An Open Letter from Dr. Matt Olson of Northland International University
Dear Friends in Ministry,
Thank you for your demonstration of true friendship over these past few months. So many of you have called, emailed, and written me. Yes, God has been doing great things. Yet, when He does, the pot gets stirred. Conflict often follows.
What God has been doing among us…
I thought it would be helpful for me to share a few thoughts concerning recent events at Northland as well as our process of thought. My prayer each day is that God would give us grace to work through our present opportunities and challenges in ways that fulfill His purposes for us and that please Him most. Never has there been a more exciting day to prepare this next generation for Great Commission living or to advance kingdom causes!
January 2008: I began praying for God to do “greater things” here at Northland. It seemed to me that the church as a whole had grown cold with the works of men and was crying out for the works of God to be manifest. I prayed to that end:
- For God to give us vision and clarity for what He wanted at Northland.
- For wisdom in navigating from where we were to where we needed to be.
- For boldness and grace—as we knew the process would be difficult.
- For abundant provision.
- For His name alone to be magnified.
In many ways God has been answering those prayers and has blessed Northland beyond our expectations. We felt, however, that this was only the beginning.
August 15, 2010: I began a forty day journey of fasting and prayer for the works of God to be manifested and for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. I took this step of faith with some uncertainty—not really knowing how I would do or what God would do. I was certain that I was not content to coast through this final stretch of life and ministry without seeing God do something much more. I have been longing for “greater things.” Dr. Ollila, the administration, faculty, and staff joined me in this. I wish I could share all that has taken place. It has been an incredible time!
What I did not expect was the testing that would follow. Yet, now I realize this to be a familiar pattern in scripture and in history. So, we take it from the Lord and respond with strength and grace that He gives. Sometimes our motives and actions can be misunderstood and miscommunicated. I know that happens. I have always felt that the best response would be to communicate in a positive way. The following are a few points of clarification on what is happening at Northland:
1. The Way of Discipleship
We have superseded our demerit system with what we feel is a biblical model of discipleship. In reality, it is a re-commitment to a means of discipleship that has already been present at Northland. We just took away an artificial demerit system that was awkwardly laid on top of our student system of governance. Our standards and expectations remain the same. But, the way we confront and encourage is relational and the consequences practical. Quite honestly, it is a lot more work with this new way. But, it’s more biblical. And it already appears to be yielding better results. We see “The Way of Discipleship” in the spirit of Matthew 5 where Jesus “raised the bar” from the Old Testament law. We believe grace expects more—and deepens more. While we see our system as a “work in progress,” we have been very pleased with the responses of our students, faculty, and staff.
2. Our Music Philosophy
Philosophically, it is unchanged. Let me say it again…unchanged. What we have always been trying to do, and will continue to do into the future, is to make sure Northland’s practice of music (as with every aspect of the Christian life) is built principally on clear teachings from the Bible rather than on reactionary, extra-biblical reasoning that has proven to be troublingly insufficient when exported to cultures beyond American borders. We believe the Bible is sufficient to bring us to right and God-honoring positions regardless of time and culture. Even though we haven’t changed our music at a philosophical level, we are changing our music on a missional level. Where you will see changes is in our intent to expand our training to prepare students for worship and music globally. This only makes sense because, as you may have noticed, Northland International University has become more and more an international, global ministry with a passion to take the gospel where it is not proclaimed. Over 41% of the world’s population is still without a Gospel witness. This has become our students’ burden. Our Director of Fine Arts, Kevin Suiter, has recently informed us he does not believe he can take us forward in this way and thus has announced his plans to move on. We wish Kevin and Grace the best and thank them for the investments they have made here.
3. Our Guest Speakers
We invited two speakers that have generated some questions.
a. Rick Holland. Dr. Holland is the Executive Pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, where John MacArthur is senior pastor. Since we get many questions concerning John MacArthur and where he is in regard to fundamentalism, we decided that the best way to address this was to meet him face to face. In April of this year, Les Ollila, Doug McLachlan, Sam Horn, and I went to California and sat down with Dr. MacArthur, Rick Holland, and Phil Johnson (Executive Director of Grace to You). We had an excellent visit and found that while we did not agree on everything, we did agree on the most substantive issues of life and ministry. While we realize we function in different circles and with different constituencies, we appreciated what they were doing. I invited Rick to visit our campus to see what we were doing at Northland, meet with our Bible faculty, and speak in chapel. This was an opportunity to get to know one another and discuss significant issues of our day.
b. Bruce Ware. Dr. Ware is a professor at Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville. He is a well-recognized teacher and author. We have invited him to teach half of an advanced-degree seminar on a specialty subject our leading pastors need to be fully versed in. Why? Because Dr. Ware has written so skillfully and authoritatively on this particular topic. This seminar is for experienced, mature pastors who are presently in ministry. We see this as appropriate in the academic context and the type of thing we have done in the past for the very same reasons. In fact, most seminaries bring adjunct professors in to address key issues that they believe helpful. Never has this been intended as a move to align with any other group.
We did not see that having these speakers would be a significant problem. Biblically, we worked through a process of decision making and felt these choices and the context in which they were made were consistent with what we have always believed. Knowing now that these decisions might be confusing, misunderstood, or miscommunicated, we would likely have planned differently. We have no desire to distract from our focus here or on the field of ministry.
We affirm that Northland stands in the historic tradition of Fundamentalism and is committed to remain as an independent, Baptist, separatist institution. We will do our best to serve the local church, which we believe is the primary institution ordained of God to carry out the Great Commission. We respect the autonomy of the local church, the priesthood of the believer, and individual soul liberty. We know that other Fundamentalists will develop different applications based on biblical authority and the principles that flow from it. We will do our best to defer to our brothers in Christ but refuse to be swayed by party politics, threats, and pressures. While deference brings unity, the fear of man paralyzes our ability to serve Christ. In the spirit of Galatians 1, we will serve Christ.
Sometimes I have to smile when I think about the politics in college ministry. Early on I found that I had to just keep it simple: do the right thing, keep a right spirit, communicate the best I can, and leave the results to God. That is all I can do. That’s what I will do. I am not disappointed with differing views and opinions or even challenges that come from healthy critics. These help me grow. What I do think needs to be confronted in our movement is the lack of biblical process in responding to one another when we have questions or disagreements.
We must keep our focus. A friend of mine shared this with me, and I found it to be a great encouragement:
Stick with your work. Do not flinch because the lion roars; do not stop to stone the devil’s dogs; do not fool away your time chasing the devil’s rabbits. Do your work. Let liars lie, let sectarians quarrel, let critics malign, let enemies accuse, let the devil do his worst; but see to it nothing hinders you from fulfilling with joy the work God has given you. He has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed. He has never bidden you to defend your character. He has not set you at work to contradict falsehood about yourself which Satan’s or God’s servants may start to peddle, or to track down every rumor that threatens your reputation. If you do these things, you will do nothing else; you will be at work for yourself and not for the Lord. Keep at your work. Let your aim be as steady as a star. You may be assaulted, wronged, insulted, slandered, wounded and rejected, misunderstood, or assigned impure motives; you may be abused by foes, forsaken by friends, and despised and rejected of men. But see to it with steadfast determination, with unfaltering zeal, that you pursue the great purpose of your life and object of your being until at last you can say, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.”
If you have further questions or comments, please feel free to write or call me. I welcome that. We have never been more excited about our future than we are now. Doc O and I believe that God is moving in a very special way and that the evidence is seen in both the abundant blessing of God and in the attacks of the Devil. We have the greatest and most exciting opportunity in the world—preparing this next generation of servant leaders for Great Commission living. Pray with us as we move boldly forward for the cause of Christ.
Your friend and fellow servant,
MO
- 266 views
First of all, Pastors all over the world-wide web are understanding your article as a call for separation for Northland. It is not right. You do not immediately cut off a ministry because they sent out one letter that explained a couple of speaker decisions that made the greater fundamentalist body concerned. Separation would come at the end of a biblical process, not at the beginning. The rush to separate from Northland is just not Scriptural. I also find it inconsistent that we can go around and find other schools that have made bad speaker choices from time to time and there were no articles on those schools. Christians are not stupid people and they see these glaring inconsistencies.
I have never been to Northland, but my guess is that if I were there today, the singing at the chapel service would be way on the conservative end of the spectrum of professing Christendom in this world. They may sing a contemporary song or two with a piano, which is done at most Christian colleges in every fundamentalist camp. Yet we have had a bru ha ha that is leading people to get a false idea that Northland could be a place where Matt Olson might be dancing in the isles sporting his new mohawk while his worship team is rapping. It is just a false picture, but rushes to separate stir these kind of images in this polarized culture that we find ourselves in.
Secondly, hasty separation does breed a false image of people that makes them out to be worse people that they really are. I am out of time. Have to take the kids to school but would be more than glad to expand on this more later if needed.
If we are concerned about purity and holiness then we must be concerned about these things. So, stop dismissing them as straw men.
Several points you made are certainly valid. I do not find biblical precedent for a demerit system, nor do I find the system void of benefit. There must be a balance of both training and discipleship, I am sure Northland has taken this into consideration as decisions were made.
I couldn’t agree more that fundamentalism should not be defined by men, but by the Word! I appreciate past leaders in fundamentalism and current leaders in fundamentalism, but my loyalty, as yours, is to Christ and the Bible. I do follow Kevin Bauder’s weekly posts with interest and sometimes with questions.
I do not know Kevin Suiter, but I would love to hear from him. I think there is too much assumed by us all (me included) as to why he is not continuing at Northland. Music is a difficult area and some meaningful dialogue might benefit us all.
Thanks again for a gracious spirit and thoughtful words!
Cgrif
[Don Johnson]Becky,
Well, Joe, I guess that settles it then, doesn’t it? I mean, no one answered YOUR question, so now you get to answer it for them? Do you imagine that those who support PCC, West Coast, etc actually would list Northland as their second choice?
I look forward to you calling out Don Johnson for his use of sarcasm.
Or perhaps it might be better that we get treated like grown-ups who don’t need someone to monitor our postings for using literary devices that someone doesn’t like.
Dan
Dan Burrell Cornelius, NC Visit my Blog "Whirled Views" @ www.danburrell.com
You see clear examples in this discussion of people who would like to influence but (fortunately in my opinion) have absolutely no chance to because of the way they go about it.
I constantly need reminders of this. Taking arrogant, rude and dogmatic stands entertains your base but does little else. When some people just open their mouth, they drive people away from their position.
I just wanted to point out that because it is extremely rare to see anyone soften on their position on SI and yet we just saw it with CGrif because of Joel’s approach.
…maybe Yoga isn’t such a terrible thing after all.
Now, on sarcasm: you do find it in the Bible occasionally so it’s hard to say it’s bad across the board. On the other hand, are discussions on sensitive subjects usually short on emotion? I mean, are we in danger of too much clear thinking happening? Probably not. And the sarcasm ups the emotional ante. I’m not going to berate people for using it but… do please reflect on whether it’s helpful at this point. (In addition to adding more of what we already have too much of, who is it going to persuade to change their thinking? It just hardens or further agitates those who don’t share your opinion)
To move back toward topic…
Well, is there anything more to say on topic? I’m not sure there is. :)
Edit: OK. Maybe this.
CGrif expresses what I don’t doubt lots of folks are thinking. And I sympathize. It’s not quite my point of view, but times are changing and that’s unsettling. I’m old enough to like stuff to stay the same (except when I’m tired of it and change it myself!). All I can say to CGrif is that applying the unchanging principles of Scripture to “life where we live” is shooting at a moving target. Much has shifted in the years since Okenga called for a new evangelicalism and the National Association of Evangelicals was founded. And the scene continues to change. So lines and boundaries are not only going to chage. They absolutely have to.
It’s just going to be unsettling and controversial as it happens because it’s not easy to figure out how they should move and where.
(One more thing for CGrif: I like demerits, too. Well, sort of. It think abandoning the system is OK, but it will just be replaced by a system of fines or something else. You can’t really run an institution without rules with teeth. It doesn’t have all that much to do with sanctification. It has to do with running things decently and in order.)
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
[Pastor Joe Roof] Don,They would be seriously misunderstanding what I am saying, then. My article was criticism of a political letter designed to quell the fears of those who might object to change by saying that changes mean Northland is staying the same. You are familiar with the story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, right? That is how I see Matt’s attempt to explain his changes as non-changes.
First of all, Pastors all over the world-wide web are understanding your article as a call for separation for Northland.
[Pastor Joe Roof] You do not immediately cut off a ministry because they sent out one letter that explained a couple of speaker decisions that made the greater fundamentalist body concerned. Separation would come at the end of a biblical process, not at the beginning. The rush to separate from Northland is just not Scriptural.Please show me where I was calling for separation from Northland. I will be happy to publish a clarification of those points in a new article. I am serious, I am not being sarcastic. Show me where I called for separation.
[Pastor Joe Roof] Christians are not stupid people and they see these glaring inconsistencies.Umm…. maybe I should leave that one alone… but could we perhaps change it to say Christians are no more stupid than anyone else?
[Pastor Joe Roof] I have never been to Northland, but my guess is that if I were there today, the singing at the chapel service would be way on the conservative end of the spectrum of professing Christendom in this world. They may sing a contemporary song or two with a piano, which is done at most Christian colleges in every fundamentalist camp. Yet we have had a bru ha ha that is leading people to get a false idea that Northland could be a place where Matt Olson might be dancing in the isles sporting his new mohawk while his worship team is rapping. It is just a false picture, but rushes to separate stir these kind of images in this polarized culture that we find ourselves in.Joe, who is talking like this? Matt mentioned music in his letter. He brought the subject up. I have no idea what he means by it, but clearly something is changing at Northland about music. But I didn’t raise the point in my article because whatever Matt means by ‘missional’, this isn’t the area of greatest concern or clearest problems for me.
But Matt dancing in the isles (Pacific isles, maybe???), sporting a Mohawk? Come on, man, you’re hyper-ventilating. No one in the discussions I have read could possibly be construed to be presenting this kind of argument. You are building straw men again. You’re going to have to stop that if you hope to be taken seriously.
[Pastor Joe Roof] If we are concerned about purity and holiness then we must be concerned about these things. So, stop dismissing them as straw men.Stop building them then. Deal with what people actually say, not your emotional reaction to what you think they are saying.
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
And thank God, none of these men are in league with the very powerful, religious General Authorities of the I-15 Corridor.
[RickyHorton] This thread is a perfect example of why people are running out of the church. You can’t make a move without being second guessed by everyone around you! Enough already!!I don’t see it this way
Prefatory remark: I support Matt Olson’s decision. I emailed my comment to NIU directly. Content:
Subject: Thoughts on Holland / Ware kerfuffle 1–––-
Dear Brother Olson,
I applaud you for the course Northland has followed and the direction it is going
If a school is known by the quality of its graduates, the young people who have graduated from Northland and are now serving at 4th Baptist is a strong positive indicator of NIU.
Keep up the good work!
Sincerely
Jim Peet
Deacon
4th Baptist Church
Plymouth MN
The Olson letter / Holland & Ware invitation / the “change” since 2005 (And I do think it is a change for the positive):
- Raise interesting points about secondary separation or degrees of separation
- If NIU is a “fundamantalist in name” institution (and I think it is!) and Holland / John MacArthur are not “fundamentalists in name” 2, it is a bridge (some say negative … others positive) that is not frequently crossed
- The use of Ware for the D Min class is in my view a very positive academic direction. Were I to pay for that class, I think I would profit from his experience and work in the field.
- I like the word http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kerfuffle] kerfuffle
- I don’t know Holland but in my view MacArthur is a fundamentalist in practice (but not to the degree some fundamentalists acknowledge or value!)
On second guessing Matt Olson: I personally am not second guessing him; but because he made his letter open to supporters I think it is fair game that people would discuss it
On people running out of churches because of this discussion: Don’t see that this discussion threatens anybody or endangers the church!
Edit - fixed glaring typo for kerfuffle. JC
[GregH] Kudos to Joel T for showing how to communicate and actually influence people.I believe iron can sharpen iron when a brother offers gracious thoughts and meaningful words. It does not always mean the mind is changed but I am thankful for a friend (though I do not know the man) who has given me more to consider and contemplate. Our points of view (great phrase) are often different and rightfully so, but it is refreshing to be able to share thoughts about a situation that still concerns me, and hear another mans perspective. I am encouraged and will continue to think and pray for Brother Olson, Northland and myself! I am looking for the mind of God, from the Word of God in these changing (no negative connotation implied) times! May God help us!
You see clear examples in this discussion of people who would like to influence but (fortunately in my opinion) have absolutely no chance to because of the way they go about it.
I constantly need reminders of this. Taking arrogant, rude and dogmatic stands entertains your base but does little else. When some people just open their mouth, they drive people away from their position.
I just wanted to point out that because it is extremely rare to see anyone soften on their position on SI and yet we just saw it with CGrif because of Joel’s approach.
Cgrif
[Todd Wood] Yes. West Coast. Large, growing influence among independent Baptist Churches west of Denver.However, I’ve seen little influence in Northern California.
Hoping to shed more light than heat..
My article was criticism of a political letter designed to quell the fears of those who might object to change by saying that changes mean Northland is staying the same. You are familiar with the story of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, right? That is how I see Matt’s attempt to explain his changes as non-changes.Underlining was added by me.
If I may offer one small illustration of “change” in the midst of “not changing”…
The intent is to use an illustration that is exceedingly obvious for the sake of clarity; I do not wish to be unclear.
Public speaking! Personally, I have never really enjoyed the activity; I’m generally a quiet person, who speaks rarely. However, for God we often do things that we would rather not do. We are His “doulos,” and it is our duty and privilege to obey. Sometimes a public speaking endeavor will take place with an audience of children. 1st through 3rd graders are a fun bunch to work with! Especially with the 1st graders, you never know what the random comment will be about. It is both a challenging and rewarding time working with children. It forces one to reduce a message to its most essential parts, and then one has to present the material in such a way as to be understood. Keeping their attention is also difficult at times, and it has often shown me how my gaze wanders from the One who I should be focused on. God’s patience is obviously so much more than my own. The point is that I have a message. Ultimately it should be solidly founded upon the Scripture. The message, the content of what I must speak, must never change. If the message is not from Scripture, then it ceases to have its authority; and my speaking is reduced to opinion. Certainly, I’m further along than the kids; and I may know more than them; but the sheer authority is massively (understatement) lessened. The content must not change, but certainly my method of communicating to the kids must be tailored to the kids. I cannot plow through Greek or Hebrew grammar and use heavy theological words that will leave them with no comprehension. However, it is surprising how quickly they do pick up the theological terms when explained! The purpose is two fold. I must be faithful to Scripture, and I must communicate clearly to the kids.
However, if I am talking to a professor on line, or if I am discussing historical theology with someone who is a history buff, then I will say the same thing in a much “different” manner. My audience has shifted! It would be intellectually demeaning to a professor to talk to him like he was a 6 year old. I’m writing on line right now, and I used the Greek word “doulos” with the realization that probably most of my readers fully understand what the word means. Again, my method of communication is tailored to who I am talking to. HOWEVER, my purpose is still two fold. I must be faithful to Scripture (as my speech must be seasoned with salt, and people should know me for my kindness and peacableness), and I must communicate clearly to my audience.
Again, this is a demonstration of “change” in the midst of “not changing”.
These words above are written to explain how one can charitable read Matt Olson’s words. The foundation is still the same; nothing has changed. However, obviously things have changed. This is not politics, deception, or compromise. A charitable reading recognizes the nuance, as Christians are to be known for their charity. Certainly, our ultimate allegiance is to the LORD, but that allegiance demands christian charity to our brothers and sisters in Christ; the allegiance does not exclude it.
Perhaps this small attempt to promote understanding will be helpful to others.
Caleb
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