Steve Pettit to replace Stephen Jones as president of BJU

Bright future. Evangelistic unction to make orthodoxy function. Very good man for a very good university. Good fit from where I observe out here in Idaho.

[Greg Linscott]

As broad and wide as the SBC is, they don’t have more than one Mohler. He’s pretty unique in the whole scheme of things.

Greg…the SBC (of which I am not a part) certainly has more than “one Mohler” if you mean a well-educated, thinker and philosopher. I mean, there can really be only “one” Mohler in the narrowest of senses, but from Richard Land (at Southern Evangelical Seminary) to many of the faculty at Dallas Theological Seminary to up-and-coming bloggers and writers (many of whom have some association with Louisville), there are many strong voices out there. He, perhaps, is the most well-known or widely-distributed voice of his kind, but he is by no means the only voice in the SBC.

When you consider the nature of Bob Jones University – Todd is right – Steve is a great fit. BJ is not a denomination, but if you think of BJ as like a denomination, Steve is highly respected in that denomination. Frankly it makes sense. He is a consistent leader and has demonstrated responsible ministry for decades. I’m not particularly close to Steve, however what I know about him is that he has a passion for doctrine/truth but he is also passionate about the gospel and has a clear love for College-age students (and their families). How is that not what has marked Bob Jones University for 80+ years? The Bob Jones world is an important slice in the overall historic fundamentalist witness in our country. It is important that BJ continue to be healthy. Stephen’s leadership was outstanding. I for one am optimistic about what the future holds for BJ. For those of you saying “Steve doesn’t have this or that” , you sort of remind me of an arm-chair quarterback who has never really played the game! Remember a great leader doesn’t have to be everything to everyone. He simply needs to be able to utilize people that are more gifted than he is in their areas of giftedness. I have full confidence that Steve will do a great job of this. One more point – you really think that BJ is headed for trouble after 80 years of faithful ministry? You’re kidding! I don’t agree with everything my friend at BJ have done over the years and I’m blindly loyal to no one, but having said that a casual observer I think has to admit that BJ as an institution has been wildly successful for the better part of a century. I’m not sure how you can think that will stop anytime soon. So to my friends in Greenville I say – Straight Ahead! jt

[DLCreed]

Greg…the SBC (of which I am not a part) certainly has more than “one Mohler” if you mean a well-educated, thinker and philosopher. I mean, there can really be only “one” Mohler in the narrowest of senses, but from Richard Land (at Southern Evangelical Seminary) to many of the faculty at Dallas Theological Seminary to up-and-coming bloggers and writers (many of whom have some association with Louisville), there are many strong voices out there. He, perhaps, is the most well-known or widely-distributed voice of his kind, but he is by no means the only voice in the SBC.

I understand- but he is unique in the package- the singular accomplishment of what he did at Southern, the Calvinist position that sets him apart from someone like Paige Patterson, the resonance he has with a young audience through things like T4G, blogging, and broadcasting, the way he’s often cited by the widespread media on political and cultural issues… I know there are other voices, but not really anyone who stands out like Mohler in all the different arenas with his positions and such… That’s all I meant. I mean, you have similar figures (Dever and Russell Moore come immediately to mind), but their influence is different from Mohler’s…

Last I checked, they were independent, not SBC. Not that it matters, I think your point is nonsense. So you are criticizing BJU because they didn’t select the equivalent of a Mohler. First, as has been pointed out, Mohler is a uniquely gifted individual, so it is unlikely you would find someone like him anywhere else. Second, while I agree that Mohler has played a significant role in the SBC, has his arrival solved every problem the SBC ever had? No.

The reality is that a place like BJU will select from within its community someone whom the board thinks will best pursue its agenda. I’ve known Steve since seminary days, I can’t count up the number of classes we took together. His gifts have been on display among fundamentalists for a long time. I think he will do fine, even though I am sure that I don’t agree with him on every point.

I agree electing Steve as president is an interesting decision to say the least. However, I do not disagree with the decision. When Northland first elected Les Olilla to be their president, I was surprised

because he had been known for his successful ministry of youth. DAH, Bert, should that not be a plus? As it turned out, a BIG PLUS for Northland. I will always be grateful he was president when all six of

my children attended NBBC.

Steve cut his ministry teeth as a youth pastor in Michigan as I recall. He has been involved in camp ministry all his ministry. He preaches Divine Truth. Gets excited, loud, bold, in your face but concerned.

I, like many, see positive and negative with Steve, but he actually is in the mold of Bob Jones. He played soccer at the Citadel, loves sports, is a competitor which is good for the University. I believe our

Heavenly Father is good at leading a board to make a good selection as to who will lead BJU.

I do have one question however, will BJU now allow Steve Pettit music to be sold in their bookstore? Maybe they do now, but those in the know have told me at one time that bluegrass music was not allowed. His dear wife has a beautiful voice and they sure have been through the battles.

God bless Dr. Pettit and his family.

Bert Baker, Ex. 15:2 Oh yes, I did not mean by being in the mold of BJU included the Citadel,or playing soccer or loving sports, this computer of mine anyway.

Congratulations to Steve Pettit being selected as the next President of BJU. I agree with the other comments that Dr Pettit is a “good fit”, some one with ties to highly respected universities in SC. As others have observed, having a Citadel / BJU graduate as the President will be a benefit to move the university forward.

I would think that the President of a University would have an earned PhD … perhaps an Ed.D

[Jim]

I would think that the President of a University would have an earned PhD … perhaps an Ed.D

Yes. I would think that is going to be problematic if they are actually going to pursue regional accreditation. The standards of most of the regional accrediting bodies are getting more restrictive on this — particularly among graduate faculty and senior administration. Terminal degrees really aren’t optional and honorary ones don’t count at all.

Where would you find one in Fundamentalism? We’ve just gotten to the point in the last 15 years where we’re seeing men in our orbit with ThDs and DMins. So, my question is who do you propose?

[Jim]

I would think that the President of a University would have an earned PhD … perhaps an Ed.D

Since there seems to be a lot of chatter about this, I’m pretty sure there are no requirements from the accreditation agencies (including SACS) regarding terminal degrees for administration and that the institutional standards simply call for qualified academic officers to be in place. IOW, nothing about this move actually causes problems with their pursuit of accreditation.

The chief executive officer of a place like BJU does not have to be an academic expert. He needs to be a competent chief executive officer. It is more important that he be a good leader than that he understand the nuts and bolts of academic life. They have competent people to handle that aspect of the work, so I have no concerns about Steve’s lack of terminal degree.

In terms of leadership, I think Steve will do an excellent job. He is a man of character who lives and speaks with integrity. He understands ministry. He has a heart for and has spent his life engaged in Great Commission ministry. I think this is a great move.

I am not proposing anyone but there are men out there in fundamentalism with earned P.H.D.s. Central has five. Detroit has at least four. Faith has at least four. Not sure about Maranatha. At least three. Granted many of those men would probably not be well suited for that type of position but there are at least a handful of guys out there with P.H.D.s and Ed.Ds.

I know nothing of Mr. Pettit other than to say the few people I know that know him respect him greatly.

We (DBTS) have 7 ThD/PhDs and two DMins on our faculty. That said, none of our degrees are in academic administration and I don’t think any of the seminaries have presidents with terminal degrees in educational administration. In fact, I’m pretty sure none of the colleges within our orbit have presidential leaders with terminal degrees in education.

My point is simply that too much is being made about Steve’s degrees (or lack thereof). If he were a professor or a dean, I’d agree completely, but that is not the role he will fill at BJU. A PhD in NT, for example, does not qualify you to be the chief executive officer of an educational institution. It may look better, but there are more important things to be concerned about than appearances.

Thanks for the feedback Dave.

With regard to the issue that has been raised concerning Steve Pettit’s lack of a terminal degree in education, I believe that Dave has provided a thorough answer in both his posts—both in terms of the academic issues and spiritual qualifications. There is a newer trend in higher ed towards hiring presidents from the business/political world who can promote the institution, attract donors, and of course, students.

Case in point here in South Carolina, the College of Charleston (an accredited university which is part of the state’s university system and has a 220-year history) just hired a new president, who has a B.S. degree and a law degree. He is the current Lt. Governor of South Carolina, Glenn McConnell, with no experience in the field of education or academia. A number of applicants for the position have terminal degrees in academic disciplines, but the Trustees chose an alumnus with name recognition who could promote the university’s interests. This selection has no bearing whatsoever on the university’s accreditation status.