PREAMBLE

A HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The Current Environment

A Historical Overview

Historical Context Footnotes

A CASE FOR MATCHING TEACHING METHODOLOGY WITH STUDENT FAITH MATURITY LEVELS.

THE PURPOSE AND NATURE OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION AT WWC

THE LIBERAL IMAGE OF THE THEOLOGY DEPARTMENT

DEEPER SCRIPTURAL STUDY

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC ALLEGATIONS

Agnosticism

Alcohol at Faculty Party

Theology Department Support of Homosexuality

Pizza and Soda Communion

The Spokane Incident

The Honors Core Seven

APPENDIX B (not attached)

PREAMBLE

This report constitutes the final report of the Walla Walla College Board appointed sub-committee known as "The Commission." The primary reason for the establishment of the Commission was to study complaints and issues surrounding the Theology Department. The Commission met 10 times from June through December 1997.

This report consists of nine sections laid out in an order that the Commission members decided upon as best representing their findings. The order has significance in that the Commission, contrary to what many may expect, found the various anecdotal incidents reported to it symptomatic of much larger trends and issues. The anecdotal issues have received very wide press in the NPUC constituency and beyond, while the larger issues have been discussed hardly at all. The Commission found the larger issues to be the most significant ones, the anecdotes symptomatic of them. In order to reflect the Commissions opinion, the Reader will find the larger issues reported on at the beginning while the anecdotal incidents are placed at the end.

It is true to say that the Commission found some very significant issues. Most of them have been in process over considerable lengths of time. Few of them are new, and few unique to Walla Walla College. The issues found can generally be found in other academic settings, and in the Christian community at large. The anecdotal issues, of course, are entirely unique to WWC.

The Commission makes a number of recommendations. These are included in the text at the point at which the particular issue is delineated. These recommendations were agreed on by all the members of the Commission. It is a concern of the Commission that diligent action be taken toward implementing the recommendations. A major reason for the problems that led to the establishment of the Commission is failure to find a way to work through issues of disagreement to a point of satisfactory resolution. This statement is not the assigning of fault as much as it is a statement of fact. None of the sides in this controversy were able to find a process that allowed progress to the point of resolution. Some of the issues are thorny, and complicated, but dialogue to the point of resolution is the ONLY way for the controversies to be brought to closure.

The Commission is also quite persuaded that for Christians, there is a higher standard for which to strive than merely describing and resolving issues. There must also be reconciliation and restoration of trust between those who have been caught up in the controversies. There is a broad climate of suspicion, and a climate of suspicion causes all parties to put the worst interpretation on data. Only the restoration of trust will allow confidence to return. Therefore, the Commission believes this matter of contention cannot be regarded as resolved until those who may have developed suspicions or animosities between them, have had the opportunity to make personal reconciliations and amends, and have, in fact, done so. There is concern on the Commission that parties on the edges of the controversies who have no first-hand knowledge, who have never spoken to the principals, will not accept its report and findings if the findings do not fit their preconceptions choosing, instead, to perpetuate the controversy. This would be a most unfortunate happenstance as it will put the well-being of the College in jeopardy.

This report attempts to define the issues that have impacted the campus and the field and provide recommendations to the board that will both alleviate the present tensions and secure a strong future for the School of Theology in serving the needs of the student body as part of the larger constituency of the Northwest. It is the sincere hope of Commission members that their efforts will prove instrumental not only in describing the issues, but also in initiating the process of restoring trust and confidence to the institution and department that have ably served the constituency of the North Pacific Union for so long. Service on the Commission has had elements of the arduous. It is fair to state that none of the Commission members had any great desire to serve on it. They took the responsibility out of a sense of duty and devotion to the College and its constituency. Serving on the Commission has used up week-ends, required travel, time away from home and work, to say nothing of listening to testimony, and filtering through piles of data in search of "truth." If resolution comes because of this effort and process, Commission members will feel their time and effort well invested.

A HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Pursuing an Adventist Christian education has been, and continues to be, a high priority for Adventist young people. Walla Walla College, and its School of Theology are recognized as having made a significant contribution to this pursuit in the North Pacific Union Conference and beyond for a good many years. The Theology Department's 1991 mission statement reflects its intention to provide a faith-building experience in the lives of young people, whether departmental majors or general students.¹

Having been successful in many respects and for many students there has, nevertheless, been a growing concern expressed by some students, graduates, parents, pastors and others within the constituency of the Northwest. ² These concerns grew to the point the WWC board, on May 7, 1997, appointed a commission to assess the nature and validity of these concerns and to make recommendations to the board as soon as feasible.

The members of the commission recognized very quickly the need to establish a context within the perspective of recent history. Our church has not been immune from the influences that have impacted the larger Christian church, particularly in the United States during this century. Modernism and pluralism have impacted all of us to one degree or another. The secularization of society provides the church with the opportunity to provide meaning, hope and purpose in a world whose despair is expressed in the final words of a recently released song, "I am looking for the truth, and there is none."³ It also faces the Church, and those who educate within its bounds, with some considerable challenges. The Church claims to represent Christ as the answer to this world's need in the context of a movement that holds to the Word of God as truth. Society, led by academia, often contends there is no such thing as truth, that any search for it is vain. This context the Commission found significant in a fundamental way.

The Current Environment

One of the major factors contributing to the tensions the Commission looked in to has to do with the philosophical tenor of our age. We are living in what has been characterized as the postmodern era. The impact of modernism on Western thought has been felt in every area of life and in every academic discipline. The Enlightenment provided a scientific world view that for a time provided security in the certainty of science. This certainty is waning today and has left a prevailing pluralism in its wake that suggests that there is no objective truth to pursue. This has significant implications for approaches to biblical study. D. A. Carson in his book, The Gagging of God says:

This is, by far, the most serious development. Philosophical pluralism has generated many approaches in support of one stance: namely, that any notion that a particular ideological or religious claim is intrinsically superior to another is necessarily wrong. The only absolute creed is the creed of pluralism. No religion has the right to pronounce itself right or true, and the others false, or even (in the majority view) relatively inferior...

The roots of modernity lie in the Renaissance, and in the scientific revolution of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The world was understood to be a rational place; truth was there to be discovered...

But postmodernity is less certain that there is any objective truth to be discovered. If all interpretation is culturally conditioned, reason itself may be nothing more than a tool of domination. A Marxist or a capitalist historiography is merely one possible interpretation of the past. But if one cannot talk about the objective truth of the matter, then the interpretations are merely personal or at best culturally conditioned options. ⁴

A Historical Overview

The potential of rampant pluralism to affect Christian Communities may be seen by looking at the experience of other communions that have worked through these issues in recent past history. There are two particular Christian communions whose experience relative to the impact of modernism have been traced and fairly recently documented. The Presbyterian Controversy was published in 1991 and is written by award-winning author Bradley J. Longfield. The End of Liberal Theology was published in 1995 and, while dealing with contemporary challenges to evangelical orthodoxy, deals with a specific case study on the experience of the Anglican Church (Episcopalian in the U.S.A.). It must be noted that in both the Presbyterian and Anglican churches there was an established creed to which their respective churches were tied. Adventism does not subscribe to a creed and provides us with a significant difference in handling theological concerns. On the other hand, the parallels between their experience and ours in terms of some of the driving forces in their earlier controversies provide useful insights for us.

In his introduction Longfield describes the serious crisis facing the mainstream churches in America. Citing the huge membership losses that have occurred during the last few decades, he concludes:

Though the reasons for this hemorrhage in membership are many and complex, one contributor to the decline noted by analysts is the nebulous doctrinal identity of the churches. In a quest for inclusiveness and relevance to the increasingly secular American culture, the mainstream churches have adopted a policy of doctrinal pluralism, thereby blurring their theological identities. . . Without clear theological boundaries distinct from the ideals of the surrounding culture, the churches have been increasingly subject to cultural currents. Moreover, in the absence of a clearly articulated faith, many individuals can see little reason to join or stay in the mainline churches. . . The doctrinal diversity in the churches makes it difficult for the mainstream bodies to articulate clearly their theological beliefs. Adherence to doctrinal pluralism, while maintaining institutional unity, has left the churches devoid of a clear theological voice. ⁵

While for Machen history was a record of facts that remained true for all time, historicist thinkers understood history to be profoundly colored by the historian's perspective... True doctrines, like true facts, did not change. These variant views of history lay at the root of much of the controversy that eventually split the church. ⁶

The two views of history did in fact impact doctrinal understandings and belief systems. Those like Machen believed the "facts" of the past were not merely interpretations but events that had actually happened. Sloan and his colleagues on the other hand believed that the past, as such, was gone and that what contemporaries had were only memories of the past. History was necessarily a matter of interpretation. We conclude this phase of our study with their deep divergence of views that ultimately led to the split in the Presbyterian Church:

These two views were obviously incompatible. Machen claimed that the facts of the Christian religion remain facts no matter whether we cherish them or not; they are facts for God; they are facts both for angels and for demons; they are facts now, and they will remain facts beyond the end of time. Variant interpretations of the virgin birth (like those implied in the Auburn Affirmation) were absurd. But Coffin argued just as adamantly that the description of events in the biblical narrative, historically conditioned as they were, were open to interpretation within the bounds of 'evangelical Christianity.' Thus, while he affirmed his belief in the incarnation, atonement, and resurrection, he insisted that this did not necessarily imply belief in the virgin birth, substitutionary atonement, or bodily resurrection. Operating with such different paradigms, the two simply talked past each other.⁸

Pluralism is the existence of multiple frames of reference, each with its own scheme of understanding and criteria of rationality. Pluralism is the co-existence of comparable and competing positions which are not to be reconciled. Pluralism is the recognition that different persons and different groups quite literally indwell irreducibly different worlds.⁹

For the most part, religion scholars have been reluctant to take up this challenge, despite the obvious affinities between questions of value and the study of religion. This reluctance is deeply rooted in the recent history of Religious Studies as an academic discipline. Religious Studies has won a place in public as well as private universities by drawing very clear lines between descriptive and prescriptive approaches to religion. Not that religion scholars have been timid about insisting on the centrality of religion in human affairs. Indeed we routinely claim that religion is the source of everything political, social and personal. But in our approach religion has neither a determinative content nor a definitive history. Religion is reduced to a universal function of world construction and personal formation--a function that can be served by virtually anything that has sacred power and meaning for groups and persons. Even tentative judgments between various conceptions of the sacred are ruled out in the name of academic and constitutional scruples against religious indoctrination. Never mind that other academic disciplines routinely encourage normative approaches to other cultural symbol systems.¹⁰

In general, modern Christians accept that. . .the church has also bequeathed to us great treasures of moral and spiritual truth; yet what they cannot accept is that the Bible is actually the written Word of God, that it is the Word of God in the words of man. What is emphasized today is the human character of Scripture and the absolute need to interpret it in terms of the original situation in and for which it was written.¹¹

Increasingly over the last century, experience has had the meaning of observation of facts and events as a source of knowledge. . . So it is not surprising that for liberal Christianity experience (personal, social, and from empirical study) has been and is understood as a medium of disclosure about the nature of the world as well as that which is 'beyond' it. . . Finally, this approach to experience includes but is far more than what traditionally has been called religious experience. Anyone who carefully studies the new experimental services of the Episcopal Church found in Prayer Book Studies, 30 will see how contemporary experience in the world is making its mark on theology and worship. What used to be seen as the influence of the world, the flesh, and the devil is now beginning to be seen as the presence and work of the Holy Spirit of God.¹²

We live in a technological society. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, profound questions about the existence of God have been asked, about the nature of faith and about how we should interpret the Scriptures. These are difficult problems, which sometimes leave seminarians simply confused. Some end up feeling that seminary did little more than convince them they were not competent to interpret Scripture, at least by the standards expected. In reaction, some even say to themselves, implicitly if not explicitly, If I can't interpret the Scriptures rightly, why bother to do so at all? . . .

John Haughey expands on this idea in The Holy Use of Money: 'That we can and do think in terms of social systems today makes it all the more necessary that the historical-critical method of scriptural exegesis not be the sole moment in the process of interpretation or use of the Scriptures. To make this the only moment or process of interpretation results in a positivism that reduces the value of the text to a mere trickle of the power it could unleash.'¹³

The point of this historical review is to point out there is a context to the disagreements being voiced. In the Commission's opinion, the matters outlined above are a significant part of the conflict surrounding the WWC Theology Department and contribute to the controversy. They are also behind the anecdotal issues. Any solution to theological controversies within Adventism will require some discussion and agreement on the issues touched on above.

Historical Context Footnotes

1 WWC School of Theology Mission Statement, 1991

2 Sample letters of concern as authorized (copies of which were reviewed by the WWC Board of Trustees)

3 ABC Sunday Morning News segment, November 16, 1997

4 D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God, Zondervan Publishing House, 1996, pp. 19, 20

5 Bradley J. Longfield, The Presbyterian Controversy, Oxford University Press, 1991, pp. 3, 4

6 Ibid, pp. 88, 89

7 Ibid, p. 91

8 Ibid, p. 222

9 Lonnie D. Kliever, Moral Education in a Pluralistic World, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, LX/1, p. 117

10 Ibid, p. 118

11 Peter Toon, The End of Liberal Theology, Goodnews Publishers, 1995, p. 84.

12 Ibid, p.34.

13 John and Sylvia Ronsvalle, Behind the Stained Glass Windows, Baker Book House Company, 1996, pp. 158, 161

THEOLOGICAL TENSIONS AND ISSUES

The tensions affecting the theology department of Walla Walla College and their critics hinge on differing expectations from various constituent groups. Students, parents, WWC theology teachers, Northwest administrators, Northwest pastors and even the WWC Board of Trustees and the church in North America are involved in discussions over basic issues facing the church that will determine its direction in the future.

These tensions are not unlike similar battles previously held in the mainline Protestant churches (Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Lutheran, etc.). Those issues forever changed those churches, effectively neutralizing their moral and theological witness to the world. After they endured the struggles similar to those facing WWC and Adventism, those churches were forever altered. This commission report presupposes a basic working knowledge on the part of its readers that will help them understand the issues.

The WWC Theology faculty, by self description, use a "Biblical Studies" model as their predominant current approach to religious teaching. By common definition, Biblical studies is what some characterize as the "scientific study of scripture," an approach to the study of religion that tends to concentrate on the text from a critical basis discussing authorship, historicity, and textual analysis in detail, majoring in empirical evidences. Terminology used, such as "reconstructed life" which produced literary development, folk literature, source criticism and tradition history, and the outright challenge to faith from modern science are openly and regularly used. These matters are standard fare in graduate programs in religion and theology. . The level of this approach at WWC nears that of some graduate schools. The Commission found quite a strong tendency on the part of the theology teachers to teach in this vein. Evidences for this assertion are:

1. The Biblical studies versus Theological studies as evidenced by the classroom curriculum.

2. Strong emphasis on Biblical Languages;

3. Critical textual emphasis;

4. Self-descriptive in their conversations with the commission;

5. The departmental mission statement;

6. Graduates lack of ability to articulate basics of Adventism in an easy and winning way.

7. The faculty's stated concern about the growth of fundamentalism as an uncritical ideology

Some time ago, whether by deliberate decision, or by happenstance, a decision was made to pattern the department as a school of Biblical studies rather than as a school of Theological Studies, the more traditional approach.

During the course of the investigation into the complaints made against the Theology department at WWC, a recurring theme emerged. The Biblical Studies approach is causing significant difficulty to some students, the difficulty being produced by a number of things. First, there are differences in levels of faith maturity between the students, the teachers, the ultra-conservative wing of the church, and the liberal constituency. Added to this is the fact that biblical literacy and faith maturity levels of students entering college is in decline. Every single one of the theology teachers asserted that, on average, even a basic level of biblical knowledge and understanding is increasingly limited in current incoming college freshmen. When young people come to college from an environment that has kept them spiritually immature, or if they come from a conservative background expecting to hear the Bible discussed in familiar terminology, they are in for a shock in some of the classes being taught by the WWC professors. They do not hear the words and themes familiar to them explicated. It appears common for students to be able to enroll in religion classes that they are not equipped to take, classes that are beyond their faith maturity levels. Very often this can be attributed to scheduling problems. The student may need a religion class to meet a requirement so he/she will take whatever is available and fits their schedule, often with little or no regard to curriculum content or knowledge of course objectives. When this happens, their beliefs and faith systems are challenged, and adverse proceedings ensue. If students become unsettled and tell their parents and local pastors of "incidents", the rumor mill is started. Then gossip and innuendo follow, a climate of suspicion grows, people almost automatically put the worst interpretation to the data, and a crisis occurs in their lives, the school and church. If, on the other hand, students come to college with their faith systems well formed, or are accustomed to dealing with new and challenging ideas, then they find the questioning and challenge they are looking for and go away extremely appreciative of their teachers.

Another factor in this equation is the general fear of pastors and administrators over traveling too far down the road toward the use of a higher critical methodology. The use of even a modified "Adventist" historical critical methodology makes some of our pastors and the Northwest administrators very uneasy with regards to the future of the Adventist church. Hence the problems.

The Commission did find that one of the consequences of the approach currently used by the theology department is inadequate emphasis and explication of basic Adventist doctrine and the familiar landmarks. These beliefs are not denied as much as assumed. Testimony given to Commission members was to the effect that the specific teachings of Adventism are reserved primarily for two classes taught by Dr. Glen Greenwalt, scheduled for the senior year of theology students. The effect of this is some ministerial students coming out of their WWC experience testify that they are unsure of the basics of Christian and Adventist faith. They have the ability to do critical textual analysis, but are unable to give basic sermons and Bible studies in a winning, evangelistic way. Some refuse even to hold public meetings and are incapable of reassuring their older church members that they still believe the basics of creationism, eschatology, revelation and inspiration. The effect of this on non-theological students must be assumed to be similar, that they go from WWC without having had a rigorous explanation for Adventist beliefs. As long as these conditions exist, it will be increasingly difficult to shut down the rumor mill as well as get unqualified support for the college among church leaders. The ultraconservative wing of the church, whose views are very close to verbal inspiration (God said it and the prophets wrote it down), will see the methodology currently being used as proof of apostasy in our college. They will probably respond negatively as the results of the Commission become known. They, with many of the moderates and their students, need to hear some voices of affirmation, they need the theology staff to conduct Adventist faith and doctrine affirming events for both students and constituents. Once these people believe that WWC theology staff is solidly "Adventist", then and only then can there begin to be constructive conversations that help those people and their children to develop more sophisticated views of scripture. The Commission recognizes the need to wean people away from a verbal inspiration model of Bible study. The rate at which this change is made is crucial.

All of this brings up the question of what an Adventist college is supposed to be and do? The Commission found considerable disagreement on this matter, certainly no consensus. In the case of WWC, the College has grown way beyond its charter. Lack of consensus as to the task the College is to perform causes a lack of common expectations, which sets up the probability of conflict over the product produced. Is Walla Walla College to be a Bible college, an indoctrination center, a place where workers for the cause are prepared (original charter), or is it to be a place where the harder questions typical of liberal higher education prevail, and are allowed and explored leading wherever they will? This is a matter of crucial concern as this last prospect opens the possibility of seeing movement down the route taken by other former church related colleges which has taken them entirely away from any church affiliation. The fears and dangers here are real. Without careful and deliberate thought and strategizing, there is no evidence that educational institutions will avoid the drift away from church structure and mission taken by so many institutions in other faith communities. Until the College constituency, and those who lead it are in agreement as to task, there can be no resolution or restoration of trust.

The Commission believes the WWC Board of Trustees needs greater involvement in several areas. First, they need to be informed on the systemic challenge in Adventism over higher critical methodologies in Biblical studies as it relates to students and the Northwest church it represents. They need to understand the fears that arise in many hearts when we approach issues and teaching techniques that have torn other denominations apart. The new methodologies can have an adverse effect on faith if not handled very carefully. Some students can handle the more sophisticated approach; some cannot. The Board needs to understand and offer guidance as to what emphasis should prevail at WWC. Once the Board has wrestled with these challenges, and ambiguities are clarified, then all else can be decided. When there is clarity of purpose and content at the Constituent level, the Board level, and NPUC administrative level, then there can be better marketing of the college and its purpose. Right now it can rightfully be asked, "Who sets the focus of a department?" or, "Who sets the focus of the College?" It seems to the Commission such decisions are made by default, or left up to those who lead departments. The connection to mission is presumed. Decisions in matters of such importance should be more deliberate. With careful attention and work, the current tensions and troubles could be turned into events of a positive nature if mission is clarified and enunciated, and all departments obviously connected to it.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. That the WWC Board recognize that the stated task of higher education is indistinct in the minds of the constituency, and that the College has grown way beyond its original charter to the point that its purpose is indistinct. It is clear that the majority of graduates do not work in the employment of the church.

2. That deliberate efforts be made to clarify and update the school charter and bring all operations into harmony with it.

3. That a refined and updated mission and purpose of Walla Walla College be clearly communicated to the constituency.

A CASE FOR MATCHING TEACHING METHODOLOGY WITH STUDENT FAITH MATURITY LEVELS

The issue of teaching methodology has all ready been discussed to some degree. The popular instructional method employs a critical dissection of each text or group of texts to discover their historical context and relevancy or application to current times. This type of biblical study seeks to find correlation between traditional Christian interpretation of scripture and logical scientific theory. This is not always possible and when faced with this not always obvious dichotomy the tendency may often be to disbelieve or to doubt the validity of traditional interpretation. The result is that a student may leave the class confused and angry, with a feeling that he/she has lost their faith in the Bible and their church. Some have noted in their evaluations of these classes that questions were raised either by the teacher or other students that were left unanswered. A few students stated that they had gone to the teacher after class to get clarification or answers to these questions and were not given sufficient attention or 'faith building' support when human wisdom and reason is unable to fathom the mysteries of the past or of events yet to come. It is only fair to note that these responses were few in number and that a majority of the students were enthusiastic about their professors and the classes taught.

Another area of concern noted on the evaluations was the lack of information included in the curriculum guide. This information should provide insight into the content and objectives of the class and provide a description of the method or style of instruction to be used to achieve the objectives.

RECOMMENDATION:

4. That the theology curriculum as expressed in the Bulletin be reviewed and updated to contain more detailed information regarding class content and objectives to allow students to have a better understanding of what to expect from the class.

The Theology faculty at WWC have achieved a high level of academic qualifications. For this, WWC is fortunate. Unfortunately, however, the professor is at times addressing a class of 'biblically illiterate' students and they aren't always aware of this until it is too late. Students come to WWC from many diverse backgrounds. Increasingly more and more students will attend WWC having never been to an Adventist academy. They will not have the fundamental Adventist doctrinal education that would have been expected in years past. This can lead to a class makeup of students at widely varying levels of spiritual maturity. Some students whose faith is well grounded will welcome the opportunity for open discussions on controversial issues facing the Adventist church and Christianity in general, while others will be devastated by what may appear to be near heresy on the part of their instructor. There must be recognition that even a freshman coming from a third generation Adventist family and a recently baptized upper-classman are often miles apart in what they can deal with in open classroom discussion. Even though the upperclassman may be older and wiser in many ways he/she may be more comfortable in a straight forward 'faith building' approach while the younger more doctrinally grounded individual is better prepared to deal with probing and open discussions on issues that he/she has always accepted as absolute.

Many times the student is not the best judge of his/her own level of spiritual maturity, therefore, it becomes the duty of the professor to know his students either through a process of evaluation or through close personal interaction. It is also suggested that each student before enrolling in a class carefully read the detailed class description to understand the class objectives. If, even after these precautionary steps are taken, the student finds him/herself uncomfortable with the class content or discussion level they should go directly to the professor. The professor should take the time to listen to the student and prayerfully help them work through any confusing issues. Many students have expressed their appreciation for the willingness of the faculty to address these difficult issues and concerns.

It should be noted that the majority of the responses in the evaluations submitted have been very positive in tone, complimentary of the experiences that were had in the classroom, and with the interactions with the faculty in general. This is indicative of a focused effort on the part of the religion faculty to prepare themselves and the materials presented in the class. Paying careful attention to the assessment process to place students in the appropriate classes and progressively building a strong foundation that can produce maximum benefit to the student and make it possible to reach the stated goals and objectives of the department, will go a long way to reduce if not eliminate the opportunity for any student to come away from the classroom feeling as if there is no basis for their faith in God and in the blessed hope of His soon return.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

5. That a process be developed that insures that students are happy with their choice of classes and that they are appropriately matched with the content and objectives of the class they plan to attend.

6. That the mentoring system that is in place be encouraged and further developed. This should include dialogue between religion faculty and non-religion faculty advisors who will be assisting non-theology majors in their selection of religion course requirements.

THE PURPOSE AND NATURE OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION AT WWC

Related to issues concerning the faith maturity levels of students and the deployment of appropriate teaching methodologies to match these realities, the Commission also recognized the need for the College Board to clarify or restate the purpose and nature of the School of Theology at Walla Walla College.

The need for such a re-determination stems from influences that have shaped theological education in general during the last few decades. The Commission believes the department should be vigilant against drifting toward the extremes of the Biblical studies approach to theological education referred to earlier in this report, something that has won a very influential place in public and many private universities. According to the Biblical studies model of theological education, religion is not viewed as necessarily having a determinative content nor a definitive history. A scientific interest and critical approach is taken toward all religious study, including the Biblical text. The older view of doctrine and the pursuit of theology as deduction from Scripture has to make way for views that claim to be in tune with modern ways of study that are more in harmony with the scientific spirit. The Bible is then viewed as the inspired words of men about God, rather than words inspired by God concerning God and His relationship to man. Religious indoctrination is neither coordinated as an inter-disciplinary task nor encouraged. This does not imply that religion scholars caught up in this approach have given up on their church, but they do become affected by a scientifically driven, critical mind-set that is damaging to faith. In turn, their students are equipped with an intellectual, religious box containing an assortment of virtually independent parcels of knowledge but which they are not necessarily taught to tie together.

The subtly undermining influence of this model, if naively courted, or intentionally deployed in the Adventist theological education process will have far-reaching, paralyzing effects on the message and mission of Adventism. The Church expects scholars and those they train for ministry to guard against such a reductionism of faith. The Commission believes that the North Pacific Union Conference constituency has the distinct expectation that the religion department of Walla Walla College is to inculcate in all its students the beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist church based on the authority of Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy. It is expected that students should be taught why we believe as we do, and why our belief system can stand critical examination. During this educational process, it is expected that students, particularly those in theological training will also intentionally be led into ministry events in which they can give meaningful expression to their faith. The hope is that every Seventh-day Adventist student will be a life-long believer in the doctrinal and prophetic message, and a participant in the worldwide mission, of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

RECOMMENDED:

7. That the Walla Walla College Board oversee clarification and restatement of its expectations of the religion department in relation to:

a. The purpose for its existence in relation to the needs and expectations of the North Pacific Union Conference constituency, particularly with respect to those who will enter the teaching and gospel ministries of the church;

b. The authority and instructional treatment of Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy;

c. The curriculum, and how it should intentionally facilitate the instruction and affirmation of the fundamental beliefs and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist church.

THE LIBERAL IMAGE OF THE THEOLOGY DEPARTMENT

The Commission believes that the scholars serving in the School of Theology should be generally perceived by the North Pacific Union constituency as fully representative of the "liberal--conservative" spectrum that characterizes Adventism in general nowadays. Except for the notion of collegiality and obvious scholastic ability, no established criteria aimed at ensuring representation across this spectrum have been followed in the recruitment of theology teachers in recent years. A perception held by many which the Commission could not refute, is that the theology faculty (rightly or wrongly) is weighted toward the "liberal" side of the "liberal-conservative" continuum. This could account for much of the loss of the department's credibility in recent years. It is imperative that this image be corrected. Adventist theological reflection will always be best served when scholars who are known to hold widely diverse positions on matters of faith and practice hold each other accountable. Such accountability must apply not only to theological ideas that arise at one side of the spectrum, but across the entire continuum. Thus a more balanced articulation of our message can be achieved, polarization among the church populace be avoided, and the credence to our mission be sustained.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

8. That the "liberal" image of the Walla Walla College religion department be adjusted to better reflect the liberal-conservative continuum:

a. That the religion faculty engage in a self-study to determine why this image has been earned;

b. That the religion faculty critique their mission statement with a view to aligning themselves very positively as defenders of the faith and mission of Adventism, and proposing how this will be undertaken in the future;

c. That the department chairman be rotated on a biennial basis

FACILITATION: That when filling any future vacancies in the department, deliberate care be exercised to achieve a balance in Adventist theological perspectives. An expanded search committee will need to be formed to implement this objective. The members of this committee will be appointed jointly by the college president and the board chairman, to include the Chairman of the College Personnel Committee, serving as chairman, the Vice-president for Academic Administration, the chairman of the Theology department, a pastor and a lay person who both are members of the Board, a conference president, Union administrator, and Union Ministerial Association secretary.

DEEPER SCRIPTURAL STUDY

The Commission found influences of what may be a systemic problem in Adventism which discourages deeper scrutiny of the Scriptures for fear that it may destroy faith. There is a documentable history of tensions between academia and administration. The absence of theological debate or discussion or disagreements is not necessarily a sign that all is well. Consider the following from the pen of Ellen White. In the chapter, "Dangers," of the book Gospel Workers we are told:

Men rest satisfied with the light already received from Gods word, and discourage any further investigation of the Scriptures. They become conservative, and seek to avoid discussion. The fact that there is no controversy or agitation among Gods people, should not be regarded as conclusive evidence that they are holding fast to sound doctrine. There is reason to fear that they may not be clearly discriminative between truth and error. When no new questions are started by investigation of Scriptures, when no difference of opinion arises which will set men to searching the Bible for themselves, to make sure that they have the truth, there will be many now as in ancient times, who will hold to tradition and worship they know not what. I have been shown that many who profess to have knowledge of present truth know not what they believe. They do not understand the evidence of their faith. The present attitude of the church is not pleasing to God. There has come in a self-confidence that has led them to feel no necessity for more truth and greater light.

Some have feared that if in even a single point they acknowledge themselves in error, other minds would be lead to doubt the whole theory of truth. Therefore they have felt that investigation should not be permitted, that it would tend to dissension and disunion. But if such is to be the result of investigation the sooner it comes the better. If there are those whose faith in Gods word will not stand the test of an investigation of the Scriptures, the sooner they are revealed the better; for then the way will be opened to show them their error. We cannot hold that a position once taken, an idea once advocated, is not, under any circumstances, to be relinquished. Those who allow prejudice to bar the mind against the reception of truth cannot receive the divine enlightenment. Yet, when a view of Scripture is presented, many do not ask, is it true in harmony with Gods word? but, By whom is it advocated? and unless it comes through the very channel that pleases them, they do not accept it.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

10. That there be a joint effort between Walla Walla College and church administration toward using the resources in the Theology Department in a more widespread fashion to educate the constituency at large with a view toward eliminating inconsistencies in the way we support our beliefs. Ant that the whole Adventist educational structure be encouraged to participate in a progressive building-block education enterprise which develops a clear understanding of Seventh-day Adventist history and doctrine.

11. That administrators intentionally help mitigate the dichotomy that now exists between the Adventist Theological Society (ATS) and the Adventist Society Religious of Studies (ASRS) to ameliorate growing tensions between the two entities.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

During its investigations, the Commission came to the conclusions that one significant issue is the way in which the various conflicts themselves have been handled. There seems to have been a general failure to follow good biblical conflict resolution principles. The problem surrounding the initial concerns about the Theology Department at WWC has far reaching ramifications which threaten the unity of Adventism. This part of the report deals specifically with those aspects of the problem resulting from a breakdown of communication and dissemination of misinformation.

The has been some failure in communication and a reluctance to have ongoing open dialog with WWC on the substantive issues. It is also clear that misinformation has been propagated without verification of the facts. Additionally, there has been a failure to deal with the concerns directly and immediately as prescribed in Matthew18. In discussions with Dr. W.G. Nelson and with Doug Clark it was confirmed that there was no formal correspondence from NPUC to WWC delineating specific concerns and/or corrective actions to be implemented by the School of Theology. There was a meeting in mid May 1994, after a Board Meeting where NPUC representatives, met with College personnel, to discuss concerns regarding the Theology Department. The NPUC Representatives provided a talking paper for discussion. But the concerns were not adequately followed up in subsequent meetings. It was customary, at that time, to have yearly retreats between the Administration and WWC where some concerns were discussed but nothing specific was recommended to WWC as corrective actions. From discussions with the NPUC Administration it is understood that tensions were exacerbated by what they believed to be a lack of intentionality on the part of WWC to implement corrective actions to assuage concerns. Eventually frustration and feelings of tension developed. The perception now, is one of distrust and suspicion, which creates an environment where rumors flourish. The Commission believes we are at the crossroads of a golden opportunity to capitalize on our mistakes and go forward in unity. In ancient times as it is now, God stresses open communication when he says to his people, "Come let us reason together." We need to forgive and forget and press together, in the efficient use of resources, as we minister to the Constituency of this Union.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

12. That a procedure be formalized to allow a mutual review of significant concerns and/or corrective actions to provide an understanding of the progress made and to enhance communications.

COUNSEL:

The Commission urges those embroiled in this controversy in the strongest possible terms to set aside feelings of animosity, temptations to pass on unsubstantiated stories, and abuse of influence, to engage in persistent humble dialog in pursuit of resolution.

That those individuals involved in propagating erroneous reports be admonished to take action towards making amends

That Administrators, at all levels, encourage the principles of Matthew 18 to be fully utilized i.e., common commitment to believe nothing until parties involved dialogue with each other.

DISCUSSION OF SPECIFIC ALLEGATIONS

This section of the Commission's report deals with specific allegations brought to the Commission for investigation. Two observations are necessary right at the outset. First, because of the reluctance of several people to testify, and because of the conflicting testimony regarding several issues, it was not possible to be absolutely definitive in all cases. The Commission would have benefitted had it been able to interview several individuals who were principals in some of the incidents, but that was not possible. Second, because of the desire to keep some sensitive testimony from the public record, only the issue and the Commission's findings are contained in this report. The documenting testimony is included as an appendix given to the Board, then retrieved. With these two caveats known, the available findings of the Commission are detailed below:

Agnosticism:

The Commission heard allegations that one of the theology faculty is an admitted agnostic.

FINDING:

The Commission finds no evidence to sustain this charge. The evidence obtained leads the Commission to believe some students missed a fine point being made by the teacher and then went to tell their mis-perception. The Commission exonerates the teacher entirely in this matter, and urges the student(s) toward resolution.

Alcohol at Faculty Party:

The Commission was asked to address the allegation that at a gathering of the faculty of the English department in the Administration Building, an alcoholic beverage was served quite openly. (It should be noted this request is slightly outside the charter given the Commission, to investigate matters pertaining to the Theology Department but, because of its on-going efforts all ready in progress, the Commission accepted testimony on this matter).

FINDING:

The Commission finds no evidence to support the allegation. It finds ample evidence to the contrary, so exonerates the English Department faculty entirely in this matter. It urges those involved in spreading the misinformation to complete the process of healing by the extension of apologies to the Department.

Theology Department Support of Homosexuality:

The Commission was asked to investigate allegations that the Theology Faculty openly supports homosexuality as an acceptable, though alternative, lifestyle for Christians.

FINDING:

The Commission finds insufficient evidence to sustain this indictment against the theology faculty. It is their plain testimony that they do not openly endorse active homosexuality. While the question may yet need to be determined for some other departments, the Theology departments position is in line with that of the school.

Pizza and Soda Communion:

The Commission investigated an allegation that one of the teachers conducted a communion service in class using pizza and soda as the communion elements. This proved to be a difficult issue to decipher.

FINDING:

The Commission could not find sufficient evidence to sustain this allegation, so exonerates the teacher.

The Spokane Incident:

The Commission was asked to investigate what has come to be called The Spokane Incident. This incident was basically an adverse reaction by the Spokane Area Ministerium to a series of presentations made by the Theology faculty at a meeting they held at South Hill Church in Spokane, WA. The adverse reaction came in the form of an open letter written by the ministerium to Church administrators criticizing the presentations made by the faculty, and alleging they have abandoned the faith.

FINDING:

The conclusion reached by the Commission on this incident is that, because of the admitted pre-existence of suspicion, the Spokane Incident, in and of itself, does not have any significant contribution to make to the on-going discussion. It is an unfortunate occurrence that arose from conflicting expectations exacerbated by a climate of suspicion. The Commission finds in the Spokane Incident no true reflection of the beliefs and tenor of the Theology Department, nor an accurate evaluation of department personnel. The Commission finds it to be, rather, an incident produced by widely differing expectations followed by poor conflict management. Furthermore, the Commission finds willingness from both sides to sit and work to resolution. It is therefore recommended that administrators act expeditiously to bring the two sides together for purposes of resolution.

The Honors Core Seven:

The Commission was given a collection of papers written by five honors core students that were very disturbing in that they reflected what appeared to be a progression in their experiences from faith to agnosticism, even humanism. These papers seem to have been circulated far and wide as evidence against the College program, the Theology Department in particular.

FINDING:

The Commission finds that while the papers are disturbing, they should not be seen as characterizing the whole of the College. They had a particular context that must not be discounted. Furthermore, if they did reflect the true opinions of a group of students, a significant number of them have worked through those issues to active faith. Lastly, this class was not a theology department class so is not an accurate reflection of the same.

This report is submitted without arrogance or pride of opinion. The Commission did its best to be fair, allowing the data to speak for itself. It is a sincere hope that those who receive this report will accept it in the same spirit.

Signed,
Ron Anderson
Alf Birch
Wilfred Geschke
Jon Kattenhorn
Esther Littlejohn
Steve McPherson
Bryce Pascoe
Carlyle Raymond
David Thomas

APPENDIX A

SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY STATEMENT OF MISSION

WALLA WALLA COLLEGE

The mission of the School of Theology is to encourage thoughtful interest and active participation in the Christian Faith from a Seventh-day Adventist perspective. In all that it does, the School of Theology is committed to the understanding that a religious education is not simply a matter of mastering certain assigned information but of being disciplined in the habits of faith. Such an education requires an integration of worship, learning, and practice directed toward religious, social, and moral transformation of the world. As Seventh-day Adventists, the teaching faculty retain the strong conviction that many of the dominant values of our culture stand in need of prophetic critique and challenge.

The School of Theology finds its major responsibilities on campus directed toward the education of general students. The goal for these students is that they will become informed, enriched, and active members of the church and their communities. In biblical courses students are introduced to the original sources of Christian faith that continue to challenge and direct the life of faith. The actual development of biblical faith is traced in courses of archaeology and church history. The moral and social implications of faith are pursued in greater depth in courses such as Christian ethics, psychology of religion, and the sociology of religion. Recognizing that Christian faith is located within the broader aspirations, interests, and religious experiences of human beings, a range of courses is provided in religious aesthetics and spirituality, philosophy of religion, and world religions.

For ministerial students, whose educational needs comprise another important dimension of the School of Theology's work, the goal is to develop future leaders equipped to carry on a ministry of proclamation, worship, and nurture within the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This requires that students gain not only a thorough knowledge of Christian faith and Scripture, biblical languages, and Seventh-day Adventist heritage, but that they are taught the skills necessary to integrate and communicate their knowledge so as to build further the life of faith. This is accomplished through a well-established advisement program, classroom instruction based on dialogue and inquiry, and professional experiences on and off campus that give the students the opportunity to integrate their learning with practical experience. While these courses and activities are not intended to take the place of a seminary education, they are intended to provide a strong foundation in pastoral ministries.