Dan Patz named new President of Northland

I don’t know who is in charge of posting these Northland news items, but I would recommend a day or two for this to season. We may find out that either Dan has resigned or the board has changed their mind.

Dan Patz is a hands-on chairman who was basically acting as President and that the decision consolidates his position.

So not surprised at all

Noticeably missing from the History Page is any mention of the 1st President, James Wooster. My wife attended for 2 years (77-79) while he was there and I for single semester (Fall 78).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northland_International_University#List_of…

I remember meeting Dr. Wooster when I came to Indianapolis in 1962. He and Ken Davis worked together to start independent/fundamental Baptist among the African American community in Indianapolis. Those churches, plus their “children”, are still going strong with their Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association affiliation. He was one of first teachers at Ford Porter’s Berean Bible Institute, now Indiana Baptist College. He left Northland to return to mission work reaching the Haitian people in south Florida. - Jim Barnes

So will Dan retain his position as Board Chairman as well now?

Last spring you posted the accreditation guidelines and in part there had to be separation between decision making and the money, in that the money is from the Patz family and now the Patz family makes up the majority of the Board and holds the Presidency…based on what you recall is this going to cause issues with their accreditation?

http://tracs.org/documents/2013AccredManual_000.pdf

p 9

Board has a minimum of five voting members with: i. No more than one member as a paid employee of the institution. ii. No voting member having a familial relationship with the chair of the board or chief executive officer of the institution.

Chief executive officer does not serve as the chair of the governing board, or any of its committees.

[fjbarnes] I remember meeting Dr. Wooster when I came to Indianapolis in 1962. He and Ken Davis worked together to start independent/fundamental Baptist among the African American community in Indianapolis. Those churches, plus their “children”, are still going strong with their Fundamental Baptist Fellowship Association affiliation. He was one of first teachers at Ford Porter’s Berean Bible Institute, now Indiana Baptist College. He left Northland to return to mission work reaching the Haitian people in south Florida. - Jim Barnes

They also started a Bible College which last I heard was still going strong. Woosters went on to serve with BMM in Haiti (in Cap Haitien as I recall). My wife and 3 other young ladies traveled with the Woosters as the Ladies Quartet “The Gospel Lights,” during the 78-79 school year.

He spoke at a BMM conference in Lakeland, FL in 1996 and the short version of the story is that we applied to BMM, came to seminary, never got to the field, but pastored for 5 years as a result of his sermon.

They were very dear friends to us!

Hasn’t/Isn’t Northland running contrary to this point…multiple members on board with a familial relationship to Chair, and now several with a familial relationship to president (CEO)?

It means they need to make changes to their governing structure. I think we ought to give them time to do that, but the Board should have seen that conflict ahead of time and make other arrangements that were announced simultaneously.

Jay is right,

All things being equal - it might be unusual as things are here - but you have to remember - all things are not equal - this institution is in a major time of transition. I’m confident as the board and leadership structure makes the adjustments they need to the board will grow and morph to where it will be in compliance.

A side question is do we plan to micro-analyze every jot and tittle of board/leadership action at Northland until the Lord returns? Some of us have significant empty time on our hands. What is probably irritating are those “lurkers” who are just waiting with baited (nasty and poisoned) breath to pounce on NIU with every move they make. If you don’t like Northland - fine - but please - be more useful to the Lord’s Vineyard - please!?

Straight Ahead!

jt

Joel,

I agree with your statement, but it pertains to both sides. Right? Seems to me the left can second guess stuffy Fundyland (the former version of NIU) all day long with almost a complete void of balance and reasonableness. For example, remember that silly question asking if we really wanted NIU to go back to the days when Gershwin was banned and then the gem of a blog post saying that NIU was now more gospel centered than ever? And for sure the right gives back to the left, which of course is just as wrong.

But how often do you see someone truly stand in the middle and attempt to hold both sides accountable?

The cold truth is NIU needlessly and senselessly put themselves in this deep hole leaving themselves with severely weakened credibility on multiple levels. The question of NIU’s viability is very much in play in large part because they chose to unashamedly poke their former support base in the eye. Many of those people you are now asking to now let bygones be bygones. What NIU needs to do to get people off their back is to build back up a quality program and start “winning” - so to speak. It is like in sports how a winning team receives far less criticism than a losing team. From my point of view, I don’t see that happening anytime soon with long-time employees continuing to leave. This looks and smells like Pillsbury 2.0.

I hope I am wrong. In the meantime I would like to echo your statement, but also take it a step further.

It does apply to both sides. Not to defend myself - but over the years: 1) I’ve worked at holding multiple sides to issues accountable and have encouraged multiple sides to “peace talks.” That’s when I’ve been shot at the most when working the hardest at peace-making. 2) I’m not convinced it’s fair even for an opponent of NIU to smash them over a board procedural matter in kind of a transitional context. Bro - it’s called grace. Give a little - give them at least a few months of breathing room to re-shuffle leaders, responsibilities, etc…..

A side note - for those of you who are wanting NIU to firm up the new president’s seat and at the same time have the board perfectly functional between family members and non-family members…..it doesn’t work that way. The process of finding the right board members for a ministry like this complex to say the least. Over the years I’ve served on four different para-church boards. You can’t imagine what it’s been like to get the right people in place. Unless you’ve been there - and I don’t mean this to be rude - you simply don’t know what you’re talking about.

With grace……..

Straight Ahead!

jt

Let me rephrase my question from above: When Howard was chairman of the Board prior to the end of April, were the other members of the board who have familial ties voting members of the Board?

If so, then Northland does not have a “procedural matter in kind of a transitional context”. Rather they, IMHO, have been operating contrary to 6.1(b)(ii) for some time.