Asbury Faculty and Administration Wonder #2

Now this second "wondering" from Asbury faculty and administration:

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 second.

We wonder why the Chair of the Board has begun the process of considering appointing an investigative committee to consider grounds for President Greenway’s termination before the Board of Trustees as a whole has had opportunity to consider the facts of this case.

Granted that President Greenway’s contract cannot be terminated apart from a recommendation from a special investigative committee and that the Chair of the Board of Trustees is the person authorized to appoint such a committee (The By-Laws of Asbury Theological Seminary, Article 7, Section E), the By-Laws are silent regarding the point at which such a committee is to be appointed. The closest analogue concerns the dismissal of faculty, the "dismissal proceedings" for which are "to be undertaken as an expedient of last resort. Only after reasonable efforts have been made to resolve issues and correct wrongs in accordance with the Seminary’s 'Grievance Procedure' and/or other appropriate administrative actions such as professional growth plans, should dismissal proceedings be initiated" (The By-Laws of Asbury Theological Seminary, Article 8, Section M).

We are hard pressed to imagine how the dismissal of a president would involve procedures less demanding than those regarding a faculty member. We are concerned that a special investigative committee might be appointed and called upon to begin its work prior to a decision having been reached by the governing body under whom the president performs his duties — namely, the Board of Trustees, meeting as a whole — regarding whether his performance merits contractual termination.

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 of Mission and Contextual Theology
C. Reginald Johnson, Ph.D., Roy and Weezie Anderson Professor of Prayer and Spiritual Formation
Tapiwa Mucherera, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pastoral Counseling
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
Thomas F. Tumblin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Christian Leadership
Robert G. Tuttle, Jr., Ph.D., Professor of World Christianity
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