Baylor, Baptists, and Bill Clinton's Nemesis

Ken Starr Should Be Free to Choose His Own Denomination and Church

By now you've heard the news: Ken Starr is Baylor University's New President. The story states that Starr's wife is Jewish (although apparently a Christian as well), and that they plan to join "a Baptist church" upon their arrival in Waco. If they have ever held membership in a Baptist church before (Starr's father was a Church of Christ preacher), no mention is being made of it.

Starr thus makes the second consecutive man to go through the forced pretense of joining a Baptist church in order to preside over my alma mater.

This fact is the context of my plea to Baylor University: Please, please, please, please, please! Stop this farce! If you will no longer require that your presiding officers actually BE Baptists, please stop coercing them into joining Baptist churches upon their arrival in Waco. Doing so:

1. is a slap in the face to the historic Baptist tradition of voluntarism. John Lilley's past church memberhsip and Ken Starr's soon-to-be church membership represent something of a coerced faith, do they not? Aren't we, as Baptists, opposed to such a thing?

2. devalues the concept of Baptist church membership (if, indeed, that can be done further). How can it not do so for an erstwhile Baptist university to adopt the ethos of le bon roi Henri?

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem on the Brazos

The administration of Baylor University has requested the Baylor Alumni Association to dissolve itself in favor of an alumni relations program administered by the university itself. This is a controversial request that comes as the culmination of several contentious years (although things somewhat incorrectly appeared to be improving) between Baylor's administration and largest alumni body.

The Baylor Alumni Association will likely remind you of the importance of independence as opposed to control. The BAA ought not to be some sort of a perpetual "watchdog," but neither should it be a "lapdog" subservient to the vicissitudes of the administration. To dissolve the BAA, many alumni feel, would represent a dangerous consolidation of power in favor of the administration and the regents of Baylor.

I agree with this point of view. Of course, I can say so with a straight face.

I was not among the folks who favored consolidation of power when Herb Reynolds was stealing Baylor University away from Texas Baptists and placing it into the hands of a self-perpetuating board of trustees—the power grab of the Baptist century. Among BAA's champions will be a great many people who loved the idea of consolidating control of Baylor, so long as they were the ones in control. Now, on the outside of the circle of power and looking in, they're the advocates of a greater voice for the people. Quite convenient, if you ask me.

Nevertheless, Baylor is my alma mater, the university has sent out so many people who have been used so greatly by the Lord in its 164-year history, and a great many of the people involved in this situation are my brothers and sisters in Christ. For all of these reasons, and because God put some good things into my own life during my years in Waco (one of whom will be teaching Kindergarten Sunday School today), I am praying for the peace of Jerusalem on the Brazos.

The Fate of the American University

My alma mater has today forcibly terminated its second consecutive president in three years. I will not grieve excessively for John Lilley, for I never believed that a Presbyterian elder ought to be at the helm of an erstwhile Baptist university. Nevertheless, I think it is worthwhile for us to consider where University life in America has come.

Because of the tenure system, faculty positions are essentially secure. Exceptions that allow for the termination of a tenured faculty member are quite difficult to execute. The de facto situation in American universities is that the president and his administration cannot terminate faculty members.

On the other hand, faculties seem to be gaining more and more political influence over the job security of administrators. Both Sloan's and Lilley's departures are basically the result of faculty lobbying efforts (although in Sloan's case the influence of a former president contributed). But this is not a phenomenon unique to Baylor. Harvard president Lawrence H. Summers succumbed to faculty pressure at the unfriendly conclusion of his tenure at the nation's most prestigious university. Faculties are learning that it is well within their power to obtain the chief executive's head on a silver charger.

The net effect? The institutional situation at our universities is coming to be convoluted beyond belief: The supervisory executive branch cannot terminate the employees, but the employees can terminate their supervisors. Does anyone really believe that this is healthy? If so, would you care to explain why?

And Then There's What Awaits You at Wal-Mart!

Yes, folks, this entire truck has been painted as an advertisement for "Psychic Readings by Nancy." Nancy apparently has forty years of experience, a phone number, a web site, and is available for your next party.

And yes, folks, hidden away up in the back windshield, that's a proud sticker from my alma mater, Baylor University.

Your Cooperative Program dollars at work. :-)