| CONVICTIONS WITHOUT BIGOTRY |
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A Christian university responds graciously to a campus visit from SoulForce.
I am deeply moved by this report from Dr. Jack Reese, Dean of the College of Biblical Studies at Abilene Christian University. ACU has done a courageous thing here, and shaped a template for Christ-like treatment of those with whom we might disagree.
Jack's letter:
I'm sitting at an airport in Indianapolis and just had to write some of my friends… I know you are aware of our campus visit Sunday evening through last night from the group Soulforce. We were the 7th school on their tour, which began with arrests at [one very visible Christian university] and major confrontations at [another]. We were the first school to allow them to come on campus and make presentations to our students, the first to receive them with full hospitality. There will be other schools in coming weeks who will receive them on their campuses, but most of the Christian schools are keeping them off-campus completely--or trying to...It’s likely there will be more civil disobedience, more arrests.
When the SF riders got off the bus just before 6:00 Sunday evening, they were met with hugs and animated conversations. They were brought to the Living Room where everyone was asked to put on a name tag. One of them said, "Wow, no one has given us name tags before now!" Then we sat down and had a meal together. Though over the previous days they riders had grown to understand that they would be treated differently than how they had been treated before, most of them seemed genuinely stunned at the warm reception. (They had already checked in to the hotel that the university had provided for them.) The conversations at the table were warm and genuine, though we probably should have anticipated in a group such as this that so many would be vegetarians. At our table, Jeanene asked each one where they went to school. One young man said that he was in transition between schools. Jeanene pressed a little further, "Are you transferring, then?" He said, "Well, I went to a Bible College but was kicked out because I was gay." We asked him, "When you say because you were gay, do you mean that you had a relationship with a partner?" No, it turns out, he had not had any relationships with any men. Just the fact that he was gay was enough. He was a ministry and evangelism major, wanted to do a church plant eventually. He didn't know what he wanted to do now. It was a painful story.
After dinner, about 10 SF folks and about the same number of Bible faculty had a discussion for an hour and a half. Jake Reitan, the groups 24 year old director, and I engaged in dialogue then facilitated discussion. People comments were candid, but there was a lot of grace in the room. People listened. One Bible faculty talked about dealing with a student involved in same-sex relationship, how he was committed to walking through this with him even if he had a covenant union with another man. One woman from SF (who indicated she was married and that she was committed to her wife for all of their lives together) commended this faculty for his struggle and for his genuineness. We didn't talk a lot about texts, but we did some. Each person made it clear that he/she knew there were difference. Jake kept saying, "I know you think that we are sinners." We tried to correct him. "We are all sinners, Jake." It's not the "being" gay that anyone was attempting to correct, much less condemn. Jake understood that most of us distinguished between sexual identity and sexual behavior. He said that he was committed to life-time monogamous covenant, that he had a sexual ethic, though he recognized not everyone in the GLBT community did. I brought up the latest book by a friend of mine, Marvin Ellison, from Bangor Theological Seminary. Ken Cukrowski was on faculty for several years with Marvin. Marvin says that gays shouldn't be held to "heterosexual standards," that Christianity could/should endorse multiple partners for gays. Jake made it clear that he disagreed with that ethic. We talked some about the expectations of the students that this was another fundamentalist university. We talked about fundamentalism. Jake agreed, we weren't very much like the fundamentalists he had encountered in previous months and years.
At about 8:45, we had a prayer together and the SF folks prepared to leave for the 9:00 worship service at University Church. But I noticed the young man who had sat at table with Jeanene and me earlier. He was standing by himself and had tears running down his cheeks. I went to him and said, "I know this must be difficult for you, coming to a Christian university like this. It must make you think of painful memories as your own school." He held his hands up, "No," he said. "Here's what I'm feeling. After days of rejection, after we had been arrested [at a well-known Evangelical university], after being at one school were students and faculty pointed their fingers at us, some of them screaming at us--"You are sinners. Stop your sinning!"--you just can't imagine what it's like coming off our bus to be met by people who treated us like human beings, who hugged us and who had a meal spread before us. Then for the Bible faculty to meet with us, but rather than condemn us, you listened. You expressed your opinions, but you truly listened. I am touched because you received us like Jesus." By that point tears were running down my cheeks--and they have now for almost two days.
We went to the 9:00 service. I was a little fearful. This is the first encounter with our student body. One of our graduate students walked a SF person over and said several students refused to look at them. It dawned on him that he and the other person had name tags, that people assumed they were from Soulforce. He showed the SF person into the auditorium and left to go home to be with his kids. A couple of students, assuming he was one of "them" muttered something about "fags" under their breaths. It wasn't a flawless event, to be sure!
But inside, the students who packed the University Church of Christ (I'm not sure how many even knew SF was there) just sang their lungs out--moving, gripping, celebratory, healing songs. And you know the impact that great acappella singing can do. We had told them to be prepared for four-part singing, but they told us afterward that they thought that maybe a chorus would be there to sing the parts. They don't know that everyone could sing harmony! Several of the SF group was moved to tears, and they talked about it the rest of the time with us. Over and over they would say, we haven't experienced this before on this trip. They couldn't believe the university's hospitality.
After breakfast Monday morning, where Dr. Money (who had just returned from a trip) greeted them warmly, some went to an MFT class while the rest did a presentation to several ACU classes on violence to homosexuals. Many of the stories, of course, were about "Christians" and how Christians had treated gays over the years. One young woman, a self-described lesbian, was accosted by several men a little more than a year ago. As this small-framed young woman described the blows to her face, pictures were flashed on the screen showing the aftermath--broken jaw, eye swollen over. She was beaten brutally. She said, "We are not asking you not to think that homosexual behavior is not a sin. We are asking you to stand with us against violence." Glenn Pemberton, our undergraduate Bible chair, responded with a strong statement, that such violent behavior was always, utterly, unequivocally wrong and must be condemned in the strongest language. The crowd applauded. We indicated we would work to put "safe zone" posters at key places around campus. Several went to her afterwards and said, "We are sorry for your pain, sorry that you were beaten, sorry when people do that in the name of Christ. We want you to know that we love you."
Wayne Barnard and a group of students led chapel in a praise service. The place was packed. Few took absences that day! The singing was incredible. The spirit in the room was extraordinary. I watched SF members scattered throughout the crowd, listening, watching, then singing, then singing passionately, with a few raising their hands with tears running down their faces out of their love for God. Students went out of their way to speak to the SF guests afterwards.
At lunch, two SF students told their stories to a group of invited ACU students and faculty. Then Dr. Sally Gary told hers. Hers was a story of healing from same-sex attraction. Her story seemed to frustrate Jake, but other SF folks seemed genuinely appreciative. Most felt that it was Sally's story to tell, and that she should tell it as she experienced it. That was probably the point of keenest tension.
After lunch almost 100 Graduate School of Theology and Marriage and Family Studies students (and a few faculty) gathered to talk with about 20 SF folk. One ACU person and one SF person, an M.Div. graduate of Yale Divinity School facilitated. We began by listening to their stories. There were differences expressed but in gentleness. When asked to defend a hermeneutic that supported same-sex relationships, the SF individual, in part, said that we likely misunderstood the Bible passages, but when it came down to it, Paul was just wrong about some things. He was wrong about women, was wrong about slavery, and was wrong about same-sex relationships. The discussion was lively and kind. After about an hour, they dismissed the faculty. I'm not sure what happened after that, but dismissing the faculty was largely symbolic. We didn't want anyone to assume that students were holding back because faculty were present.
I left for Indianapolis shortly after that. Back in Abilene, that afternoon students and faculty gathered in the Hilton Room for informal conversation. Later that evening Ken Cukrowski moderated a coffee house forum on sex and the media. Wayne Barnard described it this way, "The casual conversation in the Hilton Room was amazing, and the forum tonight was a hallmark experience. It could not have gone better. All the panelists were extremely bright, articulate and insightful. Students were so thankful for the opportunity. The Lord has done really great things today." Earlier this morning, the group left Abilene to go to Texas A & M to talk to the Corps and protest military treatment of gays. We will see them in Dallas in a couple of days at a major conference of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities.
We have had more than a few angry letters and emails. One person expressed shame at her alma mater. She couldn't believe we would "invite queers" to our campus. But especially over the past few days, there has been an outpouring of support and encouragement. Here at the National Preaching Summit, with mostly Independent Christian Church preachers, the support has been overwhelming. It was announced why I was coming in late, missing the first day of the conference. The preachers committed themselves to prayer. I could not speak this morning except out of the overflow of emotion, through tears, and through great passion about what God's voice might be saying to us in such a circumstance, about our middle class, white, American values. It will be a while before I get past it. I'm not sure I'll be "normal" again.
Can I say that I am proud of my university? I am grateful for a president who was willing to welcome this group on our campus, for a board who never flinched when Royce told them this was what was going to happen. I am grateful for students who welcomed our guests with grace and compassion. I am grateful for students who talked to and loved the one transgender person in the group. I am grateful we were able to not only express our opinions but to listen, to receive, to love, to learn, and not just to instruct. I think it's possible they left with a somewhat different perspective of "conservative" Christians. All of us who experienced this event are likely to never be the same. I echo these comments from Charles Mattis:
At the end of this day, all I can say is "Wow!" In the 29 years I have been associated with ACU as a student, alum, and now employee, I not sure when I have ever been more proud of our institution. Thanks to Royce, the President's Cabinet and the Board for having the courage to let SoulForce on campus, thanks to Michelle, Wayne, Dwayne, and their staffs for all of their planning both in front and behind the scences, thanks to all the faculty and staff who participated at every level, and thanks to our students for extending the gift of hospitality and providing an environment to "speak the truth in love".
We may get more positive national press from this than any amount of advertising we could ever do. Check out a post today from Matali Perkins on "crosswalk.com" which is probably one of the most popular Christian sites on the web: crosswalk.com
Most of all, lets say a prayer of thanksgiving to God for blessing this day!
His peace,
Charles
Go to the website he mentions, by the way. It might bring a tear to your eye. Anyway, I just wanted to share with friends my very emotional response to this day. Continue to be in prayers, for the SF individuals, for all of us. May God be exalted as we function as Christ to all those around us, as we respond to Christ's radical hospitality by our own hospitality for Christ's sake.
Blessings to you all.
In Him,
Jack
Feedback for Jack Reese can be sent c/o Hope Network Ministries.
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