My Thoughts on SWBTS and the Board's Decision

                                                                 Here I Stand

This blog is about truth.


"If I profess, with the loudest voice and the clearest exposition, every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christianity. Where the battle rages the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle-field besides is mere flight and disgrace to him if he flinches at that one point."

“Unless I can be instructed and convinced with evidence from the Holy Scriptures or with open, clear and distinct grounds and reasoning—and my conscience is captive to the Word of. God—then I cannot and will not recant, because it is neither safe nor wise to act against conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. So help me God."

                                                Martin Luther

"Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."

―Alfred Pennyworth

"The Dark Night"

 

 

 

This blog is about the recent decision of the board of trustees at SWBTS. You can read about this decision here:

http://swbts.edu/campus-news/news-releases/statement-from-southwesterns-board-of-trustee-meeting-oct-22/


As a recent alumnus of SWBTS, I am greatly discouraged by the board of trustees decison to rubber stamp Paige Patterson's controversial actions. However, this does not surprise me, for the board always goes along with Patterson's decisions. I am personally glad to have graduated and moved on from the perpetual insanity that occurs at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I attended SWBTS from 2008 to 2014 and graduated from the College at Southwestern with a B.A in Humanities. I graduated from SWBTS with close to a 4.0 G.P.A., made the dean's list several times and was a founding leader and eventual president of the Southwestern Apologetics Group (SWAG) and gave my all to the student body at SWBTS.

 

Anyone who wants to know what it was like being a student and living on the campus of SWBTS needs to watch the movie "Fletch Lives" starring Chevy Chase. If you have seen the movie, you know exactly what I mean...

 My overall experience at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was a very, very bad one. I was treated horribly by the administration of SWBTS and have nothing good to say about my time there other than the fact my professors were excellent. I learrned a lot at the College but cannot sugar coat my experience there.

My time at SWBTS reminded me of Jack Nicholson in the movie, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," it was like living in a fundamentalist insane asylum. It was stange, it was weird, it was surreal, but it was never a dull moment!

I do not write as an outsider to the situation at SWBTS but write as one with first hand knowledge of the things I comment on. I have taken a class with Paige Patterson and have had many conversations with him over the years.

As a recent alumnus of SWBTS (B.A. Humanities, 2014) with first hand knowledge of the ad hoc and fiat decision driven madness that goes on there on a regular basis, this does not shock me in the least. The board of trustees has a track record of rubber stamping whatever whim Paige Patterson decides on. SWBTS is the personal playground and kingdom of Paige Patterson. He arbitrarily controls and micro manages everything and makes the most outrageous decisions and statements without real accountability. I am saddened by the board's decision but not surprised. Paige Patterson has been shooting at the hip and doing this stuff for decades and no one in the SBC does anything about it because all the good old boys of the hostile takeover of the convention owe their current jobs to him. All they can do now is kiss Patterson's papal ring and bow their knees to the pope of the Southern Baptist Convention.


In all actuality, my time at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was a nightmare and living hell. I wanted to leave the school every day I was enrolled there and view my time at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary as the worst days of my life.

My experiences at SWBTS were the determining factor on why I first contacted Pastor Wade Burelson of Enid, OK and broke the news to him.


I especially take great umbrage with the militant attack against Calvinism that goes on at SWBTS all the time. I was especially offended by this statement put in book of records at the Southern Baptist Convention in Baltimore:

In the official 'Book of Reports' of the Southern Baptist Convention, Baltimore, SWBTS said this about it's mission and beliefs:

"Southern Baptists have a seminary in Fort Worth, Texas that is determined to recover the Anabaptist and New Testament vision. While appreciating the compromised theology of the Reformers, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary refuses to truncate the everlasting gospel. Confident with the Anabaptists that we can say to every man, "God loves you individually and died for your sins," Southwestern presses on in the intensity of a campaign to get the good news of salvation in Christ to all seven billion on this globe. While allowing no discrimination against our Reformed cousins who come to us, we continue to sound the trumpet of leading people to Christ, baptizing them by immersion in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and gathering them into free churches with congregational governments. To that end, this year Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary hosted a Homemaking Conference that drew more than a thousand women. This continues our accentuation on biblical gender roles and on the critical importance of the home in the plan and purpose of God. Our biblical homemaking degree is growing and exercising increasing influence."

My time at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was a very bad one to say the least, but somehow by God's grace I survived. I still believe in Christ and I am still a Baptist! I can still affirm the Apostle's Creed with all my heart, soul and mind:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen