December 10, 2001
Text of Crutchley statement to faculty
___The following statement was read by David Crutchley to the faculty of the School of Theology at Southwestern Seminary Nov. 29, after President Ken Hemphill announced his intention to reassign Crutchley to another role:
___I would like to thank the president for giving me the opportunity to serve as the dean of the School of Theology.
___It is with a heavy heart that I share with you this afternoon that my days as dean of the School of Theology have come to an end. I have been offered reassignment to dean of globalization from Jan. 1, 2002. As I have prayed and looked into the citadel of my soul, at this time I have not found peace with this reassignment.
___It has been a privilege to serve as your dean, and I would like to thank each one of you for accepting an outsider 18 months ago and giving him a chance to lead. I have probably been the youngest dean and no doubt the one who has had the shortest tenure. I have attempted to lead with honor and compassion this past year and a half and would not have done anything differently. I have lived out my credo--no reserve, no retreat, no regret. I want to thank those of you who shared a kind word of insight or advice when solicited, who wrote or spoke words of encouragement when some days were filled with shadow and who offered the hand of love and friendship.
___I have had a wonderful team in the office. Jenny Jones loved people and was radiant. Marcia Yeargin is as sharp as a tack and so efficient. Fran Wilson is a jewel--we know that. She is the administrative assistant behind a number of successful deans, and she and I have worked together with trust and absolute confidence in each other.
___I have wrestled these past two weeks with the enormity of this moment of decision in my life and attempted to balance the constituents of justice, honor, courage, faith and risk. During this time of reflection and re-examination, the words of the prophet Micah as set out in the Jerusalem Bible have often come to mind: What does the Lord require of each one of us in life's assignment but "to do justice, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with thy God."
___This has been a rich experience, and I mourn the lost opportunity of what might have been in the years to come. A wise rabbi on our faculty gave me this poignant prayer during Thanksgiving and I pray it for each one of us in these days: "Father, in this tumultuous time, when the lamp flickers and shadows obscure your radiance, keep me on the right pathway. Let me face the future unafraid as long as you go before me in the company of those I love and prepare the way for us. Heaven seems closer when the earth we know is shaken and changed. Light the path I should walk. Please come along with me as I live out a future story. Amen."
___Carol and I are on an adventure with God, and we look forward with great anticipation to what the next stage holds for us.
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