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Dismantling Azusa Pacific University
As our culture gets more and more hostile toward Christianity, we should come to expect attacks on Christian institutions like Azusa Pacific University.
To summarize the last few months, in September, the Student Life department of APU changed its student policy. It removed a rule banning same-sex romance and relationships (not just sexual activity) which it has held for a while, and is based on its foundational statements regarding human sexuality. Then, in the beginning of October, the Board of Trustees reinstated the ban. They claim the board never approved the change in policy, saying that the removal was out of line with its views on human sexuality.
Then, early in December, two of APU’s board members resigned from the board. Some sources cited that the board members believed that APU is, in practice, out of line with their beliefs. I have heard similar charges about departments such as undergraduate theology — that they teach extremely liberal theology — so I can assume there is some truth to these claims.
As I’ve mentioned before, I am a long-time employee and seminary graduate of APU, and I care deeply about the future of this institution. I don’t view the board members’ resignations as a crushing blow to the stability of the university, but perhaps a necessary catalyst to make APU reevaluate how it wishes to be faithful to its mission. It’s a Christian University, with a partially-Christian student body. They view their work in the lives of their students as missionarial to its non-Christian students and disciple-building to its Christian students. This is a difficult thing to balance, and its understandable that changes will be made from time to time.
What is not understandable is why APU works with activists like Erin Green, and her activist group, Brave Commons. Erin is a former APU student that has been working with APU and other Christian universities to address, what she calls “systems of oppression” at these universities. What she means by “systems of oppression” is that Christian universities teach students traditional Christian sexual ethics; that homosexuality and transgenderism are not God’s design for human sexuality and are sinful. At the least, she sees these teachings as harmful to LGBTQ students. At worst, she views Christian universities as institutions of hate that continue to marginalize an oppressed people and that they must be torn down or dismantled.
Notice her gloating at the resignation of two APU board members. You can sense the delight in her role (whatever that was) in tearing apart the university’s foremost decision-makers:
Big win for Queer students at @azusapacific. @BraveCommons is dismantling oppressive systems at Xian universities piece by piece. Click on this post to continue helping the LGBTQ+ students at Azusa Pacific U. #FaithfullyLGBT https://t.co/1hZUvcziIY
— Erin Green (@__runningerins) December 7, 2018
To be clear, activists like this do not want institutions like APU to remain the same institution. They might speak about things like “student safety”, “tolerance”, or “justice” for the “marginalized”, but these are diversions.
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By Chris Saenz
5
11 ratings
As our culture gets more and more hostile toward Christianity, we should come to expect attacks on Christian institutions like Azusa Pacific University.
To summarize the last few months, in September, the Student Life department of APU changed its student policy. It removed a rule banning same-sex romance and relationships (not just sexual activity) which it has held for a while, and is based on its foundational statements regarding human sexuality. Then, in the beginning of October, the Board of Trustees reinstated the ban. They claim the board never approved the change in policy, saying that the removal was out of line with its views on human sexuality.
Then, early in December, two of APU’s board members resigned from the board. Some sources cited that the board members believed that APU is, in practice, out of line with their beliefs. I have heard similar charges about departments such as undergraduate theology — that they teach extremely liberal theology — so I can assume there is some truth to these claims.
As I’ve mentioned before, I am a long-time employee and seminary graduate of APU, and I care deeply about the future of this institution. I don’t view the board members’ resignations as a crushing blow to the stability of the university, but perhaps a necessary catalyst to make APU reevaluate how it wishes to be faithful to its mission. It’s a Christian University, with a partially-Christian student body. They view their work in the lives of their students as missionarial to its non-Christian students and disciple-building to its Christian students. This is a difficult thing to balance, and its understandable that changes will be made from time to time.
What is not understandable is why APU works with activists like Erin Green, and her activist group, Brave Commons. Erin is a former APU student that has been working with APU and other Christian universities to address, what she calls “systems of oppression” at these universities. What she means by “systems of oppression” is that Christian universities teach students traditional Christian sexual ethics; that homosexuality and transgenderism are not God’s design for human sexuality and are sinful. At the least, she sees these teachings as harmful to LGBTQ students. At worst, she views Christian universities as institutions of hate that continue to marginalize an oppressed people and that they must be torn down or dismantled.
Notice her gloating at the resignation of two APU board members. You can sense the delight in her role (whatever that was) in tearing apart the university’s foremost decision-makers:
Big win for Queer students at @azusapacific. @BraveCommons is dismantling oppressive systems at Xian universities piece by piece. Click on this post to continue helping the LGBTQ+ students at Azusa Pacific U. #FaithfullyLGBT https://t.co/1hZUvcziIY
— Erin Green (@__runningerins) December 7, 2018
To be clear, activists like this do not want institutions like APU to remain the same institution. They might speak about things like “student safety”, “tolerance”, or “justice” for the “marginalized”, but these are diversions.