Professor Dismissed by Southwest Baptist University

[rlvaughn]

A Call for Action: We Want Bass Back

Dr. Clint Bass was dismissed from Southwest Baptist University (SBU) on November 28, 2018 with no severance. This Friday (December 21, 2018), Dr. Bass will have 30 minutes to appeal to a committee of trustees before administration is given 30 minutes to respond.

Dr. Bass is genuinely aligned with the doctrine of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC). Unlike many of his colleagues, Dr. Bass embraces with enthusiasm the Baptist Faith & Message (BFM) 2000. When Dr. Bass informed SBU’s administration of his concerns about the doctrinal instability of the college of theology and ministry, they demanded under threat of dismissal, that he surrender his personal diary of notes supporting his concerns. Upon providing such documentation, those accused either denied or repositioned, and as a result, administration fired Dr. Bass.

The above linked page has a number of links to original documentation re this controversy whether Southwest Baptist University of Bolivar, Missouri (et al.) -- which is affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention -- is truly and sincerely aligned with the doctrine of the Missouri Baptist Convention and the Baptist Faith & Message 2000.

 

[Rob_BW]

Wow, that's crazy. I see they don't offer an MDiv, just a Master of Arts in Christian Ministry.

These local schools are all seeming to go off the rails. Ours "broke up" with the state convention a decade ago, there's no way I would recommend Campbell Divinity school over Southeastern, or even over an online program from Liberty.

 

[Jerome]

David Dockery brought in to clean up after fired associate professor Clint Bass blasts former colleagues:

Baptist Press January 2, 2019

"The day after Bass released his statement, SBU issued a news release announcing it had 'commissioned an external peer assessment committee that will lead a University-wide dialogue regarding faith and learning. Included within this assessment will be deeper conversations and evaluations regarding orthodoxy.' The committee will be chaired, SBU stated, by David Dockery, president of Trinity International University."

"SBU told Baptist Press in a Jan. 2 statement;, 'As the University has previously stated publicly, a faculty member at SBU was provided a Notice of Dismissal that outlined personal behavior concerning conduct violations of SBU's Faculty Handbook. Since the employee's dismissal, public discussions have mischaracterized the theological views and stances of the University.'"

"In defense of SBU, a Dec. 22 blog post by one of Bass's former SBU faculty colleagues, Zach Manis, claimed Bass was fired for 'gross professional misconduct' and defended the theological orthodoxy of faculty....Rodney Reeves, dean of Redford College....said he affirmed the inerrancy of Scripture and had been 'grieving for days over Clint's dismissal'....a letter from SBU President Eric Turner....noted among 'grounds for dismissal' 'collecting evidence and ascribing views to [faculty colleagues] without personal interaction' and 'use of non-credible information to formulate accusations against fellow faculty members'....'Bass made serious allegations' orally to Turner and SBU Provost Lee Skinkle regarding his 'colleagues' personal and theological positions,' Turner wrote. 'The allegations made were determined as unfounded' following 'a systematic inquiry' by Skinkle. Turner accused Bass of using 'notes and accusations as leverage' after being denied a promotion."

 

[rlvaughn]

Clean up or cover up? It will be interesting to see.

 

[Jerome]

What?

According to SEBTS Provost Bruce Ashford, Trinity's president David Dockery is "the doyen of Christian higher education":

President Dockery lauded

 

[rlvaughn]

Don't know anything about Dockery, but I suspect the school won't be happy with full disclosure. (Bass probably won't be either.) The professor and school are saying things that are definitely contradictory. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

In the Baptist Press article linked above it mentions the professor "collecting evidence and ascribing views to [faculty colleagues] without personal interaction." On the other hand, this Overview of Evidence mentions times when the professor directly communicated with his colleagues about these matters.

 

[MartyF]

Reading through "the evidence", it seems like Dr. Bass is a bit of a tattle tale.

Regardless, I believe both sides need to look up and read the parable of the Wheat and the Darnels.

 

[PastoralMusings]

Interesting piece from P&P.
The Evidence Against Rodney Reeves and Southwest Baptist University

 

[Jerome]

Documents Reveal Plot to Remove Other Profs

he “surreptitiously maintained notes” on colleagues, but instead only raised allegations “as leverage” after a promotion denial.

associate professor Clint Bass

 

[rlvaughn]

Here is a recent article on the review from Baptist News:
Professor’s firing leads to outside review of teaching at Baptist university

 

[PastoralMusings]

Numerous issues are present. One is the nasty nature of politics. Another is the issue that confessionalism is important, and that the local church is probably the better place for theological studies to take place, as it is the “Pillar and ground of the truth.”
It will be interesting how this turns out.

 

[Rob_BW]

Numerous issues are present. One is the nasty nature of politics. Another is the issue that confessionalism is important, and that the local church is probably the better place for theological studies to take place, as it is the “Pillar and ground of the truth.”
It will be interesting how this turns out.

I see the faculty saying "baptists aren't credal."

Ok, sure. But if you're employed by a parachurch entity, who's salary is funded by the members of a convention, and your job description includes training young minds, then it's not out of the question to require a bit of orthodoxy.

No one is forcing you to affirm a creed, because no one is forcing you to take the job.

 

[Jerome]

Unanimous decision to uphold firing of Clint Bass

Plus, problem trustee censured and excluded:

fired associate professor Clint Bass

"According to the Jan. 23 SBU news release, Bass's dismissal was upheld by unanimous vote of the Educational Policies and Personnel Committee. 'The dismissal is based upon conduct that was in violation of the Faculty Handbook,' the release stated.

Specifically: "among other violations of faculty policy, of 'collecting evidence and ascribing views to [faculty colleagues] without personal interaction' and 'use of non-credible information to formulate accusations against fellow faculty members.'"

A Jan. 24 SBU release stated the full board 'voted to affirm its longstanding commitment to traditional Baptist theology, including the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.' All Redford College faculty previously made an 'affirmation of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000'....Trustee vice chair Ryan Palmer said in a Jan. 24 release, 'We want to reassure Missouri Baptists that our board stands for the same core Biblical values that we all believe and share. We are all committed Missouri Baptists.'"

"trustees also censured and excluded one trustee from the board....Regarding the excluded trustee, board chair Mark Rains stated in a Jan. 22 release, 'Serving on the Board of Trustees is a serious responsibility, and trustees cannot have divided loyalties. The SBU Board of Trustees Conflict of Interest Policy states, 'Any member who has a conflict of interest, actual or perceived, shall be disqualified from service as a trustee.' We felt our trust had been violated by the board member's actions.'"

 

[Rob_BW]

Did the article say what Rains did to earn exclusion? I didn’t see it.

 

[Jerome]

It wasn't Rains!
Trustee Chairman Rains was the one explaining that conflict of interest and violation of trust concerns demanded the censure and exclusion of a trustee. The problem trustee was not named.

 

[Rob_BW]

It wasn't Rains!
Trustee Chairman Rains was the one explaining that conflict of interest and violation of trust concerns demanded the censure and exclusion of a trustee. The problem trustee was not named.

Aw, my bad.

So they're all in agreement. Except the unnamed guy excluded for unnamed crimes. Because...at this point transparency is overrated?

 

[Jerome]

Did the article say what [the censured trustee] did to earn exclusion? I didn’t see it.

conflict of interest and violation of trust

unnamed guy excluded for unnamed crimes

Turns out it was new trustee Kyle Lee, youth director at (former) professor Bass's church!
Bass and Lee are 'elders' at the Southern Hills church (plus their pastor is on the Convention's trustee nominating committee! How convenient...)

SBU Trustees Affirm Dismissal of Professor

the trustee involved was Kyle Lee, who serves along with Bass as an elder at Southern Hills Baptist Church in Bolivar, Mo. Lee was just elected as an SBU trustee....However, the Board action means Lee will not receive any Board documents nor be included in Board functions for an undefined time.

Mark Rains, chairman of SBU’s Board of Trustees:

Serving on the Board of Trustees is a serious responsibility, and trustees cannot have divided loyalties...The SBU Board of Trustees Conflict of Interest Policy states, ‘Any member who has a conflict of interest, actual or perceived, shall be disqualified from service as a trustee.’ We felt our trust had been violated by the board member’s actions.i

I don't understand why Lee wouldn't just recuse himself from this matter. It's an obvious conflict of interest.

 

[rlvaughn]

Interesting follow-up concerning Southwest Baptist University at SBC Voices:
Doctrinal Concerns of Southwest Baptist University Alumni

We have read a recent press release from SBU stating that there has been a “previous affirmation of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 that has been made by all faculty of the Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry.” This report has invoked incredulity and bewilderment from all of us, as we consider our own experience in the Redford College alongside recent statements that have surfaced from an on-campus forum.

 

[JPPT1974]

More like a cover up than a clean up there.

 

[Jerome]

More like a cover up than a clean up there.

Huh? The committee investigating Clint Bass's accusations against his former colleagues is being led by a longtime Councilmember of The Gospel Coalition, Dr. David Dockery.

This latest salvo is inappropriate imo, as the committee is still at work and its evaluation is not due until summer:

Peer Assessment Committee visits Southwest Baptist University

"Dockery said the committee’s work will continue during the months ahead with another campus visit before May graduation. It is anticipated that an executive summary of the committee’s work will be released sometime this summer."