Asbury Pre-Board Meeting Statement by Dan Johnson

Dear Asbury Seminary Community,

Greetings and God's blessings to you all. Since my last communication with you about our difficult impasse between the board and the president, much has happened. My main reason for today's update is to urge all of us to be diligent in prayer for the special board meeting on Tuesday in Atlanta. Only the Holy Spirit can provide the wisdom the board and Dr. Greenway need, and only He can bring restoration and peace to our campus. Here are some other updates I believe may be helpful to all:

1. Dr. Greenway has been invited to speak to the full board tomorrow, and he has indicated that he will attend, and share with the full board. He has also sent out a packet of materials to the full board in preparation for this meeting.

2. The "special committee" required by our bylaws (two trustees, one faculty member and one administrator) has been at work, including a lengthy meeting with Dr. Greenway and his attorney and Dr. Smith and the Seminary's attorney. The committee had hundreds of pages of documents to review and is interviewing others. Their report will be given to the board soon.

3. We have kept our two primary accrediting agencies informed and believe we have proceeded through this unprecedented situation in appropriate ways from their perspective.

4. Yes, we have invited a former seminary president (from an institution other than Asbury) to help mediate the situation.

5. Hopefully, everyone appreciates that the issues here are complicated in their detail. There is an obvious impasse. There has been a great deal of "exegesis" and hermeneutical work going on trying to understand. Hopefully, you will allow the process to move ahead with trust that 30+ trustees have much information to deal with and who have the best interest of the seminary at heart.

6. We would anticipate that the meeting on Tuesday will come to a conclusion late in the afternoon, and that we will be able to share something with you at that time.

7. The main thing is to keep our confidence in the Lord, our loyalty to His Word, and our commitment to live in Christian love and grace. These past weeks have been tremendously painful to Dr. Greenway and his family, the trustees, the faculty and all in the Asbury family. May our awesome God see fit to spread His abundant grace and mercy among us in these days. When I was a senior at Asbury College in 1970, God brought a great revival, as you all know. I remember it as a time of great healing and pervasive love. Wouldn't it be a most wonderful thing if God would do it again in these very days?!

Grace and prayers,
Dan Johnson, Ph.D.
Vice-Chair, Board of Trustees