Updated: Matt Olson rehired by Northland

Jay posted the official announcement on the Daniel Patz thread.

I updated this thread with that same announcement that addresses Matt Olson’s rehiring as well as other Northland news

Thanks

Jim Peet

A graduate of Northland’s view of what happened:

http://islekerguelen.blogspot.com/2013/05/what-happened-to-nbbc.html

A graduate of Northland’s view of what happened:

https://buffalohooves.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/whiplash-in-the-northwoo…

[dlhanson]

A graduate of Northland’s view of what happened:

http://islekerguelen.blogspot.com/2013/05/what-happened-to-nbbc.html

I like this link better partly because I agree with the blog author but also because he gives details about the decision to rehire/unchange Olson which was entirely made by the Patz Family.

[dlhanson]

A graduate of Northland’s view of what happened:

http://islekerguelen.blogspot.com/2013/05/what-happened-to-nbbc.html

I like Andy Rupert - he was in the Extension office when I was there - but this paragraph is a little too much:

It is time to investigate other Christian colleges to see which ones are “steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Hopefully, God will raise up a school that will remain true both in doctrine and practice. But if not, all is not lost. God has many faithful pastors across this land who are proclaiming the truth and discipling their congregations in a godly manner. Find them and learn from them.

FWIW, I have no problems with Andy deciding not to support NIU any more. That said, there’s an amusing irony between the school saying that it’s going to go back to the 1833 NHBCF and his claim that NIU is ‘false’ (although he doesn’t say that - he just says that God will have to raise up a school that will remain ‘true’ both in doctrine and practice). I guess Andy couldn’t sign the 1833 NHBCF?

Or, as I’ve seen before, is the music style now on the level of doctrine?

[dlhanson]

[dlhanson]

A graduate of Northland’s view of what happened:

http://islekerguelen.blogspot.com/2013/05/what-happened-to-nbbc.html

I like this link better partly because I agree with the blog author but also because he gives details about the decision to rehire/unchange Olson which was entirely made by the Patz Family.

Its really hard to take this graduate of Northland too seriously when he applies “guilt by association” principles to the changes of music calling it “dangerous Charismatic Chapel music.”

[Jay]

Or, as I’ve seen before, is the music style now on the level of doctrine?

So sad when a music style that should be a preference is brought to the level of an absolute in scripture. so sad…….

Read the comments section of that blog post. As one commenter points out, it is ironic that the board member to which he refers complains of changes going all the way back to 2000 but was on the board until 2006.

[Greg Long]

Read the comments section of that blog post. As one commenter points out, it is ironic that the board member to which he refers complains of changes going all the way back to 2000 but was on the board until 2006.

I could be wrong but I think that the board member became a board member in 2006 and resigned this week after the decision to keep Olson. The six years would then refer to the period from 2006 until last Friday. According to Northland’s website (which doesn’t reflect the resignations of all the board members except for the Patz family), he first became a board member in 2006. But I do agree with you, he shares in culpability with the rest of the board and administration for running huge deficits and the other changes made since 2006.

Per Rupert’s blog post he says that Marty Herron resigned from the board and Dr. Ollila is moving away.

Is that true?

Why is it the same people that got NIU into this mess in the first place are now the same people telling us they are going to get NIU out of it? In the corporate world the CEO and CFO would’ve likely been fired. NIU brought in a new board chairman who is young enough to be Dr. Olson’s son, who now is Dr. Olson’s boss, and who has no experience whatsoever in leading an organization as broad and complex as NIU. Daniel Patz does seem to be a man of Godly character, but being Godly and over-seeing an organization like NIU … just saying.

Some of you may disagree with Rupert on a specific detail, but he does raise some valid questions. The fact of the matter is that no matter what side you are on there are many, many good questions still open.

As for me, I won’t be sending NIU any money. Why? Because I don’t know who they are and where they are going to end up? I agree with much of their doctrinal stand and possibly the issue about not separating over music. But, it is one thing to say they aren’t going to separate over music and a whole other thing to start their own rock band. I find their communication confusing.

The lack of transparency & communication, the incompetence of leadership in allowing this entire mess to exist in the first place, how they are often saying one thing but then taking it further than that (the music separation/band issue), and what I find to be a real lack of graciousness on the progressive side (or however you want to put it) on the legacy of Dr. Ollila and the historical constituency - the same people that build NIU’s program and facilities.

How can you trust an organization that is all over the map like that? If you had a child going into college, would you pay out $60,000 over 4 years of your hard earned money to a place like that?

[GregH]

[Alex Guggenheim]

Admitting the mistake at this level (I am not necessarily agreeing that it was or was not a mistake I am making a point) is a major demonstration of some level of incompetence. Yes, it is an act of humility to some degree but that does not negate the incompetence. In the military such a fax paus in senior leaders would not be rewarded with naive applause of “look how humble they are, they must be great and capable leaders” but with further corrective actions regarding the senior leaders who made the grand error.

Uh huh, let’s use the military as a great example of leadership. There is no politics, scape-goating, or incompetence there. :)

I heard that the decision to dismiss Olson was made at an impromptu board meeting where a majority, but not all, of the board was in attendance. I heard that the decision to reinstate Olson was made with the full board in attendance. Can anyone confirm?

[Ron Bean]

I heard that the decision to dismiss Olson was made at an impromptu board meeting where a majority, but not all, of the board was in attendance. I heard that the decision to reinstate Olson was made with the full board in attendance. Can anyone confirm?

http://matthewrolson.com/a-personal-note/

On April 25, 2013, several members of our board of directors made a decision to have me step down from my role as president. While the board did not state the reason, I knew the tension points were over cash flow and direction. This was an undesired and unexpected decision, but I took it as from the Lord. I trust in His sovereignty and goodness…

…

From April 25 to May 8, I did my best to assist the board in accomplishing their desires. When faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends asked about what they should do if they disagreed with the decision, I encouraged them to respond prayerfully, respectfully, and full of grace. I believe this was done.

On the evening of May 8, the chairman of the board, Howard Patz, clarified for the rest of the board the history of Northland, as well as the direction he believed it should now take. After some discussion, four members of the board graciously and respectfully resigned. Nothing was forced, and it was a grace-filled meeting.

Basically confirms my view as represented in this image:

Well, wait a minute, Jim.

If the some of the Board did decide (without the entire Board present) to ask for Dr. Olson’s dismissal, and those same Board members were later overruled by the full Board and resigned because of that (which I don’t know for sure, but it sounds like a reasonable guess), then this is totally different from your scenario. Your scenario seems to be that the Patz family is pulling the strings from the shadows, like the man behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz.

If my theory is right, then the men who resigned from the Board have little to no credibility to cast aspersions on the Patzes, Dr. Olson, or anyone else. Not when they circumvented the Board to achieve their goal in the first place. It does seem to me like there’s a lot of controlled leaking going on with the intent to damage the school further, which is another issue that needs to be addressed.

Besides, as the major contributors to the College, then I think it is only fair and proper to ask for their opinion if the Board is divided. It’s also completely appropriate for Board members to resign if they and the Patzes are in disagreement with how to proceed.

This isn’t beginning to sound as clear as it was presented, and it doesn’t sound to me like the Patz family made a power play for NIU. This sounds to me like a crisis of direction that should have been resolved by the Board Chairman at a Board meeting or two, with Matt Olson caught up in the middle and NIU as the ‘prize’.

Per Olson’s blog post: “After some discussion, four members of the board graciously and respectfully resigned” – and according to other reports, the board now consists of Patz family members only.