Asbury Seminary Crisis Escalates
Posted February 23, 2007
The crisis at Asbury Seminary, one of the nation's largest and most influential evangelical schools of theology, escalated this week as yet another high ranking official cut ties to the institution.
The Wilmore school's board of trustees, who forced out seminary president Jeffrey E. Greenway in the fall, now must find a replacement for vice president of finance and administration Peter Cates.
Cates submitted his resignation February 21, to take effect Feb. 28. It's highly unusual for a high-ranked administrator to give his employer only one week's notice before calling it quits. Acting president J. Ellsworth Kalas announced Cates' departure in an e-mail which was released by the school's communications office on Feb. 22.
"Pete feels that, for the sake of his family and his physical and spiritual health, he must give up the work to which he has dedicated himself these recent years. His decision has been a prayerful one. As much as I cherish Pete's work, I cannot argue with his reasons for leaving us. I can only wish him godspeed," Kalas said.
Around Christmas, United Methodist bishop Lindsey Davis resigned from the board of trustees. The school also announced that a student had filed a formal complaint against the school with The Association of Theological Schools, Asbury's key accrediting agency.
School officials had described their campus as "in crisis" even before Cates resigned. Giving has dropped sharply in the wake of Greenway's forced ouster and enrollment is also down. In an e-mail to the campus community on Feb. 6, Kalas described what he called a "significant financial challenge."
At that point, Kalas wrote: 1) We are in the second year of a downward trend in enrollment, which means a major loss in income, even though the percentage is relatively small. Most seminaries are dealing with the same problem, but because of our size, the figures are more significant. 2) We are experiencing a projected decline of as much as 33% in the giving that funds the operating budget. Though this percentage is large, the actual dollar amount is far less than our loss in tuition income.
This is a serious challenge, but one that can be solved. We are already well underway in the development of a process and a plan to deal with these issues -- a plan that will address both short-term needs and long-term efficiencies. I am proud of the dedication and the professional skills that our leaders are bringing to this challenge. As these changes unfold, we will be on more solid footing than ever, God helping us.
President Greenway was a highly popular president, but had clashed with some members of the school's governing body. The self-perpetuating board, ignoring many students and alumni, canned Greenway after about two years on the job. Faculty members, knowing Greenway's job was in jeopardy, gave him an overwhelming vote of confidence, but the gesture wasn't enough to save his job.
Because the board has no term limits and because most alumni and faculty aren't allowed to vote, there appears to be little that Greenways supporters can do to change the leadership -- short of cutting off donations.
Friends have urged Greenway to sue the school, but he has declined to do so thus far. Highly regarded by key Methodist bishops, he was quickly hired to pastor Reynoldsburg (Ohio) United Methodist Church -- one of the largest Methodist megachurches in America.
The Asbury board has never spelled out why they disliked Greenway, a former superintendent in the United Methodist Church. Trustees say Greenway commited no criminal or immoral acts and a spokeswoman described the standoff as a dispute over the institution's direction.
The school had hired a consultant to help heal the rifts caused by Greenway's forced ouster. But the consultant canceled a Feb. 28 meeting with faculty members.
Meanwhile, anger hasn't subsided. A small group of students at Asbury College reportedly walked out of a chapel service Wednesday in protest after Kalas was invited to give the message. Ex-president Greenway's children were studying at the undergraduate school and the Greenway family still has friends and allies on campus.
To read Kalas' statement on Cates' resignation, click below.
From: Communications Office
To: Announcements
Re: A Message from the President
Changes in the Seminary Finance Office
Yesterday, February 21, Asbury's Vice President of Finance and Administration, Peter Cates, tendered his resignation, effective February 28, 2007.
From my point of view, Pete's leaving is both an institutional and a personal loss. He has contributed faithfully to the life of our seminary from the day of his arrival; you have seen both Pete and his wife, Texas, in chapel services and on other occasions of community life. Personally, he has been a unique source of strength for me in the four months I have served as your president. I have seen him as not only a member of my administration, but also as a friend and a brother in Christ.
But Pete feels that, for the sake of his family and his physical and spiritual health, he must give up the work to which he has dedicated himself these recent years. His decision has been a prayerful one. As much as I cherish Pete's work, I cannot argue with his reasons for leaving us. I can only wish him godspeed.
Pete has assured me that our Executive Director of Finance, Bryan Blankenship, is prepared in every way to carry on his work, especially at this crucial time of budget building. I have met with Bryan and have asked him to serve with me as our acting Vice President of Finance, with all the powers of that office; and to my great joy, he has agreed to my request. He will assume this office on March 1, 2007. In this office he will also become a member of the President’s Leadership Steering Team.
Bryan has been with us since April 2004. He is a graduate of Greenville College with a MBA degree from the university of Kentucky, and earlier was a student at ATS for two years. He comes to us with eight years of experience in educational financial administration at Central Christian College of Kansas, prior to these recent years on our own staff. I welcome Bryan as an experienced educational finance officer, and a person who spirit and attitude I find very congenial.
Pete and his family expect to remain in Wilmore through the Jessamine County school year. He will continue to serve us in areas where his legal knowledge is especially helpful.
I know you will support both of these men and their families in your prayers.
J. Ellsworth Kalas
President
Comments
No faculty or alumni are allowed to vote. For faculty to even speak to the BOT they must go through the faculty representative (and that person can only address the BOT by request of the chair of the board). As far as alumni go, they have no say at all, except for donations as Frank said.
I don't have any dog in the Asbury fight But I would hope that an institution with as much history behind it as Asbury, and with so many supporters, could be put back on the right track.
And, from my point of view, totally from the outside, I still don't know what this crisis is all about. Does anyone truly know why Greenaway was fired?
I guess the only counter-balances to a self-perpetuating board are alumni and prospective students. The alumni can cut off giving, and prospective students can enroll elsewhere. A third influence would be re-enrolling students, who might decide to attend college elsewhere.
The people who were the prime movers behind Dr. Greenway's being driven off will need to apologize at best, apologize and resign would be more like it. They aren't going to come up with "solutions to the problem" when their presence on the board is the problem. But then that's the problem -- if human pride and unethical foolishness caused what was done, then how do you get those very same people to act humbly and ethically now? Arminians who believe in unfettered free will should take note -- you are watching Calvin and Edwards' doctrine of the fallen will at work.
Dear Jack Brooks,
In both of your comments you used the term "college" to reference the Asbury Seminary Board,of Trustees and the administrative turmoil for Asbury Seminary students.
There are two institutions of higher education that share the proud name Asbury in Wilmore and both share the same Wesleyan hermitage. They are completely separate from each other with separate campuses, Boards of Trustees, administration. faculty, students and staff: Asbury College and Asbury Seminary. It is the seminary only that is having this turmoil.
Asbury College is without the turmoil of the seminary and is completing a search for a new president following the very successful tenure of Dr. Paul Rader, MD, former World Commander of the Salvation Army.
Please be more accurate about the institutions that you refer to in your comments.
Asbury College continues to move forward as a highly recognized institution that provides a Christian Liberal Arts education at both the undergraduate and now the graduate professional degree levels.
Bob Maxwell+
Asbury College Class of 1963
The Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande
Dear Bob Maxwell,
The comment from Jack Brooks regarding the students walking out happened at Asbury College, as reported by Brooks. Dr. Kalas was a guest speaker across the street and when Dr. Kalas was announced, Asbury College students, who, as you know are required to attend chapel, walked out.
There has been some healing between the Seminary students and the College students in the past few years so it did not surprise me that some College students acted in this manner. I do not know if the Greenway children, who are current Asbury College students, were part of the group.
Don Swank
Current Asbury Theological Seminary student, M.Div.
Just for the record, Greenway resigned. He was not fired.
Editor's note: Mr. Greenway was suspended by the board of trustees, which then made it clear that they'd sure like him to get out of Dodge. I think I've tried to avoid the word "fired" but "forced to resign" or "pressured to quit" or "ousted" or "booted" all appear to be accurate descriptions of what happened to President Greenway.
If anyone wants to propose more precise labels, I'll certainly give you all the space you want.
Allow me to give another point of view - the Greenway vs. Board of Trustees issue is not nearly as one-sided as it seems. I, and several others I know well, have been personally affected, in a very serious way, by some of the poor decisions that Greenway made. I even personally spoke to Greenway about the decision that affected us - he admitted only that it had been handled poorly, but he failed to apologize or make restitution. In our case, three federal laws were clearly broken. We did speak to attorneys about suing the school over Greenway's decision, but quickly learned that the seminary does not have to abide by federal law since it is a religious training institution. We do love the seminary and are loyal to the institution; however, that does not mean that all people who work there are perfect. Jeff Greenway, while a nice, intelligent, and godfearing man, made some really dumb and unChristlike decisions. I would guess that the same could be said for some members of the board. Of course, who among us hasn't done some hurtful things at one time or another?
When given the choice to resign or be fired.... which you would choose "A"?
The post said that an Asbury Seminary student had filed a complaint with the Association of Theological Schools which is the accrediting organization for most theological schools in the US and Canada. I'm wondering if any complaints have been filed with the University Senate of the United Methodist Church.
While Asbury Seminary is an independent seminary in the Wesleyan tradition and not part of the UMC it does train (unless it's changed recently) more UM pastors than any other school. I doubt anybody has an answer since the University Senate's proceedings are all closed-door.
That body removed Lexington Theological Seminary from the UMC's approved list of schools a couple of years back. Could Asbury face something similar?
The post said that an Asbury Seminary student had filed a complaint with the Association of Theological Schools which is the accrediting organization for most theological schools in the US and Canada. I'm wondering if any complaints have been filed with the University Senate of the United Methodist Church.
While Asbury Seminary is an independent seminary in the Wesleyan tradition and not part of the UMC it does train (unless it's changed recently) more UM pastors than any other school. I doubt anybody has an answer since the University Senate's proceedings are all closed-door.
That body removed Lexington Theological Seminary from the UMC's approved list of schools a couple of years back. Could Asbury face something similar?
When you are forced to resign, you've been fired.
Are most college baords self-perpeuating?
Maybe Greenway wanted term limits. This sort of stuff is almost always about power. They cut him off at the knees before he became so popular that they couldn't stop him.