"Matt Ols[o]n would do well to eject, but it may cost him his school"
Some kids are actually looking for a career in Christian ministry. The considerations (assuming you were more serious for the section on the parents) you mention are good. The idea of preparation for ministry really takes at least Christian college and beyond, but it ought to be a serious proving ground. How can a Christian college produce more skilled and sharper students for ministry?
Please read again what I wrote.
I did not say that BGC churches sent their kids to Northland until it turned conservative.
Sorry about the mixup……
One last thought.
If there were pictures of the Big Daddy Weave concert online and now they are gone, of course they’ve been pulled.
If the promoters of the concert also work for NIU, of course there was a discussion.
If NIU has a new band that is going on the road this summer, they are shooting themselves in the foot by not promoting it. There is no reason to hide it.
Yes, when other schools made this transition in days gone by, it was easier to do. The internet didn’t exist. Now all of us, including me, can observe, comment, and make judgments.
So be it.
So NIU, do what you are going to do. Feel free to comment or not. Everyone knows already what is happening. Chart your path and do it without fear. You are either going to make it or you aren’t. You might survive; you might not.
But if you really believe in the sovereignty of God, then let your light shine, whatever that light is. Be yourselves and stop worrying about it.
For those of you who are against NIU’s new direction and can’t get enough print time letting us know, consider this: For 36 years you never heard a peep from the Patz family complaining about NIU’s direction. The administration was in place, we didn’t necessarily agree, but we didn’t write letters or take to the airwaves complaining about Northland. We just kept quiet.
Now NIU’s bigger problem is not music. It isn’t even recruitment. Its real problem is lack of regional accreditation. Both BJU and NIU are suffering today because of it. As a result, both of these institutions might not make it. The landscape has changed and they didn’t react quickly enough.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
Blessings.
They removed the April 2nd announcement about Redeemed under their “News and Events” section and the previously linked to article has been taken down altogether. I am a former NBBC student (just one semester as a married student) and I find this very odd. My feelings on the style of music notwithstanding, have they really put so little thought into this that the feedback I assume they have been receiving has caused them to pull any mention of it? Does this come as a surprise? Is this their way of slowly letting everyone know where they stand? Obviously some thought went into the creation of this group, why are they now backing away from it? At least on this issue it does feel like they are straddling the fence (by the way, that picture is hilarious to a guy from small-town Maine…).
[Steve Newman]Some kids are actually looking for a career in Christian ministry. The considerations (assuming you were more serious for the section on the parents) you mention are good. The idea of preparation for ministry really takes at least Christian college and beyond, but it ought to be a serious proving ground. How can a Christian college produce more skilled and sharper students for ministry?
I agree with you almost
- Thank the Lord for young people who purpose to serve the Lord vocationally. There’s a need for that: future pastors / missionaries / et cetera!
- I’m not really convinced it takes a Christian college undergraduate to serve the Lord vocationally. I am convinced that a seminary degree is probably essential (with some exceptions) for vocational ministry (missions and pastorate)
- On the “Christian ministry … for ministry” comments … there’s an organization already in place to prepare people for ministry - Ephesians 4:12
- I’m not agin the Christian College! We support one Christian college financially. It is Faith in Ankeny. Seems to have a solid understanding of who it is … does not try to be popular (the recent kerfuffle). I am most impressed with Faith and have been consistently impressed with them for a number of years (actually decades!) I’m fairly impressed with Maranatha. My own church has many who are Northland grads … all are sharp (really … not just saying this!). My own Northland views: still don’t get the name change … seems adrift … seems less than honest about their direction (has a doctrinal statement but an employee either does not agree with or same said employee is in a church where there is a disconnect between his own doctrinal statement and the church’s). Is against CCM on paper but not in practice. Note to Northland … if you are going that direction (I am ok with that) but it is disingenuous to have X as your position and Y as your practice!
The page is gone. Wow.
What on earth is the rationale for that?
UPDATE: There are still some up:
http://www.ni.edu/about-us/ministries/redeemed/
http://www.ni.edu//about-us/ministries/redeemed/testimonials
http://www.ni.edu/about-us/ministries/redeemed/redeemed-biographies/
Or at least they were at 1:18 CDT on April 4…
Screen Capture:
Greg Linscott
Marshall, MN
I’ve heard 2 messages on this passage ( Acts 19:9 ) and I don’t think either speaker got it right
- On speaker said that this was essentially a secular college and Paul was evangelizing the campus (as I recollect the speaker was either a missionary to or a prospective missionary to a college campus! So it fit nicely with his calling!)
- Another speaker (a leader / administrator of a Christian college) said that it was an early Christian college and Paul was a teacher there (again fit nicely with that man’s vocation)
I mention this because there are some who feel the Christian college is essential. I view it as peripheral. And in support of my own position it doesn’t appear that it was mission-critical to have a degree-awarding brick and mortar institution called the Christian college in the early church.
When “the church” (using this term broadly) tries to cheaply replicate institutions that we are not called to have … rarely do we do it well and often we look foolish.
[Joel Shaffer]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?
I agree. The video is eye opening. If this was for outside of church, I could still partially be comfortable with it. If this is where they are going from a church worship perspective, it has already bumped past my comfort zone. I don’t mind this on a personal level, but I don’t go to church to see a man centric performance. They have definitely shifted quickly.
Links are deleted within hours of appearing here. Facebook posts vanish. Strange things are happening …
Joking aside - this is quite odd.
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
I used a phrase in an earlier comment: “attack blog” which was needlessly inflammatory. The temptation to sarcasm is ever with us, but it adds no light, only heat. I withdraw the phrase and apologize for its use. The rest of my comment stands, however.
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
[Aaron Blumer]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:
“One Way”? by Philips Craig and Dean?
Some of the lyrics say: “You’re the only one I could live for”….I wish that were true. I could live for myself most of the time if I’m not careful
[Don Sailer]Prior to the widespread availability of the internet, such a change might have taken a little longer to get around, but it would eventually have shown up in the “Fundamental Inquirer” (not the real name) or any of the numerous fundamental scandal-sheet-type publications. That might have made it *seem* easier to do, but in reality it was probably worse, since all most people would hear would either be in one of those articles or what their pastor/leaders would tell them. Today, people can just check out organizations and how they change for themselves and decide how to react to it.Clearly there are both advantages and disadvantages as compared to pre-internet, but the real advantage is that today, the truth is more likely to prevail, and facts can easily be checked. Just the YouTube video seen in this thread can allow people to easily make up their minds and decide which side they are really on, rather than hear a “hyped-up” description something like (“NIU music is now like AC/DC!!!!!!!!!”), which would previously have been quite common, and would have quickly poisoned the well.Yes, when other schools made this transition in days gone by, it was easier to do. The internet didn’t exist. Now all of us, including me, can observe, comment, and make judgments.
Dave Barnhart
dbcii:
Surely it would have looked more like this
NIU music IS NOW like AC/DC!!!!!!!!!
Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.
Don Sailer’s original email which I commented on previously:
“Matt Olson is following many of Northland’s alumni into historic fundamentalism. That’s right, into historic fundamentalism. Today’s modern “fundamentalism” is a mere shell of what thriving, healthy fundamentalism looked like in the early 1900s. Then, men and women from many denominations banded together around the fundamentals of the faith. Denominational distinctives, though important in each denomination, were not barriers to fellowship and unity. This is the direction Matt Olson is going. Northland is removing the unbiblical “separation” barriers that it had erected between itself and other Bible-believing denominations such as the Baptist General Conference, Conservative Baptist Convention, Evangelical Free Church of America, etc.
This movement out of the fringe and back into historic, fundamentalist Christianity is a breath of fresh air. I know, because as the grandson of the founder of Northland, I took this step in the early 80s. Sure, Northland’s leadership at the time called me names, such as “new evangelical.” But I knew that I was actually walking down the path of historic fundamentalism. More importantly, I knew I was obeying God and no longer calling “unclean” what God had called “clean.” It wasn’t that hard of a step because the Patz family was never in the camp that Harold Patz led Northland into. BJU style fundamentalism was not our history as a family! And separating from Billy Graham was unheard of.
So things are changing now, but for the good. Northland is returning to the Patz family roots. Harold Patz has watched his children and their spouses live devout lives for Christ in the denominations mentioned above. And Harold Patz, Les Ollila, and Matt Olson have seen the light. When your own kids are serving Christ faithfully in denominations once renounced, it creates dissonance. Thankfully, God has used this dissonance to wake up the leadership at Northland. Now, perhaps, Northland can become the school that God intended it to be. One that is in line with the founder and his family. One that reflects the glory of God and the unity of the saints. May God be praised.”
Don,
Thanks for the clarifications. I do apologize for my misunderstanding/misinterpretation of your original email. I would have been glad to simply publish it without any commentary on my part (but I did not have the freedom to do so at the time), because I do think that your email speaks for itself. Also, remember that I did not have the advantage of the additional information that you provided when I made my comment. I am sorry you were not able to get hold of me. Here is my email (mharding@fbctroy.org) and I will send you my phone number so that we can talk.
Don, I think you clearly associate the modern negatives of fundamentalism with “BJU Style Fundamentalism” in this email. You also give the impression that you know the current heart and mindset of Harold Patz, Les Ollila, and Matt Olsen. I am sorry for using the term “insider” since by your own admission you have not communicated with Matt, yet it appears you have a lot of inside information in this email. Nevertheless, I honestly do appreciate your clarifications and I think your original email does help everyone know the direction that Northland is going.
Pastor Mike Harding
[TylerR]Yeah, you’re right. Such a headline would have used every wacky font available, with all the emphasis you gave it! :)dbcii:
Surely it would have looked more like this
NIU music IS NOW like AC/DC!!!!!!!!!
Dave Barnhart
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