Larycia Hawkins is a tenured professor at Wheaton College, a prominent evangelical university outside Chicago. Professor Hawkins was in the news recently for expressing solidarity with American Muslims by wearing a hajib and saying that Christians and Muslims worship the same god. Wheaton’s administration interpreted this viewpoint as contrary to the school’s statement of faith and has begun termination proceedings against Hawkins. She disagrees with this interpretation of orthodox Christianity and has garnered a collection of students, faculty, alumni, local clergy and the ubiquitous Jesse Jackson to stand with her. She has also been supported by some columnists who went so far as to assist Wheaton in understanding its own statement of faith. 

American culture clearly misunderstands the point of a Christian university. “Christian” has a long-established meaning. Never mind for now that many schools use the term with zero regard to its classic meaning. The fact is, a Christian, much less evangelical, university is not doing something shocking by insisting its professors teach from the perspective of biblical revelation—theistic, Trinitarian … Christian doctrine in every discipline it teaches. The New York Times and Chicago Tribune should be scandalized that any “Christian” schools are not orthodox rather than that Wheaton attempts to do business according to its label and convictions. 

But I think there is significant confusion among Christians about the nature of Christian higher education. Let me offer some ideas that seem minimal for a school wearing the label “Christian” or even “Baptist.” 

“This is then a bright spot in the history of Wheaton College, not because a professor is losing her job but because the administration seems willing to do something hard in order to be worthy of being called a “Christian” college.”

Theist—Agnostics, atheists, Buddhists and pagans need not apply to teach at a Christian school. The administration is responsible to see that they are not thus employed. If it sounds silly that I would specify this, I could point you to a couple of times when the faculty members at Baptist schools rose in fury when a professor or guest speaker suggested that the created order implied the activity of a Creator. 

Trinitarian—God reveals himself as one God in three persons. Each of these persons is fully God and of the same essence. Christian schools should not then hire Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses or Muslims. These religious expressions reject the clear teaching of the Old and New Testaments regarding the nature of God. 

Exclusivist—Christian theology, based on the plain reading of the Bible, teaches that there is “no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). This is a difficult teaching to many who call themselves Christians. Universalism is increasingly popular in many schools, but popularity does not change the fact that this teaching is utterly foreign to biblical revelation. 

Biblicist—For Baptist and evangelical schools, it should be assumed that the Bible is our primary source of knowledge about God, the nature of man, salvation and eternity. No theory about what happened a billion years in the past or what will happen a hundred years in the future can be allowed to trump the eyewitness testimony of the One who sees all time with perfect clarity. If God has revealed these things, unavailable to us in any other way, in Scripture, then we are bound to believe his testimony on subjects like human psychology and the nature of human sexuality, which we claim to understand. God’s Word is true in all it says is true, or it is of little use in teaching morals and compassion. 

Confessionalist—As indicated above, “Christian” and “Baptist” have meanings more specific than even “college” or “university.” If a school does not affirm a particular confession of faith, the label implies the gospel, as recounted in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8. A Baptist Christian school will thus found its entire curricular offerings on the presupposition that God exists, has revealed himself and offers redemption exclusively through his only begotten, crucified and resurrected son, Jesus. Yes, that means you in the social welfare, psychology, biology, geology and theology departments. 

Our state convention has two affiliated schools, Criswell College and Jacksonville College. Both of these schools exemplify these traits. The professors affirm the Baptist Faith and Message; people are saved each semester as the gospel is preached to and by the students and faculty. The various subjects taught begin with the assumption that there are things we cannot know apart from special revelation from God (the Bible). 

These are not the only colleges worthy of the name “Christian;” in fact there are more Baptist colleges worthy of the name now than there were 10 years ago. It is an uphill push that requires occasional unpopular actions in service of the school’s foundational convictions. If it was easy, everyone would do it. This is then a bright spot in the history of Wheaton College, not because a professor is losing her job but because the administration seems willing to do something hard in order to be worthy of being called a “Christian” college. God bless trustees and administrators willing to do hard things. They are rare. 

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RICHMOND, Va.—The International Mission Board is in a position, financially, where no missionaries will be required to leave the field as the organization wraps up its two-phase reset, IMB President David Platt announced Jan. 14.

In the second phase of the IMB’s plan to address revenue shortfalls and complete a reset of the organization, leadership also announced details of a Hand Raising Opportunity (HRO) during two town hall meetings. The HRO plan, leaders shared, offers missionaries and stateside staff members the opportunity to transition outside the IMB if they believe God is leading them to a new place of involvement in mission.

“While most will remain in their current roles, some may redeploy,” IMB President David Platt said. “I use that term ‘redeploy’ intentionally because no one is stepping onto the sidelines of mission in this process. These decisions are more about what place, role, responsibility or assignment people have in the mission of God.”

Sebastian Traeger, IMB executive vice president, presented specific details of the plan, which includes a package beyond the scope of a normal resignation. Personnel who elect the HRO will finalize their decisions by Feb. 22.

The HRO information was shared in two segments during the town hall meetings: first to missionary personnel, and then to staff, who are mostly based in Richmond, Virginia. Both groups attended in person or via Web conference and had information available online (after the meeting). The two meeting times allowed leadership to convey specific details that pertain to each group.

Active, long-term and short-term missionaries are eligible for the HRO. Missionaries can transition from the field over the next several months. All full-time and regular part-time staff are eligible for the HRO.

“These next two months put a responsibility in each one of our laps to seek the Lord concerning his will for our lives,” Platt said, reiterating two points to missionaries and staff. “First, on a biblical and theological level, IMB missionaries must each resolve to do all of our work around the world in glad, wholehearted alignment with the Baptist Faith and Message adopted by the 40,000 churches we represent.”

“Second, along these lines, those 40,000 churches expect each of us individually and all of us collectively to work diligently and wisely for the spread of the gospel around the world. In other words, they expect all of us to give the right effort that this mission requires, and this means we must hold one another to a high bar when it comes to our work.”

Difficult decision

In the midst of this two-phase process, Platt shared last August that IMB leaders would be re-evaluating systems and structures across the IMB not only because of IMB’s financial realities, but also to be the best possible stewards of the resources that churches have entrusted to IMB to get the gospel to the nations. During that evaluation, leaders made the difficult decision to eliminate the Richmond Communications Center as it currently exists, effective April 29.

“These are some of the kindest servants and leaders in the Richmond office,” Platt said. “IMB is indebted to them on many levels. In the days to come, we want to express our honor and appreciation for the countless ways these brothers and sisters have served Christ through the IMB.”

Thirty stateside staff have options that allow them to remain as employees until the Center closes April 29; 10 staff are being transferred to other positions. The change does not affect any missionary positions. The functions of the Richmond Communications Center, including Lottie Moon Christmas Offering promotion, will continue to be performed by IMB’s existing global network of communication teams and other trusted partners.

IMB leaders will not be eliminating any other teams, groups or departments during this two-phase organizational reset.

Final numbers

The two-phase plan originally was announced during an Aug. 27, 2015, town hall meeting when IMB leaders laid out a strategy to address IMB’s revenue shortfalls and complete a reset of the organization. The first phase of the organizational reset was a Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI) that became final in December.

As the two-phase process has progressed, IMB leaders have sought to guard the integrity of the process to avoid swaying IMB personnel as they make their decisions. Leaders indicated they strongly desire personnel to receive clarity from God regarding his leadership in their lives.

In November 2015, IMB leaders communicated that based upon the results of the Voluntary Retirement Incentive, coupled with this second-phase Hand Raising Opportunity, they project IMB will meet its need to reduce the total number of personnel by at least 600 people. Leaders plan to share final and official numbers at the end of this two-phase process at the end of February.

IMB will continue to post updates, including frequently asked questions and answers, online on IMB.org.

ROWLETT—Three weeks after SBTC Director of Missions Shane Pruitt was a guest preacher in their church, an SBTC Disaster Relief chainsaw team from Bellville First Baptist Church near Houston assisted Pruitt’s family in Rowlett in the wake of devastating tornadoes that swept through North Texas the day after Christmas. 

The Rowlett EF3 tornado was one of 12 that touched down in North Texas Dec. 26, killing 11, according to the National Weather Service in Dallas.

Pruitt, who also lives in Rowlett, said his home suffered minor damages, while residences a few houses and blocks away were destroyed.

“I was traveling to Jewett to preach when my wife called to tell me the tornado sirens were going off,” Pruitt told the TEXAN. “We have four kids under 10, and they all moved to the bathroom to hunker down. Five minutes later she called to tell me it was over.”

Pruitt returned home to find a two-by-four had smashed through a window, showering glass on the sofa where his family sat moments before.

Kay Burns, the grandmother of Pruitt’s wife, was less fortunate. Burns’s neighborhood is about two miles from Pruitt’s and suffered extensive damage. A huge tree in Burns’s backyard was down, and a large piece of plywood pierced her roof. The next day’s rains caused the kitchen and a bedroom to collapse.

“Hey, don’t I know you?” one of the chainsaw volunteers asked Pruitt, recognizing him from his preaching engagement, as the team assisted Burns.

“They came over and began to cut limbs. Some folks from C3 Rowlett [Connection Community Church, where the Pruitts and Mrs. Burns attend] moved limbs and debris as they were cutting,” Pruitt said. When the tree was cut, limbs removed and backyard cleared, First Bellville’s Rick Evans offered to cut the remaining part of the stump into a cross.

Burns, a widow, had talked of selling her home in the aftermath of the storm, but Pruitt said, “Now she does not want to move. I just feel that the men taking the time to cut that cross offered an extra step of healing. She wants to stay in the house, and she plans to carve the date into the cross, so that the next family will know what that is about.”

“A year from now, we’ll be gone. She won’t remember us.
But the cross will remain.”

Mike Phillips, DR chainsaw volunteer

“A year from now, we’ll be gone. She won’t remember us. But the cross will remain,” Mike Phillips, DR chainsaw volunteer, noted.

The cross in Burns’s yard had an additional effect. Crowds of onlookers came to photograph it. Many commented that they planned to do the same thing with stumps in their yards, Pruitt said. “It was a calming, healing moment. She [Burns] took a deep breath, smiled and laughed. The cross is a reminder of hope.”

Rowlett homeowners Dan and Bonnie Rangel were home with three of their eight children when the tornado sirens sounded.

“We grabbed pets and kids and piled into the master bedroom closet,” Dan Rangel said. “We felt the pressure and heard the noise like a train. It was all over in 30 to 45 seconds.”

Although homes surrounding theirs and one block over were destroyed, the Rangel house suffered minimal damage, yet a towering live oak tree in the front yard was hit hard. Large limbs hung precariously, threatening further damage to the home and the safety of the residents.

“I feel guilty that I’m just worried about a tree limb,” Rangel, a former Marine, said as chainsaw team leader Monte Furrh of Bonham assured him that the situation needed attention.

After the chainsaw team cut and removed limbs, Bonnie Rangel asked if they would cut some pieces of a large limb for her.

“That tree bore the brunt of the storm,” Rangel said. At the core of the cut portion of the fallen limb was a heart-shaped ring.

“Miracles do happen,” Rangel said, tearfully holding a wooden piece. “God is real. I am going to carve that into the tree.” As for the cut pieces with the heart shape at the core, Rangel will use them to remind her family of the tornado and the day they were helped.

Twenty-three SBTC volunteers in chainsaw, clean up and recovery, laundry and shower, feeding, assessments, and chaplaincy served in Rowlett and Garland the week following the storm, said Dewey Watson, DR white hat or incident leader. Watson himself was in Rowlett the Sunday following the storm to assess the area and make plans for the deployment. Furrh soon joined him after first working in Farmersville and Copeville with other SBTC DR teams.

SBTC volunteers were housed at First Baptist Church in Rockwall and joined hundreds from national relief agencies and other church groups in helping the people of Rowlett and Garland begin to dig out of the devastation.

New teams rotated in over the weekend to continue relief efforts under the leadership of white hat Doug Scott. As of Jan. 3, SBTC workers had assessed 45 jobs in Garland and Rowlett, completing 35 with more expected.