SWBTS Trustee Chairman’s email released . . .
Topic: Benjamin Cole, SBC News, SBC Seminaries, SWBTS| Written by: Benjamin Cole|
Last year when the Klouda ordeal became publicized, SWBTS Trustee Chairman Van McClain — himself an Old Testament professor at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary — responded to media inquiries from the Dallas Morning News. In McClain’s affidavit, on file with the Federal District Clerk, the trustee chairman alleges that his statements in this attached email were misinterpreted.
Klouda’s hiring, McClain suggests, was a result of a “momentary lax of the parameters.”
From this email with Dallas Morning News reporter Sam Hodges, we learn that former SWBTS President Ken Hemphill has been interviewed about Southwestern’s policy on women teaching Hebrew in the School of Theology. McClain also references former SWBTS Professor Karen Bullock, though he fails to elaborate on the circumstance of her dismissal.
Nevertheless, I find it interesting that McClain can allege that a combined thirteen years of women teaching in the School of Theology at Southwestern is “momentary.”
March 5th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Somewhere along the line, the phrase “lapse of the parameters,” which makes sense, either was dictated to a secretary, or somehow was changed, owing to a “lax” review before being sent.
This is a kind interpretation. Textual criticism, if you please. Otherwise, it sounds like Archie Bunker was the author.
March 5th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Does anyone else find it curious that the last sentence in the second paragraph .. the words “…anything that could be expressed as its duty or responsibility” are in a different font from the rest of the email? That’s not something that happens accidentally, particularly when the letters therein seem to be of two different sizes of type.
Does anyone wonder what the original Email said?
March 5th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Bob,
In many emails I have written, I have done a “cut and paste” from another source and the pasted area was in a different font. I have sent emails out with those characteristics without noticing it until I read a reply which included my original.
I guess my point is that a different font doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t a part of the original email.
Blessings.
March 5th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
You may remember Archie.
He was troubled that Meathead had friends who were known thespians.
March 5th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
It’s remarkable that he referred to Karen Bullock because she was canned in a way similar to that of Dr. Klouda. She just chose not to sue.
March 5th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Saying that this is consistent with the BFM 2000 is a stretch, and the last paragraph is particularly laughable.
That a person like this could be a trustee chairman at a seminary is a sad commentary on the SBC.
March 5th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
McClain’s memory is incomplete.
Elizabeth Barnes was elected to teach theology at SEBTS in the late 1980s. She was elected by a 1 vote margin.
BSC
March 5th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Elizabeth Barnes speaker for
VBWIM dinner
http://www.baptistwomeninministry.org/vol_6_2.pdf
http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=24012040
1. 7/31/2001
Elizabeth Barnes has retired as professor of theology at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
March 6th, 2008 at 1:05 am
Question: Is there any evidence that will move the supporters of Dr. Klouda to believe that the seminary was within its rights to let her go?
Is there any evidence that could be brought forward to make the supporters of Dr. Patterson believe that he was doing the wrong thing?
We are like the Dems and Reps. To Hillary and Barack, nothing Bush does is every good in any way.
To conservatives, every move of Hillary or Barack is calculated to ruin our great nation.
We pick our sides, choose our evidence and refuse to see anything that contradicts what we believe.
March 6th, 2008 at 2:21 am
Dave,
I can only speak for myself, but I would say that yes, there is a way I could believe that the Seminary was in its rights to let her go. As soon as a court declares they were, I’ll go with that. However, from a theological standpoint (and perhaps from an ethical one) I doubt I’ll be convinced that the Bible prohibits women from teaching men Biblical Hebrew or that the matter was handled in a non-duplicitous way.
Even now, in the School of Education, women are teaching men the Bible. At least I hope they are. If they’re not then I would like to know what Dr. Patterson hired them for.
March 6th, 2008 at 2:39 am
Ben Cole,
Did Dr Patterson hire Dr. Elizabeth Barnes was elected to teach theology at SEBTS in the late 1980s. She was elected by a 1 vote margin?
March 6th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Do you really want to bring the School of education into this?
I remember when I was at SWBTS, in the student center, they had those toilet paper dispensers that gave you one sheet at a time.
Someone had written over the top “education diplomas”
Was that unkind?
March 6th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Dave,
I know, I know. We MDiv snobs called it the “cut and paste” building. However, I do still have the required text from my Education Ministry in the Church class (the Christian Education Handbook, by Bruce Powers) and it not only references a Scripture passage in the Introduction, it even uses the word “Bible” several times. It even has a chapter entitled “Christian Education and Theology.”
While I’m certain that this book would not see the light of day in a contemporary Southern Baptist Seminary, they at least tried to vaguely tie Christian Education in with theological instruction when I was in seminary in the late 80s. Maybe they do things differently these days.
March 6th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
All I remember about the prof who taught my education class at Southwestern was that he was a national chamption quick-draw artist.
That was 1981.
March 7th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
To add to BSC’s comment about Elizabeth Barnes at SEBTS in the 1980s, don’t forget also about Molly Marshall at SBTS in the 1980s and 1990s, also a trustee elected faculty member (though I don’t know by how many trustee votes)