"Matt Ols[o]n would do well to eject, but it may cost him his school"

[Don Johnson]

I don’t recall it being chapel, I thought it was a missions class, but regardless, reference to that event was scrubbed from the NIU website as well.

That is probably the case, then. I was recollecting the details from memory.

As the head of a ministry, one has the liberty to lead that ministry in the direction one feels before God it ought to go. If those who put him into leadership support it, tacitly or otherwise, then he has the authority to continue. If they oppose it, they have the power to address the situation.

As a leader, it would seem to be prudent if one wishes to be transparent to say -

1.) Here is what I did.

2.) Here is why I did it.

3.) Here is what I think about what I did.

4.) Here is what I intend to do in a similar situation in the future.

Even if one feels that he does not have to justify his actions before the naysayers, doesn’t one still have a duty as a Christian minister to be transparent? By issuing neither a statement of affirmation nor one of denial, doesn’t this only give reason for greater scrutiny?

Public figures, by their position, are subject to public scrutiny, especially the scrutiny of those who have a vested interest in a particular ministry led by them.

Isn’t the real issue one of transparency?

[dmyers]

Seems to me that Dunning misapprehends Martuneac’s carping.

FWIW, it’s Dudding​, not Dunning.

[dmyers] And Don Johnson, you’re sounding kooky. A cover-up? Of students’ Facebook photos? (And exactly how did you have access to or knowledge of those specific students’ Facebook pages?) C’mon, man. Get real. As I understand it, no one at NIU is denying NIU’s booth or Olson’s attendance at the concert; no one is “pretend[ing] like things never happened.” The only ones “playing games” are the critics.

Many people on Facebook allow others to have unfettered access to what they put online. Others pass links around. I have no idea how this particular link was discovered, someone sent it to me.

I will concede that cover-up is perhaps too strong, but when a request was made to the parties involved to republish, the offending pictures were taken down immediately. I’ll leave it at that.

If you get nothing else from the Book of Esther you should easily grasp that God raises up and later removes certain influences in His kingdom work to fill certain specific niches. Esther was one of these influences, clearly placed in position only “for such a time as this….”

Not recognizing the transience of ministries, particularly really good ones, is a mistake.

The concept of institutional perpetuity is part of the American mindset, whether it is business, family, political influence, or whatever. Anything short of that is considered failure, or incomplete success at best. This affects our ministry mindset, but does not necessarily reflect a Biblical mindset.

The face of higher education has dramatically changed since I was in college. Bachelor’s degrees mean far less than what they did 35 years ago, and are practically viewed in the general world about like a HS diploma was then. The college age population is static at best, shrinking more likely. Expenses are up. There is a glut of educational institutions that all compete for the same shrinking demographic. There are a host of other societal factors that could be mentioned, but the bottom line is this: NIU, BJU, Piedmont, Maranatha, Faith, or whoever, is basically starving for students. Even if their student bodies are currently OK, they see the handwriting on the wall and are making moves to stave off the oncoming famine. That is not a bad thing of itself.

However, institutions are really just macrocosms of the individuals that run them.

I don’t know how many have had the privilege of being truly destitute, like not knowing where the next meal is coming from, but I have, and have been blessed with friends who have as well (BTW, everybody of the faith could benefit from the experience). Among other observations from personal and others’ experiences, I know this for sure—the criteria for decision-making, what you would do or not do, where you would go or not go, etc., walks on very shaky ground when the literal decision is to eat or buy a roll of toilet paper. It is human nature.

Add to the survival instinct a mistaken notion of ministry (institutional) perpetuity, i.e. the ministry/institution must survive, and those institutions can easily find themselves making decisions, going places, considering options that they would not have at other times. It is human nature and a trademark of our society.

Not saying that the Lord does not allow, even bring about, times of hardship for the purpose of directing our thinking and decision-making. But it is times like this that extra care needs to be maintained in making those decisions/changes because walking with a clear focus of purpose and by faith is extremely hard when perceived “failure” is the only other option. After all, some of the worst decisions recorded in Scripture were basically “a man’s gotta eat” type of decisions.

I’m not excited about the direction I’m seeing NIU headed. Recruiting from the sources they are reportedly recruiting from is somewhat akin to Kentucky’s recruiting of the one-year wonders for basketball, and, like it or not, does give them a different identity. It certainly will not facilitate the historic ministry that has been the Northland trademark that we have grown to love and recognize—stable, grounded, mature graduates with an absolute heart for service and evangelizing the lost.

Maybe it is time for NIU, BJU, and other thoroughly Christian institutions to fully grasp that they might be nothing more than Esther on steroids—brought into the kingdom “for such a time as this”—and make their decisions accordingly. Even if they don’t continue, their purpose of forwarding the pure Gospel certainly does. And let’s face it, there is nothing in Scripture that demands theirs or any other institutional ministry’s perpetuity.

[Don Johnson]

I will concede that coverup is perhaps too strong, but when a request was made to the parties involved to republish, the offending pictures were taken down immediately. I’ll leave it at that.

You misconstrue my point entirely. I am not surprised that permission to republish was not given. But my point has nothing to do with that. The issue is that when requests began to be made, the pictures disappeared. I don’t know if anyone asked for them to disappear, but similar things have disappeared from the NIU site itself in the past. (I refer to the appearance of Matt’s son as mentioned by Greg above.)

Included in the link that I posted earlier about their touring team was a video showing the team performing. It has since been removed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZF7ZCkQAUxQ

(HT to LM of IDOTG)

David you beat me to post the utube address for NIU’s group, Redeemed.

I am deeply troubled by what I read on the introduction to Redeemed. “Your next step to an extraordinary life.” Is this true? Has my life been ordinary until I met this group? If anything, over hype; but at face value, an extraordinarily dangerous message for any Christian.

I am deeply troubled by what I read on the introduction to Redeemed. “Your next step to an extraordinary life.” Is this true? Has my life been ordinary until I met this group? If anything, over hype; but at face value, an extraordinarily dangerous message for any Christian.

I think it’s supposed to mean being Redeemed is your next step to an extraordinary life. At least that’s how I took it. But then, who knows. Colleges do come up with some catchy, “oversell” slogans. Anyone remember “Your Opportunity Place”?

Well, it seems that NIU’s brand clarity issues are getting clear pretty fast now.

From DavidO’s link…. (you might have to hit refresh a couple of times to get the iframe to load)

See also:

http://www.ni.edu/news-events/redeemed-to-worship

[Don Johnson]

You misconstrue my point entirely. I am not surprised that permission to republish was not given. But my point has nothing to do with that. The issue is that when requests began to be made, the pictures disappeared. I don’t know if anyone asked for them to disappear, but similar things have disappeared from the NIU site itself in the past. (I refer to the appearance of Matt’s son as mentioned by Greg above.)

They may have taken it down because they didn’t know about it prior to Lou’s link to it, since it was a post on a student’s Facebook page. That’s entirely plausible…unless what you actually want, Don, is for the school to have complete control and veto authority over all things any student can post. Is that really where you want schools to go? If not, then where would you draw the line at the responsibility of the school and the freedoms of the students? Is there really anything that you didn’t do in college that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to have on FB right now?

Please understand what I’m saying…NIU may or may not have told the student to take it down. I just don’t understand why everyone has to jump to the “coverup!!!11111!!!!1111!” level hysterics over it.

It’s funny, in a way, because I remember you telling me not to jump to conclusions on other matters that we’ve discussed on SI. Now I’m taking your advice, and the tables are turned. Let’s at least be consistent here.

@Aaron - Do you get a prize for understatement of the day? :)

I am deeply troubled by what I read on the introduction to Redeemed. “Your next step to an extraordinary life.” Is this true? Has my life been ordinary until I met this group? If anything, over hype; but at face value, an extraordinarily dangerous message for any Christian.

“Your next step to an extraordinary life” is just the school’s marketing tag. You can find it on NIU’s front web page. Every college and university has them. I’m guessing that they are assuming that incoming college students are already living an extraordinary life as a believer in Christ and NIU is the next step. I wouldn’t read into it too much.

I think that Jeff’s Straub’s post hit it right on the head. Just be transparent about the direction you are heading. Then those who make contemporary music a separation issue and a fundamental of the faith can separate and those that don’t make music a fundamental of the faith and separation issue can see NIU as an option in which to send their kids.

Don Sailor’s post also caught my attention about the historical background of NIU. That historically, BGC churches sent their students to NIU until the school turned more conservative in the BJU direction. Historically, many fundamental Bible colleges in the 1950’s and 1960’s had students from both conservative evangelical denominations and associations as well as fundamental baptist associations. My mother grew up in a BGC church and chose Grand Rapids Baptist Bible College (now Cornerstone) over the denomination’s school, Bethel. It happened all the time. Therefore having a display at a non-fundamental church to recruit college students while they are attending a BDW concert is just a modern way of reaching back to those they haven’t connected with in its earlier years.

As much as I appreciate the steps that NIU is taking (and now might even consider taking a college trip with our students up to NIU), in their group “redeemed,” the video came across quite awkward. Trying too hard to come across as relevant?

If “they” asked for the pictures to be removed then “they” are supervising the student’s FB page, as you suggest.

Anyway this is a side issue at best so I’ll leave it there.

One point of clarification: the pictures were not simply posted on a student’s Facebook page (over which, obviously, Northland would have no direct oversight). They were posted on the Facebook page of Lamplight Productions, the promotions company that hosted the concert:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.419497594799351.97669.3717475…

The concern is that this concerts division of this production company is overseen by Trevor Gearhart:

http://lamplightproductions.net/?page_id=742

Trevor is listed as the “assistant director of Admissions, advisor for the Church Ministries” at Northland:

http://www.ni.edu/about-us/faculty/trevor-gearhart

All these elements together are the recipe for the conspiratorial thinking: as word of the pictures with Olson, students, etc., got out, one with direct ties to both the admin of Northland and the production company could have pulled the pictures from the production company Facebook page.