Updated: Matt Olson rehired by Northland

Tyler, you are a bit quick to the draw. Unless you know something no one else seems to know, you are not qualified to be making the statements you make. Why not extend some grace instead of your uninformed opinions?

Ok, I think we’ve all said enough to poor TylerR. Let’s move on.

"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells

NIU reversed on their termination of Dr Olson. I watched the chapel service for the record. Nice rock band ;-) This begs a few questions:

1) Why did they fire him in the first place? Was it money/fund-raising? If so, and that seems to be reason presented, what has changed to warrant hiring him back?

2) If the firing was over money/fund-raising, the timing was atrocious given the seriousness of the music battle. Explanation?

3) Is the board endorsing all of the changes (music/majors etc)? It seems they are.

4) Most interesting, was there a coup on the board? I kind of smell one…Perhaps some of the “old timers” pushed for Olson to leave. A controversy erupted. The old guys are pushed off, new people are brought on, the younger Daniel Patz takes over the board, and they re-hire Olson.

What is the “box” that the percussionist is striking in the band?

Dear Concerned Brethren,

I’d like to introduce a German term into the discussion: Denkpause: Duden, the German “Funk & Wagnalls” says Denkepause means: Pause, die jemand bei Gesprächen, Verhandlungen zum weiteren Nachdenken über etwas einlegt. The pause one inserts in discussions, negotiations for further meditation about something.

NIU has just had a major crisis. (Of whatever sort.) Perhaps this would be a good time for some serious meditation about words, actions, attitudes and consequences within the ranks!

Something went wrong. Some adjustments are needed. It is probably not time for jubilation, or for venting!

Consider (y)our ways! and where they lead! Take a Denkpause!

Joel

One can always use more time to think, and we should often take that time, though we don’t do so enough.

(For Joel): As the saying goes - “Denke nie gedacht zu haben…”

Dave Barnhart

Watched the message from the video link above. The remarks were gracious and God-honoring. The man who spoke acknowledged failures to adequately communicate intentions or justifications for the decision to remove Dr. Olson, and admitted it was a mistake. He pledged to correct these mistakes in the future. This is the crisis of leadership of which I spoke.

The events of the past two weeks betray a crisis at NIU, in both leadership and finances. I hope NIU finds it’s footing. Dr. Olson has a hard road ahead of him.

Nothing more to say on this thread. I’m NIU‘d out.

Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.

[Mark_Smith]

What is the “box” that the percussionist is striking in the band?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajón

I saw one for the first time in a community Christmas concert this last December.

Greg Linscott
Marshall, MN

They’re kind of intriguing little gadgets. I looked it up when Bixby mentioned it in a a post.

Would make a cool woodworking project.

In a parallel universe, Northland’s PR team decided to go with an old-school fundy strategy: implausible deniability. “Contrary to malicious rumors by disaffected critics, NIU never fired President Matt Olson, but rather another man with the same name.”

My Blog: http://dearreaderblog.com

Cor meum tibi offero Domine prompte et sincere. ~ John Calvin

Here’s the problem they need to resolve.

  • The Patz Family is the $$$ behind Northland (I commend them for this!)
  • You have the board
  • And you have Patz family on the board (you would expect that)

As the Daniel Patz FB comment below demonstrates, you have a shadow board. Which makes the “official” board kind of powerless. With a shadow board like this, perhaps they should just rename the school Patz International University.

(There are 2 images below … not obvious because of white background. The first image is a snip from F/B announcing the Patz family meeting. The second is NOT a part of his F/B post)

So … when are Christians going to dispose of farcical para-church, institutions and instead, be content to simply devote themselves to living as the people of God, the body of Christ - the Church?

formerly known as Coach C