End the Appeal!

“Make haste slowly, for a general who makes no mistakes is better than a brave one.”

- Augustus Caesar

 

This appeal is perhaps the single worst idea DeWitt ever had. Yes, even worse than firing the Fourteen trustees in the first place, and that’s saying a whole lot. Think about it:

 

Prior to firing the Fourteen, Synod appointed most trustees on the board. If they stayed focused the entire board could be replaced in a few years (five trustees replaced each year). A few well-worded questions to filter out the weeds those who hold a different view of Synod’s role over Erskine and we’d control the board in no time.

But NO! We needed control NOW! So we fired the Fourteen and brought on a crisis. Predictably, a lawsuit followed. Predictably (and unfortunately), we lost the lawsuit. BOOM, we are back to where we started, which is:

 

We control the appointment of all members of the Board of Trustees!

Each year we replace five members of the Board of Trustees. A few well-chosen questions will ensure our appointees are pawns of Synod. Once again, we are in control.

But no! DeWitt and Company need to sue. This has several disastrous consequences:

1. Synod will spend the money it used to give to Erskine ($600,000) on a lawsuit. This makes Synod look more vindictive than interested in Erskine’s financial security – a true statement, but not good for our public image
2. Spending $600K on a lawsuit angered many of our churches, making a split in the denomination even more likely. The more radical our actions, the more radical the response will be. We come near to awakening a sleeping giant that has not yet felt the gunshot wound in its side.
3. More litigation could lead to harsher actions being taken against Synod’s position: further cementing the injunction, declaring Erskine’s ownership of itself, and removing our ability to appoint Trustees. All of these are bad for us – each can only really happen if the lawsuit continues.
4. We whipped our side into a frenzy over Christians not suing Christians, even if their cause is just. Now we need to say, “just kidding” and justify our actions. This may confuse our acolytes – and at the very least inflame the alumni who will jump on our obvious hypocrisy as demons to a sin.

The injunction was not a defeat for Synod. It was a setback to the day before our fateful March 3 meeting, a time in history when we controlled the composition of nearly the entire board. No, the injunction was not a defeat. Further litigation is our defeat, and the other side should be rejoicing at the opportunity.

Truly I say to you, DeWitt & Company are brave beyond compare, but a general who makes no mistakes is better than a brave one!