interests of the institution and its mission above any individuals and personal interests.”
The staff leadership added: “The probable outcome about which the executive team cautioned you is unfolding before our eyes, and the institution is in real and imminent jeopardy. We are in full agreement with your statement that the philosophical and theological direction and commitment to the mission are not in question; however, our board has lost credibility with the majority of our constituents, students and employees.”
What was likely coming next, the letter warned, was “an institution-wide vote of no confidence in the entire board.”
Because of the crisis precipitated by the board’s recent actions, BJU trustees need to seek immediate help from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the university’s primary accrediting agency, the letter said.
Signers of the letter included the executive administration team, deans and leaders of the Faculty Advisory Committee.
The faculty and staff demands initially drew a sharp retort from the six-member trustee Executive Committee — a group handpicked and led by Chairman Lewis. One of the actions taken at the spring meeting was to consolidate power within that small group.
Members of the Executive Committee signing the reply letter were Lewis, Bernard, Sam Dawson, Mike Harding, Paul Matthews and Jerry Morgan. They insisted Chairman Lewis had not acted alone but had represented the desires of the Executive Committee and the board in all things.
The trustees’ letter began by noting the exceptional circumstances in which the governing board would communicate directly those outside the board. However, because “these trusts have been violated and nearly obliterated,” the letter said, “we must take the unprecedented step of communicating with you.”
The letter then reminded faculty and administration of the Executive Committee’s authority to govern the university between full board meetings. “BJU’s board was created to be an active board with clearly defined responsibilities and duties. It is not a ceremonial board,” the Executive Committee said.
The trustee leaders said Pettit’s March 21 letter to the board threatening to resign if Lewis were not removed as chairman “was improperly distributed to the public.”
“For the university community to see only one side of these discussions, rather than the whole, has only brought chaos and distrust,” the Executive Committee letter said. Everything was fine, they insisted, until “unlawful and biased releases of confidential board information” became the norm.
Trustee leadership complained: “In the past year, outsiders inserted themselves in the boardroom, encouraging and magnifying unlawful breaches of confidentiality and selectively posting information. This has damaged the board majority and the school.”
The letter continued: “The idea that the chair has singlehandedly attempted to work against Dr. Pettit is a gross mischaracterization of the board’s actions. Since Dr. Lewis is the chair, he is the one who speaks on behalf of the board, but he does not and has not acted alone.”
The board did not want Pettit to resign, the trustee leaders insisted. “When he offered his resignation, we offered him alternatives which he declined. Dr. John Lewis is not the villain that he has been made out to be by his accusers, and those who would impugn his character and his leadership simply do not have the whole story.”
On the same day as the Executive Committee’s response was sent to faculty and administration leadership — Thursday, April 6 — Pettit issued a brief statement confirming what an alumni group already had reported: Late in the afternoon, Lewis resigned from the board effective immediately.
Read the entire piece here.
Meanwhile, Rick Altizer, a former Bob Jones University board member and Pettit supporter, called for the resignation of two other BJU board members. Here is his post (now deleted) at “Positive BJU Grads & Friends,” a Facebook group for which he serves as “president”:
…First, we are thankful that John Lewis did the right thing (finally) yesterday and resigned. Based on the facts of the situation, we believe there are at least two other board members who also need to resign–Joe Helm and Hantz Bernard. They were in league with John Lewis throughout the leadership crisis of the last year. This was a completely avoidable and intentional campaign on their part to unseat a much loved and effective university president before his final term. They need to resign immediately so the board can begin the process of moving forward.
Secondly, we were surprised and offended by the “official” Dear Alumni post yesterday around 5pm. While positive bju is not the only Facebook group and certainly not the only Facebook group who needed to hear their oddly timed message, we are the only alumni and friends group who confronted the unethical behavior of the BJU board and single-mindedly defended Dr. Pettit. No good deed goes unpunished, comes to mind.
For those of you who have followed the action closely and consistently (most of you) we have defended and praised the BJU Alumni Association and supported the student recruitment team consistently. We will continue to do this, though with less enthusiasm perhaps until we have an opportunity to discuss with them the purpose and intent of their public letter to all alumni.
Read the rest here.
Another Facebook group called “The REAL Positive BJU Grads & Friends” is not happy with Altizer’s group. In a Good Friday post, Patrick Smith, the administrator of this Facebook community, called Altizer’s group “spiteful” (among other things):
The most spiteful BJU group continues with manipulation and deception even as their mob becomes exposed to anyone who cares to see them for what they are.
For weeks, led by Rick, they have accused John Lewis and the executive committee of “Sin”, “Unethical Behavior” and worse. That hate spreading group has attributed every evil motive to John Lewis and the EC: from personal financial gain, greed, pure love of power (which they assured us he would never give up), and many more personal attack to impugn their character at all costs.
When John Lewis resigned, giving up any supposed power he may have had, and several statements were released addressing the hateful and divisive rhetoric that has plagued this process from the very start, what did Rick have to say? Gone were the accusations of sin and “unethical behavior” but rather they “helped to expose the details of the bad decisions and actions of Lewis, Bernard, and Helm”.
That’s what this has all been about?? The public shame on the University, the uncertainty and stress on students and faculty, the division amongst believers and the pure wickedness spewed forth in that group over what they’re now calling some bad decisions?!?
One respondent to this post wrote: “They [Rick Altizer’s group] have single-handedly invited Satan in to bring down the focus and mission and BJU.”
Another Facebooker who studied carpentry and Bible at Bob Jones adds this:
I think it’s interesting that Positive BJU grads& friends Facebook group can completely trash the Jones administration of the past while praising the Pettit administration. Yet when I spoke up in defense of the Jones admin and decried the Pettit admin I was removed from the group almost immediately. No debate allowed. Fall in line or else. It kind of reminds me of the current political landscape-you have freedom of speech as long as you say what they want you to say. It’s “our way or the highway”. Our political liberals and the BJU progressives seem to have something in common these days.
One final question: Does the removal of Lewis as board chair mean Pettit will continue as president following BJU graduation in May?
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