Letter from Dr. Dowden
to UB Pastors

November 20, 2001

Dear Pastor:

A few days ago, you received a letter from Bishop Paul Hirschy describing the long-standing partnership between Huntington College and the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. In it, he addressed the recent concerns that have been raised by some United Brethren pastors regarding one of our faculty members. It is appropriate for me, as both president of the College and an officer of the church, to share with you some important background information regarding the current situation, and express my hopes for how we may continue to dialog.

Throughout my tenure as president, I have placed high value on the vital relationship that exists between the denomination and its institution of higher learning. In recent months, I have stressed the importance of ongoing discussion with constituent churches of the United Brethren denomination. We will continue to make every effort to listen to the concerns of UB pastors and lay persons. Working together, we will encourage a sincere pursuit of biblical truth and Christ-centered scholarship.

With regard to the current situation, some background information may prove helpful.

Dr. John Sanders was hired in the fall of 1998 as Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion. Dr. Sanders is a gifted teacher, speaker, author and scholar. When he was hired, he had already published several books that had been listed among the most important books of the year by Christianity Today.

Dr. Sanders is a proponent of "open theism." Through Dr. Sanders' books and other writings, the College has long been aware of his scholarship. In fact, he co-authored a book with Dr. William Hasker, emeritus professor of philosophy at Huntington College, entitled The Openness of God.

At the time of his hiring, Academic Dean Jerry Smith and I asked many questions of Dr. Sanders, our faculty, and denominational officials in the United Brethren headquarters regarding his theological positions, particularly regarding his views of the providence of God and the destiny of the unevangelized. Those I spoke to felt that while Dr. Sanders' views were unique and somewhat controversial, they were within the bounds of orthodox, evangelical theology.

Since Dr. Sanders' hiring in 1998, he has written a comprehensive book on open theism entitled, The God Who Risks, and has become a much sought-after speaker in academic and theological circles. Christianity Today has published a series of articles relating to this issue, including a two-part cover story in the May 21 and June 11, 2001 editions. Earlier this month, Dr. Sanders was a keynote speaker at the Evangelical Theological Society's annual conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It would not be an overstatement to say that the openness debate is probably the preeminent discussion among evangelical scholars, theological societies and interested clergy and laypersons.

Due to the increasing visibility of Dr. Sanders' writings and speaking, the College has received criticism regarding his place on our faculty. This criticism has come from within the Church of the United Brethren in Christ and from some outside our church body as well.

In the fall of 2000, the Faculty Appointments and Tenure Committee began a discussion regarding promotion for Dr. John Sanders from Associate Professor to Professor. Based on our standard guidelines and operations, Dr. Sanders was eligible for promotion at this time.

Perhaps a word is in order here regarding what promotion represents. The Huntington College Faculty Appointments and Tenure Committee (FATC) annually considers promotion in rank for every eligible faculty member. Faculty are promoted in rank (from assistant professor to associate professor to professor) based upon years of experience and academic accomplishments. Other criteria evaluated by FATC in promotion considerations include teaching performance, professional activities, colleagueship and service.

Promotion does not mean that the College necessarily endorses the ideas of any specific faculty member. Nevertheless, I decided that because of the potential impact of this promotion decision, a review should be undertaken of Dr. Sanders' theological positions with the intent of determining the appropriateness of his teaching at Huntington College.

A special joint faculty/trustee committee was appointed in January 2001 to review the theological perspectives of Dr. Sanders as expressed in his writings and speaking. The intent of the review was to address his theological views and determine the compatibility of these views with the College's Statement of Faith and the doctrinal standards of Scripture as taught and interpreted by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. The review committee included five faculty members and five trustees. Eight of the ten participants were United Brethren. Four of the five trustee members were United Brethren pastors. Dean Ron Webb served as an ex-officio member. The group was chaired by Dr. Ray Seilhamer, former United Brethren bishop and now associate dean of our Graduate School of Christian Ministries.

The committee met during the spring and summer 2001 to consider the issue of open theism. An additional charge was given to the committee in July 2001, to review Dr. Sanders' theological perspectives on the destiny of the unevangelized.

The review committee presented its report to me on October 8, 2001. The report indicated that in his meetings with the committee, Dr. Sanders articulated his agreement with each specific article of Huntington College's Statement of Faith. He also affirmed his agreement with the Confession of Faith of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.

The committee's report acknowledged that "Dr. Sanders' positions on God's timelessness and foreknowledge, as they relate to God's omniscience, are not in accordance with the understanding that É prevails among United Brethren pastors and people...."

Further, the report pointed out that issues regarding open theism are not specifically addressed in either the Huntington College Statement of Faith or the Confession of Faith of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. However, the review committee found that Sanders' "expression of the openness of God is not in violation of the College's Statement of Faith." The committee further stated that Sanders' "expression of the openness of God is not in violation of the Church's Confession of Faith."

The committee was divided regarding Sanders' position on the destiny of the unevangelized. Some believed his "inclusivist" views to be consistent with the College's Statement of Faith and the UB Confession of Faith. Others, however, held Sanders' position to be incompatible with the traditional interpretation of these statements. The committee did not reach consensus on this issue.

The report indicated that Dr. Sanders is "committed to the authority of Scripture." It further states that he "seeks to be faithful to Scripture as he develops his case for open theism and the destiny of the unevangelized. Dr. Sanders uses accepted methods of biblical interpretation in developing his views and engaging others in debate about his views."

The review committee listed a number of positive dynamics resulting from Dr. Sanders' teaching at Huntington College:

• Dr. Sanders has helped stimulate Huntington College and the larger academic community to think carefully about some important issues in theology. His thinking and interchange of ideas is healthy for the academic community. He appears to stimulate thinking and dialogue in an acceptable manner and with a "search for truth" attitude. He models a willingness to dialogue on important theological issues and to place views under the microscope of inquiry. He desires to "do theology" within an atmosphere of love even when there are disagreements over views.
• Dr. Sanders takes personal interest in the lives of his students and teaches them to think for themselves about important issues regarding the nature of God and His involvement with His creatures and creation. He is committed to presenting different views and pointing out strengths and weaknesses of theological positions. When a student asks for his position on a theological issue he will state his belief and reasons for the position. It is likely that Dr. Sanders' presence at Huntington College enhances our academic reputationÉ.
• Dr. Sanders is a scholar and writer. He exposes this research, creative thinking and writing so that the academic and theological community may inspect it, react to it, and refine it.

The committee also listed some potential negative dynamics of Dr. Sanders' teaching at Huntington College. The report noted that:

• Dr. Sanders' theological positions regarding open theism and the destiny of the unevangelized have vocal critics. There is anecdotal evidence that some will not want students to attend Huntington College because of Dr. Sanders' viewsÉ.
• Some denominations have already taken action that they will not ordain a candidate who holds to "Open Theism." Within the United Brethren denomination, there is the strong probability that some Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Commissions would not grant ordination or ministerial placement for candidates holding to Dr. Sanders' views on open theism and the destiny of the unevangelized.

Throughout the summer and fall, I was kept apprised of the review committee's deliberations. After receiving the final report on October 8, I recommended promotion for Dr. Sanders. On October 18, the Board of Trustees, in a mixed vote, approved him for promotion to the rank of Professor of Philosophy and Religion.

Needless to say, not all were pleased with my actions or the Trustees' decision in this matter. This is to be expected, inasmuch as the issues involved are very important. While I believe that the decision was a good one, I want you to know that I will continue to listen to and learn from those who disagree.

I was therefore encouraged by Bishop Paul Hirschy's recent letter, in which he said:

As this dialog unfolds, we shouldn't back away from vigorous, forthright debate. But neither should we rush to premature conclusions or divisive actions. The issues Dr. Sanders raises are important ones, and like the Bereans, we need to "search the scriptures to see if these things are true." I realize we won't all reach the same conclusions. But neither should we rush to premature conclusions or divisive actions, which can unfairly harm our testimony, our college, and our unity.

The ongoing discussion of these theological issues is entirely consistent with Huntington College's philosophy of education. As stated in the College's academic catalog, "The College must ... challenge students to think through the relationship between their Christian faith, their academic pursuits, their career goals, and their personal lives. These challenges should include unsolved problems and open questions, as well as issues for which satisfactory solutions have already been worked out. The College must accept disagreement and controversy as a normal and healthy part of its life as a college, rather than viewing them as a threat to be avoided by silence on controversial topics."

It is important to remember the context in which Dr. Sanders teaches. Three of four faculty members in our Department of Bible and Religion are United Brethren. Dr. Sanders' senior peers include Dr. Chaney Bergdall, Dr. Mark Fairchild, and Dr. Paul Fetters. (Dr. Fetters is the author or editor of many books, including the definitive history and theological perspectives of the United Brethren Church.) As I mentioned earlier, former bishop Ray Seilhamer heads our Graduate School of Christian Ministries.

Sanders' ideas certainly do not go unchallenged on our campus. Late last spring, the senior leadership team discussed a number of possibilities that might be used to help the campus community become better informed on the issues regarding this controversy. Over the summer, Mr. Bill Fisher, Dean of Christian Faith and Life, arranged for a series of exchanges to take place on November 1 and 2, 2001, between Dr. Sanders and Dr. Christopher A. Hall of Eastern College, an advocate of classical theological perspectives and author of Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers. These men were the co-authors of the series of articles that appeared in the May 21 and June 11 issues of Christianity Today magazine. Sanders and Hall sharply disagree on certain theological points, yet are good friends. Their open debates were well attended by students, faculty, parents, and visitors. It was an outstanding educational experience for all involved.

The lively exchange of ideas between students, faculty, and visiting scholars is characteristic of Christian higher education, and fosters the "relentless pursuit of truth" on our campus. It is my desire to establish Huntington College as a well-recognized evangelical center for theological study. We have charted a number of strategic action steps toward this goal. Very soon, we will:

• Hire a high profile theologian/scholar with a classical position on the theology of providence and salvation.
• Attract visiting scholars for semester- or year-long programs
• in theology.
• Schedule additional debates, lectures and conferences on the theology of providence and other theological issues.

In these endeavors, Huntington College needs your continued partnership. Please feel free to correspond with me about this matter. I also invite you to interact with Dr. Sanders personally. I am certain he would be willing to dialog with you concerning his theological views and investigations of Scripture. You may direct your correspondence to him in care of Huntington College, 2303 College Avenue, Huntington IN 46750.

It has been my intention in writing this letter to clear the air of certain misunderstandings that have been circulating about Huntington College. Until now, this matter has been closely connected to a personnel matter--the promotion of one faculty member. In the interest of confidentiality, I have not responded publicly regarding this matter. However, now that the Board of Trustees has acted, I sense the need to more fully communicate with our denomination's clergy and lay leaders.

I hope this letter has answered some questions. Perhaps it has also raised new questions. If so, I invite you to share them with me. As Director of Education for the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, I am eager for ongoing discussion and dialog with you. Huntington's identity as a United Brethren college is very important to me. I am truly grateful for the partnership that has existed for 104 years between the denomination and the College.

That century-long relationship has helped Huntington College become what it is today--a community of devoted Christian scholars who are committed to the spiritual growth and development of students. Our campus is a place of extraordinary spiritual vitality, where students are helped to mature in their Christian faith and in their commitment to the church. We prepare our graduates to be mature in spirit, competent in their academic discipline, Christian in worldview, equipped for ministry, and ready for leadership. Huntington College graduates are commissioned and sent forth from our campus as Christ's redemptive agents for a lost and needy world.

Working together, we can ensure that Huntington College will continue to carry out this vital mission in Christian higher education.

Your servant in Christ,

G. Blair Dowden

President