December 17, 2001
Trustee chairman says dean's removal was warranted
___By Marv Knox
___Editor
___FORT WORTH--The removal of David Crutchley as dean of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's School of Theology reflects a "philosophical disconnect" with the president, not intervention by trustees, the chairman of the trustee board said.
___Board Chairman Michael Dean, pastor of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, refuted a claim made in the Baptist Standard's Dec. 10 editorial.
___The editorial said fundamentalist trustees at Southwestern Seminary are "turning up the heat" to re-shape the Fort Worth school to their liking. As examples, it cited Crutchley's ouster as theology dean as well as the creation of the office of executive vice president/provost, which removes day-to-day administration from the hands of President Ken Hemphill.
___In an interviewlast week, Dean discounted both assertions.
DAVID CRUTCHLEY
___He also denied the trustees' intention to fire faculty, despite his predecessor's assertion that the seminary still harbors "moderate" faculty who have "hunkered down and gone underground."
___"We don't have a hit list," Dean said.
___Crutchley's reassignment was both a response to need and a good-faith effort to utilize his skills, and creation of the academic position follows seminary precedent and will free Hemphill to be more effective, added Dean, who is pastor to both Crutchley and Hemphill.
___"Before the summer," Hemphill began thinking of making Crutchley the seminary's dean of globalization, a position Crutchley was offered in late November, Dean said.
___Simultaneously, a faculty committee seeking a director for the seminary's Global Missions Center approached Crutchley about the job, Dean noted.
___"People recognize David Crutchley has a heart for global missions," he said.
___"During the summer, we became aware there were concerns of some of the faculty--not a large number, but a few--that Dr. Crutchley was not giving the kind of leadership that was needed," Dean reported.
___The trustees became "aware of concerns that the president felt David might be more effective in another position," he said, noting Hemphill shared that information with the trustees at their fall meeting.
___"It became apparent that there were personal differences between the president and dean," he added. "When there are differences between a boss and an employee, the boss usually wins."
___At the seminary, the president has the right to appoint, dismiss and reassign deans. During a Nov. 29 faculty meeting, Hemphill announced he was reassigning Crutchley to the globalization deanship. Crutchley may accept the appointment or return to the classroom. His 21-month tenure as theology dean will end Dec. 31.
___A few days after that meeting, most of the theology faculty presented Crutchley with a strongly worded resolution of support and affirmation. It particularly praised his integrity and leadership.
___"There developed what I call a philosophical disconnect between the president and dean," Dean said. "My observation is David has served as a wonderful pastor to the faculty. They agree that is his strength."
___Crutchley particularly helped faculty deal with the loss of a number of longtime faculty to retirement and death, he said.
___"David has been supportive of the faculty. But as a dean, his responsibility flows in two directions--from administration to faculty and from faculty to administration. Maybe he has not exhibited as much diligence in reflecting administration/trustee goals to the faculty.
___"I don't mean to say he was ineffective. He did a wonderful job of getting the faculty through the process of signing the (2000) Baptist Faith & Message, which was painful. He helped shepherd that process along, and he brought in some fine faculty members."
___"But there was a growing difference" between Hemphill and Crutchley, Dean said.
___The reassignment of Crutchley "was a move the president, looking at all the factors, felt he needed to make," he added. Trustees affirmed Hemphill's plan during their fall meeting Oct. 16.
___Although Hemphill apprised trustees of his plans, they did not call for them, Dean said. "We did not have a closed-door meeting and tell the president he had to get rid of the dean.
___"The president has to see the big picture. The primary factor was the president's love for and passion for globalization, and his recognition David has gifts that would make him effective."
___Crutchley declined to comment directly on Hemphill's actions and Dean's comments. "The statement of my heart is reflected in what I have told the faculty, secretaries, my students and the public alike," he said. (The full text of that statement was published in the Dec. 10 Baptist Standard and is available on the Standard's website, www.baptiststandard.com.)
___Dean disavowed any connection between Crutchley's reassignment and creation of the provost/executive vice president position, which will be filled by Craig Blaising Jan. 1.
___"The decision to reassign David Crutchley was made before we knew Craig Blaising was coming," Dean said.
___Also, Blaising's arrival and the creation of his position were not designed to diminish Hemphill's power or to reflect trustee disapproval of Hemphill's leadership, he added.
___"The purpose of (Blaising's) coming and the creation of his position are not unprecedented," Dean said. "This was a wise move for the president and trustees.
___"The president is an extraordinarily gifted man--a powerful preacher, a visionary leader. He travels extensively, raising money, preaching and providing leadership to the Southern Baptist Convention.
___"But the president and the trustees recognized the need for someone on campus with more authority to tend to day-to-day affairs so that the president can give broad-based leadership to the seminary. Dr. Blaising is not taking the president's place; he will be working under the authority of the president."
___That configuration is not the trustees' instrument to remove so-called "moderates" from the faculty, Dean said.
___His predecessor as trustee chairman, Miles Seaborn, seemed to say otherwise in an interview published by the Southern Baptist Texan, the magazine of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
___Of the creation of the provost position and Blaising's election, Seaborn said, "We've been working toward this ever since the firing of Dr. (Russell) Dilday," the president removed by trustees in 1994.
___"There have been folks that got deeply entrenched here at the seminary that are moderates," Seaborn said. "Some of them have gotten so uncomfortable that they've left and are irritated, but others have kind of hunkered down and gone underground."
___Blaising will come to the seminary "with a positive, proactive mission," Dean predicted. "He will give leadership to the faculty in very broad terms. We did not say to Craig Blaising, 'We want you to clean house.' ...
___"We've never taken a vote, but as trustees, we're not looking to fire anyone who is willing to teach and abide by the statement of faith (the 2000 Baptist Faith & Message) that has been given to us by Southern Baptists."
___The seminary strives for "academic excellence and theological integrity," Dean said. "We're unapologetic about that. ... Our vision is to see Southwestern become the leader in theological education in the evangelical world. To do that will require that we continue to bring on board the finest scholars but maintain a high degree of theological integrity to our statement of faith."
___In so doing, the trustees are being faithful to the SBC, which overwhelmingly adopted the Baptist Faith & Message statement in 2000, he said.
___"All our faculty members have presently signed the Baptist Faith & Message 2000," he reported. "The ones who have not are in process of leaving." Two did not sign. Jeph Holloway has joined the faculty of another school; Rick Johnson is on sabbatical and reportedly is seeking another teaching position.
___"I anticipate and pray 100 percent of our faculty members will be positive about the direction of the Southern Baptist Convention," Dean said.
___The seminary has clarified and will continue to define itself in relationship to the SBC, he observed.
___"This process began 20 years ago--the process of bringing the seminary into line with the SBC," he said. "It became apparent that for that to happen it would necessitate removal of the president," Dilday, in 1994.
___"We have to be honest," he added. "There were people at Southwestern who did not agree with the SBC. Instead of total disruption of the seminary--massive firings--we have allowed faculty to retire and seek other positions as time allows.
___"As the convention further clarified its course, the trustees have had to further define where we are as a seminary owned and operated by the SBC. ... We have no authority as a seminary to be anything but what Southern Baptists wish us to be, because they are footing the bill."
___Dean acknowledged the seminary has changed during the past two decades. "But so has every other institution," he countered. "For example, as the BGCT has further clarified its convictions, you see further clarification in its schools. It's not totally out of character for institutions to do that."
___Dean was asked whether legendary former professors such as Jack MacGorman, Curtis Vaughan and T.B. Maston could be elected to the Southwestern faculty today.
___"If they would be willing to sign the Baptist Faith & Message as an indication of their willingness to abide by the statement of faith adopted by Southern Baptists, they could teach and would be accepted by Southwestern," Dean replied.
___Trustees are extremely satisfied with President Hemphill's leadership in the process of clarification and change, Dean said.
___"I can say support for the president is as strong now as ever, probably stronger," he said. "He has led us through a tough time. The president has had to steer the seminary through difficult waters. The trustees recognize the president has had to make tough decisions because these are best for the school. Not that we were displeased before, but we are even more pleased ... in light of the job he has done in the swirling political climate in Texas."
___The seminary has been unfairly criticized for the number of faculty vacancies, Dean said.
___"Retirements and resignations created an overwhelming job," particularly for Crutchley in the School of Theology, he said.
___"He has worked diligently. He has had his hands full in helping faculty move through the grief of losing colleagues and also to sign the Baptist Faith & Message. He has not been able to devote his full attention to faculty vacancies."
___Of the nine current vacancies, seven are in the School of Theology, four due to retirements and three to resignations, and one each are in the schools of music and educational ministries, both due to retirement, Dean said.
___"You can't say the turnover was the result of a massive meltdown at the seminary," he stressed. "We will be back to full strength soon."
___Dean also countered the charge that the seminary will produce autocratic pastors.
___"I've heard that repeatedly, but I've seen no evidence that is the case--either by what I've observed taught at Southwestern or in the lives of the students at the seminary."
___The seminary wants to shape students who will be pastors like Hemphill, Dean said. "He built a tremendous ministry on the biblical pastoral model of loving the flock, preaching God's word, winning people to Christ and faithfully shepherding the flock."
___Dean expressed confidence that Texas Baptists will continue to support Southwestern Seminary.
___"The Baptist General Convention of Texas has moved to give churches options as to how they will invest their missions money," he explained. "The fact is the vast majority of churches still prefer to support in a balanced manner the BGCT and the world beyond. Texas Baptists have spoken by their (financial) support for Southwestern Seminary and the Southern Baptist Convention. Why can't we leave it at that?"
___Travis Avenue Baptist Church, where he is pastor, allows members to choose from three options--exclusive support for the BGCT, exclusive support for the SBC and a split of 35 percent SBC/65 percent BGCT.
___"The vast majority have continued to support both groups," he said. "That's where Texas Baptists are. We need to respect this. ...
___"Southwestern and the BGCT need each other to be as effective as we can be. The work is hard enough in reaching our state for Christ. I would hope we could say, 'We've been given the choice; let's move forward.'"
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