the current situation at erskine college is eerily similar to what went down at wts.
from the article:
“It looks like they’re trying to take over the college and imprint the college with their own kind of narrow Christianity,” Crenshaw said. “That does not bode well for Erskine to continue as a liberal arts center.
you can read the entire article here.
6 March 2010 at 9.32 am
“A few years ago, when rumblings about the college’s religious direction began, Elsner said half of the biology department left.” Does this imply that part of the problem was Creation/Evolution debates? I’m not familiar with the situation.
My first impression is that this might play out a little differently from the Westminster fiasco because there’s a clear denominational affiliation.
6 March 2010 at 10.15 am
The IndexJournal.com article is not entirely accurate. Even the headline is sensationalist in nature and not correct (“firing” is a loaded term). None of the people quoted in the article, aside from President Randy Ruble, were even in attendance. I don’t believe the article even addresses the fact that the Erskine Board agreed “in principle” with the Moderator’s Commission recommendations, albeit they differed in the implementation. All of this differs drastically from the Enns situation, as no faculty or administration were let go.
A much more accurate and fair article, written by someone actually in attendance, may be found here: http://theaquilareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1590:special-meeting-of-arp-synod-votes-to-deal-with-long-standing-issues-at-erskine-college-and-seminary-full-report&catid=50:churches&Itemid=133
7 March 2010 at 9.34 pm
I don’t know whether or not this could be compared to wts, as I am a part of neither organization. However, if you “replace,” or “remove,” 14 trustees and put 14 interim ones in their place, it sure sounds like a firing– just using a different term.
8 March 2010 at 9.12 am
a,
It certainly is not a neutral move, I agree – and would like to hear from one of those 14 removed individuals.
8 March 2010 at 10.50 am
[...] nitpicking of the term “to fire” has been criticized elsewhere. But consider the connotation of that term. When one hears the term “fired,” the mental [...]
8 March 2010 at 10.52 am
“Firing” has a particular connotation. These individuals were not employed, and none of them lost jobs. They were serving as volunteers on a Board of General Synod. They were removed without prejudice from that Board.
Nick, if you click on the Aquila Report link above, you will see the comments of at least one dismissed Board member cited. Once again, the article in the OP does not accurately portray what took place. Here is a link from the ARP website itself: http://arpc.wordpress.com/
I have commented on the article and quotation here: http://gairneybridge.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/reactions-to-synods-actions/
15 March 2010 at 3.52 pm
@gairneybridge: i do not know everything that is going on at erskine. from what i’ve read, even from the more ‘fair’ articles to which you link, there are still eery similarities between what is going on there and what went on at a certain seminary in the suburbs of philly.
i’ll grant your point that these board members were ‘removed’ and not ‘fired.’ that doesn’t really change anything.
but good point nonetheless.
16 March 2010 at 9.51 am
It appears that much of the push for a change at Erskine came from the student body whereas at least a large part of the student body at WTS were pro-Enns.