Asbury Faculty and Administration Wonder #5

The fifth installment. For ye Wesleyans, note that David Thompson has joined the list of wonderers:

The flurry of reports and narratives dating from 1 September 2006 has shed light on and generated heat regarding the critical situation in which Asbury Theological Seminary now finds itself. We are left with a number of questions. This is the fifth.

We wonder about the nature of the assignment given to the consultant (viz., Dr. Robert Andringa) hired by the by the Chair of the Board for assistance in the president’s review process. Presumably, he was to provide outside perspective on the process of formative review, but we have witnessed his becoming an advocate both for a particular interpretation of the events and for a particular conclusion to the review process. We wonder how the sense of objectivity necessary to engender confidence in his participation can be maintained.

Dr. Andringa’s impressive resume notwithstanding, we find his actions puzzling. His interests and concerns have expanded far beyond providing perspective and assistance to the Board Chair-appointed ad hoc review committee regarding President Greenway’s performance. Any claim to his working with the outside perspective generally expected of a consultant is mitigated, for example, by his personal, written communication to President Greenway and at least one other alumnus of the Seminary subsequent to the critical events of 30 August - 5 September; moreover, he initiated a threat against at least one alumnus who reported on what this alumnus had determined was a flawed review process.

We are also unsure on what basis Dr. Andringa contacted on behalf of the Seminary the agencies with whom we have accreditation — an action reserved for the chief executive officer and the accreditation liaison officer. On the basis of Dr. Andringa’s behavior in these matters, we wonder to what degree his participation in this process is characterized by his own, vested interests, whether this process was capable of generating a fair assessment of President Greenway’s performance, and on what basis he has continued to be involved in the management of concerns surrounding the future of Asbury Theological Seminary.

Signed:
Kenneth A. Boyd, Ph.D., Professor of Instructional Design
Allan Coppedge, Ph.D., Ralph Waldo Beeson Professor of Christian Theology
Ronald K. Crandall, D.Th.P., McCreless Professor of Evangelism and Sundo Kim Professor of Evangelism and Practical Theology
Richard L. Gray, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Leadership and Christian Ministry
Joel B. Green, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament Interpretation
Chuck Gutenson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Philosophical Theology
Virginia Todd Holeman, Ph.D., Professor of Counseling
Eunice L. Irwin, Ph.D., Associate Professor: Mission and Contextual Theology
Randy Jessen, D.Min., Dean, Beeson International Center for Biblical Preaching and Church Leadership
C. Reginald Johnson, Ph.D., Roy and Weezie Anderson Professor of Prayer and Spiritual Formation
Hugo Magallanes, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Church in Society
Terry C. Muck, Ph.D., Professor of Missions and World Religions
M. Robert Mulholland Jr., Ph.D., Professor of New Testament
Christine Pohl, Ph.D., Professor of Church in Society
Ruth Anne Reese, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament
Lester Ruth, Ph.D., Lily May Jarvis Professor of Christian Worship
Michael A. Rynkiewich, Ph.D., Professor of Anthropology
Daryl Smith, Ed.D., Associate Professor of Mentored Ministry and Christian Leadership
Catherine Stonehouse, Ph.D., Orlean Bullard Beeson Professor of Christian Discipleship
David L. Thompson, Ph.D., F.M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies
Thomas F. Tumblin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Christian Leadership
Jerry L. Walls, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy of Religion
Ben Witherington III, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament
Laurence W. Wood, Ph.D., Frank Paul Morris Professor of Systematic Theology

Now 21 days since Jim Smith could have called the board into emergency session and since this crisis could have been resolved. Now 21 days of delay because there has never been any inkling of desire or thought on his part that Greenway's presidency should survive.