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Letter from Bishop Hirschy to UB Pastors

November 16, 2001

Dear Pastor:

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. As I begin this letter, I am reminded of Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-23, "...that all of these may be one." Wow, we need that prayer of Jesus at this time.

You may be aware of a controversy which has arisen concerning Huntington College. If not, you will probably be hearing things which cause you concern. I am writing this letter to all active United Brethren pastors to try to frame the issues in a general way, and to urge everyone to take a fair, loving approach to the issues being discussed. In a few days, you will also receive a letter from Dr. G. Blair Dowden, President of Huntington College, further elaborating on the issues at hand.

We, as a denomination, are proud of Huntington College. It has been an important ministry of the United Brethren church for over 100 years, training hundreds of UB young people and preparing our ministers for service in the denomination (in both cases, myself included). The 1997 General Conference, in conjunction with the College's 100th anniversary, ratified a "Centennial Covenant" which spelled out elements of the partnership between the church and college. Huntington College pledged itself to "educate men and women to impact our world for Christ," promising to produce graduates who are "mature in spirit, equipped for ministry, competent in their academic discipline, Christian in worldview, and ready for leadership."

As a denomination, we pledged to "give the college the freedom to explore contemporary issues within the context of the Christian faith, trusting it to remain true to biblical absolutes and to the beliefs and practices of the church." Together, we promised to "stand firm on biblical standards, allow freedom where the Bible allows freedom, and maintain unity when disagreements arise."

Now, serious disagreements have arisen, and we must take steps to maintain our unity. The controversy surrounds Dr. John Sanders, who teaches philosophy and theology courses at Huntington College. Dr. Sanders has written books on two issues which are causing a lot of debate in the broader evangelical community. Open theism (or openness) deals with divine providence, foreknowledge, and God's relationship to time; and inclusivism deals with the destiny of the unevangelized. There are respected scholars who agree with Dr. Sanders (to varying extents), and there are respected scholars who disagree. I think it is fair to say that most United Brethren ministers have developed theological views at variance with Dr. Sanders' views.

Within our fellowship, there is an additional tension, since Huntington College is a United Brethren college and provides theological training to so many of our ministers. After all, while Dr. Sanders stresses that he approaches these issues from an Arminian foundation, some of his conclusions differ from what we have traditionally taught. Dr. Sanders agrees with us regarding the essentials of the Christian faith, and he is in agreement with the United Brethren Confession of Faith. But his views on openness and inclusivism are new not only to the United Brethren church, but new to a large extent in the broader evangelical community. Whether or not Dr. Sanders' views violate biblical standards (as some contend), his views at least go beyond the mainstream teaching of United Brethrenism. As a result, there is disagreement over whether or not Dr. Sanders fits at our denominational college (as opposed to an independent Christian college).

This year, Dr. Sanders was eligible for promotion from Associate Professor to full Professor. In light of the controversy, President Dowden established a committee to review Dr. Sanders' writings. Half of the ten members were faculty, and half were members of the Huntington College Board of Trustees; nine of the members were United Brethren members, with then-bishop Ray Seilhamer serving as chairperson. This group worked through the spring and summer, and submitted a report to President Dowden (without recommendations). In short, they affirmed that Dr. Sanders' views on openness, while conflicting with long-held UB teachings, did not violate the Confession of Faith. They were divided on the subject of inclusivism. The HC Board of Trustees decided in favor of promoting Dr. Sanders. The Trustees will no doubt deal with the subject again in April 2003, when Dr. Sanders becomes eligible for tenure.

What is my view, as Bishop? At this time, I am not ready to take a personal position on Dr. Sanders' theological views. Some of our ministers have studied the issues in depth for some time now and have reached strong conclusions, but I have not, so it would be irresponsible for me to take a position without having studied things thoroughly to my own satisfaction. I am currently reading Dr. Sanders' books, listening to other people, soliciting input, and formulating my own views.

Furthermore, it would be inappropriate for me to speak strongly at this time, because I don't want to curtail discussion and debate. I will be involved in the process, and I will speak to these issues as the church develops a position to be presented to the Huntington College Board of Trustees.

In addition, I want to give direction in this matter. The college is receiving criticism and harsh accusations; the integrity of brothers and sisters in Christ is being questioned. Dialogue is urgently needed. So please consider the following:

1. Give Huntington College the benefit of the doubt. There are rumors being circulated about the college, and mischaracterizations of what it supposedly teaches. The fact is, we have a superb college staffed by quality people, and we can be very proud of it. Two-thirds of the members of the Board of Trustees, which oversees the college, are United Brethren. Don't jump to negative conclusions about the college--that it is "going liberal" or has abandoned its commitment to the United Brethren church (neither of which are true). Don't be quick to withdraw support or threaten to do so. HC's exemplary track record in our midst deserves a lot of respect and credit.

2. Be fair with Dr. Sanders. His views have sometimes been characterized in false and highly inflammatory ways. Before you repeat his supposed views, make sure what you say is accurate--that John Sanders himself would say, "Yes, that is my view." Unfairness only damages the process and dialogue. Dr. Sanders' writings have emerged from legitimate questions about traditional theological teachings, and I believe he has sought to be faithful to scripture. You have every right to strongly oppose his views. But please, be fair.

3. Don't be hasty in drawing conclusions or taking action. The issues at stake are complicated, and they go beyond Dr. Sanders' theological views. There are also important issues regarding the nature of teaching, the role of the college in the broader Christian community, and the role of the church in owning the college. Try to accurately understand the big picture before taking action or making statements against the college.

4. Recognize the role of a liberal arts education. Huntington College is not an "indoctrinating" college, where we expect students to emerge with predetermined, narrow theological views. Obviously, we want professors who are firmly grounded in the foundations of the faith and who agree with the UB Confession of Faith. But in the classroom, we want them to have the freedom to expose students to varying viewpoints. As a denomination, we don't want to look over professors' shoulders, critiquing what and how they teach--and we don't want them to fear that we are doing so. That does not make for a healthy educational experience.

The denomination has always taken a hands-off attitude toward the college, injecting ourselves seldom and with great reluctance. Of course, we always have that right, since we are the sponsoring denomination, but it is best that we give our college the trust it needs, and has earned, to carry out its mission. This is a situation in which many thoughtful UBs feel the denomination should intervene. I believe the church should make a clear statement as to what it believes about these theological issues. Whatever happens, I want to make sure we are fair and informed.

Our denomination doesn't shy away from theological controversy. Martin Boehm and William Otterbein certainly didn't. As this dialog unfolds, we shouldn't back away from vigorous, forthright debate. 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.

How should you respond? I prefer that we work through existing denominational structures as we discuss and debate these issues. Ultimately, the US National Board needs to reach a clear understanding of where the church stands on these theological issues. To make sure your views are heard and represented, please consider using these avenues.

  • The Bishop. I certainly want to be aware of your concerns. Please send me at least a copy of anything you send elsewhere.
  • The Education Leadership Team. This group reports to the US National Board on behalf of Huntington College. It consists entirely of UB members, all of whom also represent the church on the HC Board of Trustees.
  • The Huntington College Board of Trustees. This group is directly responsible for overseeing Huntington College. Two-thirds of the members are United Brethren.
  • Dr. G. Blair Dowden, President of Huntington College.
  • The Commission on Ministry. This group, which reports to the US National Board, is responsible for UB theological education, so it plays an important role.
  • The Executive Leadership Team. This important group spent considerable time on this matter during its October meeting, and will no doubt do so again during its meeting on March 12, 2002. As Bishop, I am the chairperson.
  • The US National Board. The US National Board is the highest governing body between sessions of the US National Conference. The next meeting is April 23-24, 2002. Each conference is entitled to representation. It would be appropriate to send statements or concerns with one of your representatives.

You can send things for any of the above entities to the Office of the Bishop, 302 Lake St., Huntington, IN 46750. Include an "Attention:" line specifying the person or group you want to receive the letter. I will happily forward your letter.

I am suggesting that the Commission on Ministry work on the rough draft of any statements the denomination wants to make on these issues. This draft will then go to the Executive Leadership Team and the US National Board. I want the US National Board to adopt a statement which will be very clear on where the church stands. Then there will be no confusion on the Education Leadership Team and the HC Board of Trustees as to the church's position.

Christians are not good at handling disagreements among themselves, especially theological disagreements. We've all experienced that. But in this case, particularly with so much at stake, I would like the Church of the United Brethren in Christ to demonstrate a model for the broader evangelical community. Let us show the rest of the world how believers with strong disagreements can address volatile issues in a thoughtful, loving, and civil way.

In Christian love,

Paul Hirschy

Bishop, US National Conference