Associated Baptist Press
July 24, 2008 · (08-73)
Greg Warner, Executive Editor
Robert Marus, News Editor/Washington Bureau Chief
in this issue
Baylor President John Lilley removed for failure to 'unite Baylor family'
BWA meeting in Prague begins with prayer, praise
Pastors' biggest challenges differ by region, BWA speakers say
4th Circuit appeals court upholds Va. city's 'non-sectarian' prayers
ABC-affiliated Ottawa University names banker, alum new president
CBF ministry to internationals takes place at home, abroad
Baylor President John Lilley removed for failure to 'unite Baylor family'
By Marv Knox
GRAPEVINE, Texas (ABP) -- Baylor University President John Lilley has been fired for failing to "bring the Baylor family together," reported Howard Batson, chairman of the university's board of regents.
Regents voted to remove Lilley from office, effective immediately, during their summer meeting July 24 in Grapevine, near the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The vote was taken by secret ballot and the vote total was not announced to the board, Batson said.
Batson cited Lilley's inability to unite Baylor's various constituencies at least nine times in a 20-minute telephone press conference and several times in an interview with the Texas Baptist Standard shortly after the regents' vote.
Lilley became Baylor's president in January 2006, at a time when Baylor's constituency had divided over the administration of the previous president, Robert Sloan. Also controversial was Baylor 2012, a decade-long strategy for growing the world's largest Baptist university and increasing its influence.
For two and half years, Lilley worked to strengthen Baylor but could not foster unity, Batson said.
"The board really thinks Baylor needs a new president who can bring together and unify the various constituencies of the university," he said. "We felt like Dr. Lilley came at a very difficult time in the history of Baylor, and we acknowledge that. We do appreciate his service a great deal."
Lilley could have stayed longer -- possibly until his contract ends in 2010 -- if he had agreed to participate in a transitional process, Batson said.
Under terms of the proposed transition, Batson would have been authorized to appoint a presidential search committee "sometime before the end of 2008," he said. Lilley would have remained in office until his successor was selected.
"This could take from months to years," Batson noted. "With John in place, we could take more time to do a thorough search. We probably saw John serving out much, if not all, of his contract. But he didn't want to do it under those terms. ...
"The reality was we felt unless he was willing to transition, he would not have the support of various constituents of the Baptist family and move the university in the successful way it is moving. ...
"He didn't want to work under those conditions. The board felt it could have worked very well, but he did not, and we respect his reasons."
Although tensions with faculty flared this spring, when Lilley's administration initially denied tenure to 12 of 30 faculty candidates, Batson said no single factor led to the regents' decision to dismiss him.
"There's no denying we had the tenure situation ... and the branding situation [Lilley's initial decision to get rid of Baylor's popular "interlocking BU" logo]. Perhaps the process was not as swift as some of us had hoped in bringing the Baylor family together," he said. "I don't know that there was any one particular relationship that caused the difficulty. ... We did not see the Baylor family coming together as we envisioned."
In an e-mailed statement, Lilley expressed his disagreement with the regents' decision.
"Two and a half years ago, I was invited unanimously by the board of regents to come to Baylor," Lilley said. "I did not come to Baylor to advance my career. [Wife] Gerrie and I were reluctant, but finally were persuaded to come because of the unanimous vote and the promised prayers of the regents.
"We felt that we could help to heal the wounded hearts left in the wake of the conflict that preceded us. Despite the board's unanimous vote, it became clear immediately that the Baylor board of regents reflected some of the deepest divisions in the Baylor family."
Lilley expressed satisfaction with the work he and his team accomplished during his tenure.
"I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to bring the Baylor family together and to help the university achieve the ambitious goals set forth in our mission and Vision 2012, documented in our annual report just presented to the regents," he said.
"I deeply regret the action of the board, and I do not believe that it reflects the best interests of Baylor University."
In both interviews, Batson affirmed what he called Lilley's "significant accomplishments" achieved during the past two and a half years. They included:
-- Baylor's highest-ever ranking by U.S. News & World Report -- 75th -- among national doctoral-granting universities, an increase of six places.
-- Attracting a "large and diverse student body," including last fall's enrollment of 14,174 -- the university's second-highest total.
-- Record endowment, "now crossing the billion-dollar mark."
-- A record 402 students enrolled in Baylor's George W. Truett Theological Seminary, including "more students interested in ministering in the local church."
-- Athletic successes, including the men's basketball team's return to the NCAA Tournament, the women's basketball team's continual appearance in the tournament, men's and women's tennis teams' Big 12 championships and anticipation of an exciting football season under a new head coach, Art Briles.
-- Classification as a university with "highest research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
-- Extensive construction on campus, including the $42 million Brooks Village residential center and the $30 million football training/practice complex.
"John has left Baylor better than he found it. John had a passion for the research element of [Baylor] 2012," Batson said. "We are appreciative of his service and love for the university."
The regents selected one of their own, Harold Cunningham, as acting president with "full authority" to lead until an interim president is chosen, Batson said.
Cunningham is immediate past chairman of the Baylor regents and served as a Baylor vice president twice -- for special projects and for finance and administration.
"Harold has a track record of proven leadership and is well respected within the Baylor family," Batson said. "Harold is the perfect person to do this."
Acting president is not the same thing as interim president, Batson stressed, noting the regents will begin a process to designate the interim president. That person will not be a candidate for the presidency, he pledged.
After the interim is chosen, the regents will begin a search for then next president, he said.
Despite Lilley's firing and his predecessor's departure under a cloud of controversy, the regents do not expect difficulty "drawing top talent to Baylor," Batson said, noting, "We will be open-minded and do an international search."
The regents want someone with strong leadership skills and academic background, as well as ability to build consensus, he said.
"We want a unifier of the Baylor family; that's always a good thing," he said, adding that "connections to the Baptist family are a must."
"The largest mandate is we need a new president who will listen to all the voices of the Baylor family and bring us together under the vision of 2012," Batson said.
A reporter noted many people think the regents themselves -- or at least some of the regents -- are a significant part of the ongoing conflict at Baylor and asked Batson what the regents will do to restore trust among the "Baylor family."
"Actually, I think the board of regents is more unified than I've seen it in a long time," Batson said. "We may not agree about every motion, but I see the board functioning in a healthy fashion. ... At the end of the day, we can walk out of our meetings as a unified, functioning board."
Lilley's "dedication and service to Baylor" are appreciated, said Jeff Kilgore, vice president and CEO of the Baylor Alumni Association. "He is a distinguished alumn[us] and will always have a home with his alumni association."
Lilley inherited a "highly sensitive and emotionally charged campus -- and alumni/donor base -- probably without being fully equipped with an adequate understanding of our experience in Baylor's recent history," Kilgore observed. "Having been away so long, I'm sure it would have been extremely difficult on anyone to get an in-depth understanding of the Baylor family and its unique structure. ..."
"While John made himself very accessible to many of the various constituent groups, he often remained vigilant to his own opinions," Kilgore added. "In a delicate time such as this for Baylor, it is not only important to reach out for input, but for that input to have impact on decisions and the direction Baylor heads.
"It's become evident how essential inclusiveness and collective buy-in are to the success of a private academic institution and alumni relations."
Kilgore noted Lilly was "the single conduit of information between regents, faculty and alumni," adding that task "probably proved to be too much for any one person and probably not the most effective model [for] moving Baylor forward."
Although the alumni association often has been at odds with the regents in recent years, Kilgore extended an olive branch.
"We understand what a difficult and critical process it is to determine the university's leadership and to take measures to move Baylor forward, and our association of alumni and donors stands ready to provide support in any possible way," he said. "Our regents are entrusted with much, and we are all looking toward their leadership and a process that fosters inclusion and input from faculty, staff, alumni and other constituent groups.
"That input across the family is always welcomed and appreciated during times such as these."
Baylor is one of nine universities affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and one of 27 BGCT agencies and institutions overall. One of Lilley's fellow institutional leaders, Ken Hall of the social-service organization Buckner International, expressed both pride and grief regarding Baylor.
"Baylor overall is a great university," Hall said. "I'm particularly proud of the university as it is today. As a Texas Baptist, I'm very proud. But I'm also extremely grieved that, for the past several years at the board and the highest levels of administration, there continues to be disunity."
Hall noted he does not know the specific facts of the regents' decision to fire Lilley, but said he is praying for "this great flagship ministry of our Baptist General Convention of Texas."
"I am personally praying that during this time of transition, the current leadership -- both volunteers and paid leaders -- and the various constituencies will find in their hearts a way to get together and represent what it truly means to be a Christian university.
"They need to genuinely present a Christian approach to divisiveness and difficulty. We see it in our churches, our denomination and in our institutions too often. We're not representing our Lord best when people see us fighting."
Matt Cordon, a Baylor Law School professor and president of the Faculty Senate, could not be reached for comment by press time for this story.
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BWA meeting in Prague begins with prayer, praise
By Jim White
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (ABP) -- Nearly 400 delegates to the Baptist World Alliance's annual gathering in Prague, Czech Republic, raised their voices in prayer and singing as the July 21-25 meeting began with a rousing worship service.
The three-day gathering enables Baptists representing many of the 214 national and regional Baptist groups that make up the BWA to gather for worship, fellowship, study and planning.
Chief among issues scheduled to come before the gathering is a report from the BWA Implementation Task Force. The panel was charged with determining how organizational changes recommended by an earlier study group called the 21st Century Committee would be implemented.
After hearing the task force's initial presentation, delegates had an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions. A follow-up session was held July 23, with a vote on the proposals scheduled for July 25.
Since the full Baptist World Congress meets only every fifth year, officials hoped that the process could be agreed upon in time for changes to be implemented by the next BWA Congress meeting in 2010 in Honolulu.
Specific recommendations for implementation initially included:
-- The BWA General Council would remain unchanged.
-- The size of the group's Executive Committee would be trimmed to 24 (six representatives selected by the regions, 15 at-large members, three BWA officials -- general secretary, president and the treasurer).
-- The nominating committee would have 17 members and recommend names from across the globe to the General Council.
-- The number of global regions would be kept at six despite the disparity in geographical size and population. The six are North America, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific Rim.
-- Recognizing that resource potential differs from region to region, covenants would be developed for each region outlining mutual responsibility for supporting BWA and how regions may apply for grants for assistance.
Following the presentations on both days, lively discussions took place, with questions focusing primarily on constituency representations since each region would have only one official representative.
Other concerns expressed were over the method of member selection, regional autonomy and whether regions received preferential treatment based on their ability to contribute to the BWA budget.
A vocal Caribbean contingency raised questions about what impact the changes, if implemented, would have on the office of BWA General Secretary Neville Callam. Callam -- the century-old organization's first non-white chief executive -- was installed last year after many years of ministry in Jamaica.
A joint meeting of the BWA Doctrine and Interchurch Cooperation Commission and Freedom and Justice Commission is to take place to formulate a response to a letter from 138 Muslim scholars titled, "A Common Word Between Us and You." The letter was sent to world Christian leaders, including BWA President David Coffey, last October. Baptists who have experience in Islamic studies, or have lived in an Islamic country, will present papers on the question.
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Pastors' biggest challenges differ by region, BWA speakers say
By Jim White
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (ABP) -- Global Baptist pastors' problems are as different as the countries and regions in which they minister, according to speakers at the July 21-24 Baptist World Alliance annual gathering in Prague.
Over the past year, the worldwide Baptist umbrella organization's church health and effectiveness workgroup has focused its attention on the health of pastors. Three presenters provided glimpses into the particular difficulties pastors experience in North America, Bulgaria and Chile.
David Laubach, the North American presenter, emphasized the stress pastors feel in relating to a culture increasingly at odds with their Christian heritage. He cited statistical evidence indicating a move away from church attendance as the norm in American and Canadian life.
Although statistics from 50 years ago show that 80 percent of Americans attended church regularly, that figure has fallen to somewhere between 42 and 20 percent -- depending on whether one relies on individuals' self-reported attendance or actual Sunday-to-Sunday seat counts.
According to Laubach, 75 percent of churches in the United States are plateaued or declining and 24 percent are growing because they are poaching new members from those declining churches.
Only 1 percent of U.S. churches are growing because they are reaching the unchurched population, he said.
Since most American churches are small, the issue of survival assumes critical importance and depletes energy and resources. Across denominational lines, those in churches of fewer than 100 members said that "keeping the church going" was their chief concern. That concern was only slightly less important in churches with fewer than 250 members.
"Shrinking resources, absence of biological growth, aging mainline denominational populations, mobility, consumerist/entertainment culture, a sometimes-hostile environment, increased pastoral expectations and role overload, dramatically shifting ecclesiology, church change and conflict" are among the stress producers North American clergy deal with regularly, Laubach asserted.
The stress can create its own problems, he noted, because "emotionally drained pastors can succumb to moral failure and personal and family breakdown."
The problems Bulgarian Baptists are experiencing are in sharp contrast to their North American brothers and sisters. Baptists in the former Eastern bloc nation are blessed with such rapid growth that they cannot produce leadership and build buildings fast enough to keep pace with conversions, reported Teodor Oprenov, their leader. Baptists in other former communist nations face similar problems.
The challenge in Bulgaria, he said, isn't the post-modernist philosophy feared by many Western theologians, but rather the post-communist philosophical vacuum left among the general populace.
"They don't believe in God, but are waiting to be told what to do," reasoned Oprenov.
Nonetheless, the rapid growth of Eastern Europe's Baptists has created a backlash from religious groups more traditional to the region. Bulgaria has a very strong Orthodox presence, and religious authorities are often seen as mediators between humans and God.
In some Eastern European areas, Orthodox leaders have led aggressive and even violent protests against Baptist churches, often with the tacit or explicit cooperation of local authorities.
Baptist pastors in Bulgaria are almost uniformly men and are not recognized as clergy by the government. Indeed, they often are seen as troublemakers. To gain entrance to some places of ministry, sometimes Baptist pastors dress in black, as Orthodox priests do.
The third presenter was the head of Chilean Baptists, Rachael Contraras, who represented a Latin American perspective. As in Bulgaria, the Chilean church is growing and experiencing opposition from more established religious groups.
But poverty is their main problem. According to Contraras, a typical Chilean Baptist pastor is a married man over 30 who has at least two children. The pastors tend to be poor and poorly educated.
Limited access to education and theological training creates problems. First, outreach to well-educated young adults can be difficult. Those who have had access to good education through the university level often find it hard to relate to unlettered pastors.
In addition, as evangelicals have gained influence in Chile, pastors are sometimes invited to participate in governmental or social work. Those who are organizationally inexperienced and uneducated may not reflect well on the churches and denominational tradition they represent -- one still unfamiliar to the majority of Chileans. This can hinder Baptists from gaining the kind of social respect and influence that would benefit their work, Contraras said.
But the greatest problem affecting the health of Chilean pastors is their poverty. "Their income is very low compared to the people in his church and in society in general. He will live in a society in which everyone has a car, but he won't. Others will have houses, but he will not. He will live in a parsonage. Not having a place to live in retirement, he will preach until he dies," Contraras said.
Chilean pastors often work long hours in secular jobs to support their families. The stress of being the family provider and pastoring a church simultaneously has created such health issues as ulcers, burnout and depression, she said.
In Latin America generally, and in Chile in particular, pastors do not have access to public-health services, because the government does not provide any official recognition to the profession of pastoring.
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4th Circuit appeals court upholds Va. city's 'non-sectarian' prayers
By Robert Marus
RICHMOND, Va. (ABP) -- Sandra Day O'Connor has had her say again on an important church-state decision, in this case saying a Virginia city council's practice of offering non-sectarian prayers does not violate the United States Constitution.
The retired U.S. Supreme Court justice, sitting by special appointment on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote a July 23 decision for a unanimous three-judge panel. The judges upheld the city's policy against invoking the name of Christ while delivering prayers at council meetings.
In the case, Turner v. City Council of Fredericksburg, the judges said they did not violate the rights of one of its own members, Hashmel Turner, a part-time Baptist minister, who claimed in 2005 that the policy violated two parts of the First Amendment. He said it ran afoul of the establishment clause, which bans government endorsement or advancement of religion, and the free-exercise clause, which bans government from impeding the religious practice of an individual or group.
O'Connor and her colleagues disagreed with Turner.
"The council's decision to provide only non-sectarian legislative prayers places it squarely within the range of conduct permitted by" U.S. Supreme Court precedent on legislative prayer, O'Connor wrote. "The restriction that prayers be non-sectarian in nature is designed to make the prayers accessible to people who come from a variety of backgrounds, not to exclude or disparage a particular faith. The council's decision to open its legislative meetings with non-denominational prayers does not violate the establishment clause."
On the free-exercise argument, O'Connor said, "Turner was not forced to offer a prayer that violated his deeply held religious beliefs. Instead, he was given the chance to pray on behalf of the government."
Although he was unwilling to do so on the terms that his colleagues had set forth, O'Connor wrote, Turner "remains free to pray on his own behalf, in non-governmental endeavors, in the manner dictated by his conscience."
The dispute in the historic city, located about halfway between Washington and Richmond, began when Turner was elected to the council in 2002. Council members had, for years, taken turns opening meetings with an invocation of their choice. When his turn came around, Turner began offering prayers that invoked the name of Jesus Christ. After complaints from some residents and the threat of a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union, the council adopted the non-sectarian prayer policy in 2005.
When Turner's name came up again in the prayer rotation after the new policy was passed, the council chairman asked him if he planned to offer his prayer in Christ's name. When Turner said he did, the chairman called on another council member to offer a prayer instead.
Attorneys for a Charlottesville, Va.-based conservative group, the Rutherford Institute, took up Turner's cause. They argued that the city discriminated against orthodox Christianity by allowing prayers in the name of "God" but not "Jesus Christ."
Turner said O'Connor's ruling was off-base, according to the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. "She didn't feel my rights were being violated, but my rights are definitely being violated," he told the newspaper. "It removed an opportunity for me to pray in the manner of my conviction and my belief."
Attorneys for Turner have said they would appeal the case to the Supreme Court. When O'Connor sat on that body, she regularly was the deciding vote on important church-state cases decided by a 5-4 majority.
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ABC-affiliated Ottawa University names banker, alum new president
By ABP staff
OTTAWA, Kan. (ABP) -- St. Louis banker and Ottawa University graduate Kevin Eichner has been named president of his alma mater and will be the university's third leader since 2006.
Founded in 1865 and based in Ottawa, Kan., Ottawa University is affiliated with American Baptist Churches-USA through its National Ministries Board. A member of the university's board of trustees since 1982, Eichner succeeds interim president Fred Zook.
Board members appointed Zook as interim following Fred Snow's departure in July 2007. Named president a year earlier, Snow resigned to "pursue other opportunities," according to a university statement released at the time.
Eichner was president, chief executive officer and vice chairman of Enterprise Financial Services Corp., the parent company of Enterprise Bank and Trust, headquartered in St. Louis. A co-founder of the firm, he served as its CEO for six years.
Previously he was executive vice president and CEO of General American Financial, a MetLife subsidiary, for five years. He also founded Collaborative Strategies, a management consulting firm.
He received a bachelor of arts degree in social change at Ottawa in 1973 and a master of business administration degree from Harvard University in 1977.
"Kevin Eichner will serve Ottawa University well with his extensive background in strategic planning, organizational development, finance, marketing and operations," OU trustee chair Patti Wolf said in a press release.
Eichner said the post is an answer to a calling to become a university president, which he said he has felt since an undergraduate student. He reportedly turned down the presidency twice before agreeing to serve. OU officials approached him the first time three years ago, and then again when Snow resigned.
He will reside in Phoenix, Ariz., where Ottawa has a campus, for six months each year and for six months at the school's Kansas campus.
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CBF ministry to internationals takes place at home, abroad
By ABP staff
ATLANTA (ABP) -- Imagine yourself living in another country, either by choice or by circumstance. Although a professional in your home nation, you can't qualify to pursue your vocation, or perhaps your language skills aren't yet up to par. Or perhaps you are unskilled and can only find menial labor, but you need work to send money home to your family.
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel are finding ways to minister to internationals who come to the United States and to individuals who seek refuge in other countries.
In Gambia, Dabou made a living as a fisherman until the fishing industry plummeted. When he couldn't afford to feed his family, he left for Europe, where a job meant he could send money back home.
For migrants, such as Dabou, life in Europe isn't easy. It's hard to find and keep work, and there is sadness and loneliness from leaving family, friends and home behind.
But along the way some African migrants will cross paths with Joel and Tiffne Whitley, CBF field personnel serving among the large migrant community in southern Spain.
"I want others to be able to have a personal relationship with God," Tiffne said. "There are many migrants and refugees from countries in Africa who have not heard [the gospel]. It is our hope to build relationships with them, helping them with humanitarian needs and spiritual needs."
During a year of language and culture study, the Whitleys have developed relationships in two migrant neighborhoods. They've met migrants like Ester, who is from Equatorial Guinea and was thankful the Whitleys could connect her with a church, and Mamadou, who is from Senegal and has been teaching the Whitleys about migrants' greatest needs.
The Whitleys met Ester and Mamadou through a weekly food distribution. Each Wednesday morning they collect excess vegetables from a nearby produce factory. They sort, bag and distribute the produce in migrant communities.
"This small-scale food distribution has been a very meaningful and beneficial way for us to meet individuals, start friendships and nourish hungry stomachs," the Whitleys said. "We hope that in time we will be able to share the 'food of the gospel' and nourish hungry and hurting hearts."
For the Whitleys, this migrant ministry is built on prayer. They pray for those they meet on the street, around town and near their home. "Prayer is such a vital element of ministry because it puts the power where it belongs - with God," Tiffne said.
Butch and Nell Green are based at Oakland Baptist Church in Rock Hill, S.C., to help U.S. churches find ways to minister to internationals in their areas. With the Greens' encouragement, Oakland members visited CBF personnel, including the Whitleys, in several European and North African locations in 2007.
The Greens, who formerly worked among unreached people groups in Belgium said that, at one time, distance between cultures was measured by geography. Now, it is measured by differences in language, culture and worldview.
"Not only do these things create barriers to the gospel, but they create barriers to meeting social needs," Nell Green said. "The church is poised to minister holistically to the entire world right here. No longer is the career missionary the church's window to cultures far away. Now we need only look out the window into our own backyards."
With a CBF $25,000 "It's Time" grant, Oakland will help resettle three refugee families and will expand the ministry members have begun among international students at nearby Winthrop University. In a bid to help the church develop the ministry further, Oakland leaders plan to visit U.S.-based CBF field personnel working with international students.
Oakland also has a growing Spanish-speaking group that emerged from an English-as-a-Second-Language class, and a group of young people -- composed of Baptists and Muslims -- that meets regularly for dialogue.
"Once an American has been the minority, been treated with suspicion, misunderstood, completely unable to communicate, or blundered through a culture different from their own, they are better able to understand the situation of internationals in their home cities and more able and willing to get involved," Whitley said.
"Internationals living in the States may know very little about American culture, customs, norms, language," Tiffne Whitley added. "They may look and sound different, but they are people. They have a need to be accepted and understood."
Green cautioned that U.S. churches must be sensitive to individual needs. "It isn't about mass ministry," he said. "It is about seeing that one person of a different background and loving them in the way Christ would."
He suggested that church members first learn what it means to be culturally sensitive, learn about other faiths, and learn how to invite and maintain cross-cultural relationships.
Green pointed out that since virtually every college and university has some international students, churches can be intentional about ministry to them.
Thousands of refugees have been approved for settlement in America, but can't come because they have nowhere to go. Churches can connect with local agencies to provide places for them. And churches can educate others in their communities about internationals and their needs, he said.
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Comments: At the time that Revelation was written, the early Christians were persecuted by the Roman Empire, which itself was historically known as the "City of Seven Hills". The seven hills of early Rome were the Cermalus, Cispius, Fagutal, Oppius, Palatium, Sucusa and Velia. They figured prominently in Roman mythology, religion, and politics. Though the meaning of much of Revelation's imagery is subject to great debate, the "seven hills" mentioned in Revelation 17:9 referring to the seven hills of Rome is not.
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