Erskine College Presidential Search Committee Has Found Their Man

I present the original post on the Aquila Report, as well as the deleted exchange from the Supporters of Synod site. Why is the answer always “delete, delete, delete?” Amen to Al Brady Law!

Note just one thing: the Aquila Report is affiliated* generally supportive of Synod. In other words, the board member (?) who leaked this document gave it to a Synod-supportive website. This implies that the leak came from a Synod-affiliated board member. Interesting. We must all ask ourselves two questions: why did a board member leak the document at all (what does this say about their trustworthiness?), and more importantly, what benefit to Synod/Commission will there be in leaking this man’s name? To energize the base of supporters? To show what is possible if Synod wins? To draw the other side into making brash comments? Who knows. I find the whole episode suspicious.

*Janis Cunningham makes a good point on the Alumni for Erskine page, namely, that the Aquila Report is not “affiliated” with Synod as I wrote above. This is absolutely correct – the site reports on church news in general. However, the site does post commentary germane to Erskine, and in my experience there I have only found one editorial in opposition to Synod’s actions (Dr. Burnett’s), but several in support. For example, Defending Dr. deWitt from Attack Blogs, written by the same author as the article below, or What is at Risk in the Erskine Lawsuit? There may be additional editorials that I have not read supporting either side, of course.

Regardless, I believe that opponents of Synod’s actions (generally) believe that the Aquila Report is conservative and editorially supportive of Synod, and it was this sentiment I based my comments on.

 

UPDATE: This now posted on the Aquila Report

Editor's Note on Erskine College Presidential Search story     
Churches in the News
Written by [left blank]
Tuesday, 11 May 2010 18:39 
The Breaking News story concerning the announcement of the candidate for President at Erskine College first posted on May 11 has been temporarily removed.  We received notice that the Board of Directors did not want this news made public at this time.  As a courtesy to them, we have temporarily removed the story until we receive the information from additional sources.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 11 May 2010 18:44 

[I could have told them they “did not want this news made public” by quoting from the letter they posted: “I ask that we all refrain from public discussion and comment about the nominee prior to the May 21 Board meeting.” Right?]

Original Posting:

BREAKING NEWS: Erskine College Presidential Search Committee Has Found Their Man!

Ministries in the News
Written by Don K. Clements
Tuesday, 11 May 2010 00:00

The following letter was sent by the President of the Search Committee to all members of the Board of Trustees of Erskine College on Tuesday, May 11 to introduce Dr. David Norman
Dear Fellow Trustees,

The entire Erskine Presidential Search Committee made up of 11 members (two of whom are advisory) met in Charlotte on Wednesday, May 5, to personally interview the top Presidential Candidates found during a nine-month nation-wide search.
In the Lord’s providence, the Committee rapidly came together with a vote favoring Dr. David Norman as the Presidential Nominee. This process included all nine members voting individually by voice signifying complete support for the choice of David Norman as the Committee’s Nominee to be President of Erskine.
To say that the Search Committee is enthusiastic about David and his qualifications for the presidency would be a vast understatement.

David has connections since childhood to Erskine, from attending soccer camps on campus as a boy, and to the ARP, including his family’s current church membership within the ARP. David and his wife K.D. are excited at the prospect of moving into the President’s house on campus and to building a new life for their three sons in the Due West, SC community.

I will say much more about David’s background and about the search process at our May 21 Board meeting. However as David and K.D. are being introduced on campus today to the Faculty of both the Seminary and the College, Administrators, and student leaders, I wanted you to be aware of David’s name and also have the opportunity to read his CV.

Dr. Norman’s academic profile speaks for itself. I so much look forward to personally introducing each of you to Dr. Norman prior to our Board meeting.

It is extremely important that there be no communication with David Norman prior to our voting for him as President on May 21. Any presidential search and hiring is of course a sensitive matter. Therefore except for discussions among ourselves as trustees, I ask that we all refrain from public discussion and comment about the nominee prior to the May 21 Board meeting.

Please join me in praising our God for providing an exciting new President for Erskine at this crucial time.

Sincerely,

Gordon Query, Chairman
Erskine Presidential Search Committee
*************************************************
Brief Bio for David Norman

Dr. David Norman is the President and Co-Founder of the Graduate Theological Network.  (web site at: www.graduatetheologicalnetwork.org)
He is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Auburn University and has received a Masters in Christian Thought from Reformed Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Philosophical Theology from the University of Edinburgh.

He has experience as a youth pastor, college minister and adult Sunday school teacher.  He served as Executive Director of the Trinity Forum Academy (a small residential graduate program on the Chesapeake Bay) from 2006-2009 and taught Philosophy and Religious Studies for the University of South Carolina from 2004-2006.  While at the University of South Carolina, he also coordinated off-campus programs for the Lancaster campus.

Adding to his list of published journal articles and papers presented at academic conferences, he recently released a scholarly book with the Edwin Mellen Press on mind and body in the philosophical theology of Donald MacKay.

David is married, and he and his wife, K.D., have two young sons (with a third on the way!).

*****************************

Tim Phillips Congratulations and thanks to the Erskine Search Committee!BREAKING NEWS: Erskine College Presidential Search Committee Has Found Their Man! theaquilareport.com

Benjamin P. Glaser Well I guess I can take my name out the running for that job...

Janis Cunningham What I don't understand is that letter appears to be written to the board and asks them not to discuss the candidate publically before the vote. I wonder if the search committee gave permission for that letter to be posted on The Aquila Report? I think it is regrettable since there will be a LOT of discussion about it now that it has been posted.

Seth Stark I had the same thoughts, Janis.

Tim Phillips Interesting thoughts, Seth and Janis. Do you think I should remove the post?  Let me add that I do not know who Dr. Norman is. I am simply posting this because I am glad the search committee has been successful in its endeavor. My congratulations was to them for finding a candidate.

Seth Stark Tim: I think the cat was out of the bag once the info was posted on The Aquila Report. I don't think you need to remove your post.

Tim Phillips I don't want to contribute to any problems, nor do I want this to become a political football.

Al Brady Law @Janis and Tim: Heaven knows we don't need any discussion about this. Why can't you see that this kind of attitude just magnifies the problem. Why would this be secret? By the way, it's not.

Janis Cunningham Al, the letter was written to the board and it asked them not to discuss it publically yet. I just wondered who made the decision to release it, that's all.

And no, Tim, I don't think you need to remove it since the Aquila Report is the one who posted it originally.

[I missed a post or two here, sorry]

Tim Phillips The story from the Aquila Report about the Erskine presidency has apparently been removed, so I have deleted [this entire] post. My apologies to all who commented. It was very unwise of me to post in the first place.