Sign on to a Pastoral Letter to the Cornerstone University Board of Trustees

It’s business as usual at Cornerstone University. Fall has arrived. New students have come; old students have returned. People whizzing by campus on the East Beltline don’t notice anything different. They don’t know about the eight faculty members who were summoned to video conferences and summarily fired last summer, despite having signed contracts in their hands. They don’t know that this was only the most recent and egregious example of administrative malpractice that values pragmatic program makeovers more than people made in the image of God.

We’re told to pray for the school—of course we should. Think of the potential for good on this campus! We should keep praying for faculty who’ve lost longterm colleagues, for students who’ve lost their major professors, for new students who’ve shown up not realizing what’s been going on, for the staff and administrators who have to take care of business whether they’re in favor of the president’s actions or not. We especially need to pray for the CU Board of Trustees who are accountable to God for how they steward the university.

It’s time to do more than pray.

A Pastoral Letter

Pastor Randy Powell, a CU alumnus currently serving in Pennsylvania, came up with the idea of a letter of pastoral concern to the CU Board of Trustees. The letter would be signed by CU alumni/ae who serve the church pastorally. Pastor Randy wrote a draft and consulted with me and some CU alum’s. The finished letter (here) is the result of that collaboration. The letter expresses loyal appreciation for Cornerstone and the quality education the school offered in the past. It also highlights serious problems caused by the current leadership. Four specific problems are noted:

• Toxic leadership that has led to a huge turnover of faculty and staff and a campus culture of administrative intimidation.
• Absence of transparent communication to on-campus personnel and off-campus stakeholders regarding administrative actions and plans.
• Educational pragmatism that prioritizes technical and professional marketability rather than CU’s historic identity, values, and worldview formation.
• Orientation to a particular political view that polarizes the body of Christ and disenfranchises those who don’t share the one-sided agenda.

This is just a summary of the letter; please read the entire letter (here)

Speaking Truth to Power

Until now, those who are in power over CU, the Board of Trustees, have condoned and approved the leadership misdeeds that have led to the problems noted in the pastoral letter. Those of us who have no institutional power have only the power of persuasion by truth spoken in love, and it’s time to speak.

Confronting a Christian leader is a delicate, very serious matter. Scripture urges submission to those in authority (Hebrews 13:17). Yet this doesn’t mean that we have to tolerate a leader’s sinful behavior. All of us, leaders included, will give an account to God for our actions. Leaders do not have carte blanche to run roughshod over God’s people. Scripture calls us to speak truth to power when leaders are not in step with Scripture. Characteristics of faithful Christlike leaders are found in familiar passages like 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9. Put simply, leaders must be above reproach, exemplifying character traits such as humility, gentleness, and patience—traits that all true Christians value and cultivate. A leader must not be an overbearing bully who walks around with a chip on their shoulder. This is summed up well in what Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:24:

The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

1 Timothy 5:17-22 (see below) speaks to how problems with church leaders should be handled. The instructions here apply just as well to Christian leaders in other church-related organizations:

• Faithful, competent leaders should be well compensated for their labors (5:17).
• Accusations against leaders must have multiple attestation, just like the requirement for two or three witnesses in Old Testament disputes (5:19).
• Leaders who have sinned persistently should be rebuked publicly to warn others against misusing power (5:20).
• There can be no bias or favoritism in handling accusations against leaders (5:21).
• Leaders must be thoroughly vetted before being appointed (5:22a).
• Toleration of sinful behavior of leaders amounts to participation in sinful behavior (5:22b).

The relevance of this passage to the Cornerstone leadership situation is clear, painfully obvious to those whose eyes are open. So far the Cornerstone University Trustees have essentially stonewalled every internal effort to address the leadership problems. In fact, CU leadership has forced out those who have exercised appropriate channels to voice concerns. The trustees have condoned and thereby approved all of this. We pray they will finally realize their obligation to the Lord of the church and act according to scriptural truth, not personal pride or preferences.

Do More Than Pray

Make sure you read the Pastoral Letter.

This is one of those “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” situations. Some think that we who have critiqued the CU administration and trustees are way out of line. Others think we haven’t told the half of it. Who is troubling Israel? (1 Kings 18:17) All of us, whether naysayers or ayesayers, will answer to God for what we’ve said and done, so it’s a small thing what people think of us. We’re simply appealing to the individual and collective conscience of CU stakeholders, from the Board of Trustees on down (2 Cor 4:1-3). This is not a rivalry football showdown with rabid fans trying to shout louder than the people across the field. This is the business of the Kingdom of God.

If you’re happy with business as usual at Cornerstone University, I’d ask you one last time to make sure you’re informed. Read the Voice of CU Site. Read the Flip SIde podcast. Read my posts on what’s been happening. If after all that’s happened you’re still good with the current CU administration and direction, this pastoral letter is not for you. Keep praying for the school.

If you’re convinced that the last few years at Cornerstone have been a blight on the the school’s history and values, not to mention a detriment to the wider body of Christ and the Kingdom of God, join me and others in signing Pastor Powell’s letter by December 1, 2024. There are two options, depending on who you are:

• If you’re a CU alum from undergraduate and/or graduate programs currently serving in a pastoral role, go here to add your name to the list of those who want the board of trustee to know of your disapproval of the current administration.
• Maybe you’re a CU alum not serving in the ministry, or maybe you’re a pastor who’s not a CU alum but you’ve supported CU and encouraged students to go there, or maybe you’re a former faculty or staff member, a parent of a CU alum, a donor, or a prayer-warrior. If you’re a CU stakeholder of this sort who disapproves of current CU leadership, go here to sign the letter.

Finally, whatever results from this pastoral letter, keep praying for Cornerstone University and Cornerstone Theological Seminary, and keep speaking the truth in love.

• • • • • • •

I Timothy 5:17-22 NLT

Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.  For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” [Deuteronomy 25:4] And in another place, “Those who work deserve their pay!” [Leviticus 19:13]

Do not listen to an accusation against an elder unless it is confirmed by two or three witnesses. Those who sin should be reprimanded in front of the whole church; this will serve as a strong warning to others.

I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.

Never be in a hurry about appointing a church leader. Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.