I have to ask: how can anyone know for certain what is best- the actual “plan for their life” from God? What did God do to make it clear? The opportunity itself, or some other sign? I am serious, as I hear this language from Christians often (putting God’s imprimatur on their actions), but I have not heard a clear explanation as to how they know this.

Is Dr. Ryken’s desire to actually be the president not also a consideration? Also, what of a pastor staying put in the place of his pastorate? Is this a professional move or a spiritual one? Other men, great men, have been offered the same kind of opportunity and refused, for the sake of the people they were ministering to at the time.

Also, Dr. Ryken’s description of a Minister (one who has given up their life to serve Christ) is actually just the description of a Christian when you get right down to it.

Wondering…

On the leak, any administrator knows, if you tell more than one or two people, you have told the world. To tell the faculty… LOL… Are you kidding me? That is like telling the Barber Shop or the entire Varsity and JV Cheerleading Squad, and then acting aghast, saying “All right? Who told about the news about a new coach?”!

Anyway, excellent news. Makes me feel good to be an Evangelical.

I’d love to hear Philp Ryken’s assessment. I’m sure it will be out there and available as time moves on.

I did say Dr. Ryken would be a blessing for sure.

No one likes taking shots at an institution when it appears it is taking the right steps.

Warmly,

Chris

I thought they had slipped from a firm stance upon the Holy Scriptures, not completely of course, but less firm on the first 11 chapters of Genesis. I could be wrong.

I hope I am.

This may help:

http://www.somareview.com/whitherwheaton.cfm

It shows how upset some Wheaton folks are that the line is being held on inerrancy and related issues.

JT

The sources may not have known it was supposed to be kept confidential, since CT’s blog post was made nearly 30 minutes before meeting with faculty started. The sources obviously spilled the news before the meeting.

The news wasn’t very well hidden, anyway, because students had already figured out it was Ryken based upon statements made at the sesquicentennial earlier in the week. It was just an awkward plan. The meeting was called to inform the faculty, but that meant making an unofficial announcement before the official announcement–which was a bad idea. Also, the faculty coming out of the meeting were excited about the announcement (there was loud applause from the room when the name was announced), and it’s obviously hard not to spread the news.

1. An institution should have been able to trust their faculty and parents not to leak this information, especially when they make it explicit that the announcement is confidential.

2. An institution in this day and age—even a Christian one—simply cannot pre-announce confidential information to a large number of people and be surprised if it’s leaked. Christians should be able to do this, but they simply can’t.

3. Three sources relayed this information to CT, but did not relay the information that this was confidential. So the sources simultaneously burned both their institution and CT, making both look bad. Prudence may have suggested that CT wait for something official, but I shouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion that CT intentionally broke confidences.

In all of this, let’s not forget to pray for the congregation of Tenth (this sort of news is always hard to receive), and let us pray for Dr. Ryken and Wheaton. The challenges ahead are significant.