New Dilday Book on his firing from SWBTS

Dilday was robbed,

I attended SWBTS from 1982-1985, graduating with a M.Div. in July of 1985. I also received a D.Min. for another Southern Baptist Seminary (New Orleans. I am blessed to have had Dr. R. Dilday as the president of that once-great school while I was there. I have also had Dr. dilday speak in the pulpits of churches I have pastored. My wife worked with his sweet wife in Women's Ministries.

Yes, What that group of egotistical, renegade Trustee members was nothing short of criminal. They acted alone and did not take into consideration the plan and will of God for that once-great school. They wanted him out, simply "playing him and his ministry" as another pawn in the National SBC's leadership takeover and plan of destroying and dismantling the once-great SBC.

Yes, Dr. Dilday is a great man who had his ministry at SWBTS stolen from him by a couple-dozen crooks. They "broke into the Seminara" via their ections as Trusettes and stole it from him and those who supported him! God did not smile down on SWBTS that day, and it has been down hill for them every since.

And then to call P. Patterson as presidnet was really a joke... a big, bad, ugly joke. He is a joke of a president and the school is headed straight to oblivion as a Baptist Seminary. Too bad.

BLT

 

What's a joke is when liberals deny the fundamentals of the faith in the name of academic freedom, or in this case, the priesthood of the believer.

When the liberals had full power, you didn't hear a peep from them about abuse of power, etc.

Just a bunch of sour grapes.

Thank God that someone finally stood up to the liberal bullies and exposed them for what they were.

 

We all know Dilday's take. He is a bitter old fart who is about as valuable to reality as an 8 track.

 

And I thank God for it! Long gone are the days when profs within SBC seminaries denied the inerrancy of Scripture and supported egalitarian ministry. Long gone are the days of profs advocating "inter-faith" relationships. Long gone are the days of profs covering up debased theological practices by arguing for "soul competency" and "priesthood of the believer." I know that Dilday uses the word "fundamentalist" in a very derogatory way (as he probably added an "n" after the "m" as most moderates do when they say it), but I'm proud that our SBC seminaries are now noticed not only for excellence in education, but also for doctrinal integrity and accountability to the Convention that supports their academic endeavors.

"Down hill"...really? I was under the impression that SWBTS has an ever-increasing enrollment that looks to be gaining even more ground in the years to come. What's more, they will soon be adding an undergrad program and facilities expansion and remodeling are already in the works. And as for the education one can hope to receive at SWBTS, they have some of the evangelical community's most recognizable theologicans (just ask the Evangelical Theological Society). If that's your definition of "downhill," I'd love to know what you would classify as "uphill" - slippery theology, no doctrinal accountability towards the Convention that supports it, etc?

Dr. P will be holding a short revival for our church in March. I'll have to make sure I include "a joke of a president" in my introduction of him to our people. Let's look at the facts: While he was at Criswell College, the school grew by leaps and bounds. While he was at SEBTS, during his 10-year tenure the school's enrollment grew by 400%. What's more, he was able to build one of the world's elite evangelical seminary faculties, bringing in such men as D.A. Black, Bruce Little, Maurice Robinson, and many others. What's more, SEBTS now has full accredidation status back (something it lost while the liberals were in charge). And, for what it's worth, there aren't any finer theologians in the world than Dr. P. He can argue any point of doctrine with laser-sharp precision, as I witnessed in the Fall of 2001 when he tore apart the ungodly arguments of Duke's Dr. Stanley Hauerwas in a debate on the campus of SEBTS. And, by the way, how good was Dr. Dilday at motivating young men and women to do the work of missions? How successful was he at leading the charge in church planting in New England and other morally debased areas? Dr. P has done more to encourage both North American and International missions than any person in SBC life over the past 10 years. If that makes Dr. P a joke, then I'll be the first to laugh.

By the way, it's funny that Dr. P has never found the time to write his own book about the whole conservative resurrgence...guess he was too busy leading two of the world's greatest evangelical seminaries while Dr. D was brooding over the fact that the old, moderate SBC is gone. Just a thought.

 

Jimmy,

You're right about the conservative faculty. MOST of the faculty were quite conservative. (And save a particular church history professor, most remained undivisive on matters of convention politics.) I'll even go as far as to agree with Dilday's assessment of himself that he is conservative personally but just didn't agree with the tactics of the conservative resurgence. (They were, after all, "going after" the convention's power base and many of his friends.)

But the two common assessments of the current situation at Southwestern (which you reference) regarding the quality of the faculty and the number of students really aren't fair.

Trying to compare the student population "now" vs. "then" is like comparing apples and oranges. The enrollment issue likely has less to do with who was/is president and more to do with the situations at the other seminaries. Because of the state of affairs at Southeastern and Southern into the mid-to-late 80s, Southwestern enjoyed many students from all over the south and southeast. Many pastors counseled their young people against Louisville and Wake Forest even though they were closer to home. Southwestern reaped the benefit (enrollment-wise) of having the conservative faculty and the evangelistic/missions emphasis.

Since the early 90s, Southern and Southeastern have both grown steadily mainly because they're now keeping more of their own regional students at home. While that's great for them, it means fewer non-regional students (therefore fewer total students) at Southwestern. No personality or undergrad degree will likely reverse the trend.

The second issue is the comparing of the faculty. Sure, many "household names" (in Texas) are retiring and being replaced with younger people who don't have the recognition of Drs. Tolar, Estep, McBeth, etc. But one has to wonder if those men were always well known and respected. Were they, too, not once young professors of whom most people knew little? I will submit that they were.

I don't think its going out on a limb to predict that men such as Drs. Blount, Swain, Kennedy, Ashlock, etc. are fine professors and scholars and will also grow to be well-respected and well-loved. (At leasat by those who are willing to give them half a chance.)

(For comparison sake, many of the names on the Baylor religion faculty have changed over the last half-decade also. Drs. Lester, Tatum and Harvey were once well-known. Current students know them only as "teachers my parents had." Does that mean that the department is somehow "worse" or the professors less qualified?)

I saw Dr. Dilday at Baylor homecoming last month and we spoke briefly. He was very cordial as always. But I do regret some of the decisions he has made in the years since his firing. I'm still confused as to how one so opposed to "blatant political" strategy so quickly found a home within the world of HH Reynolds and ascended to the presidency of the BGCT, "blatant political strategists" both.

Anyway, God bless him. I can in no way relate to how he must have felt back then, and I hope his book brings him some closure.

 

Its just a theory. But I think its a pretty good one based on the timeline and the growth at the other two major schools.

For what its worth, I began to give the matter of the enrollment numbers considerable thought and investigation mainly when the current board began to be unduly critical of Hemphill for the fact that the other schools were growing while SWBTS didn't seem to be or that the others were claiming to be "bigger" than SWBTS.

Here's what I discovered:
SEBTS and SBTS have done a masterful job of recruiting in the last decade, particularly from among their regional base of potential students. Both have shown remarkable growth among FTEs.

Southern, Southeastern, and New Orleans all boost their enrollment figures by including their undergrad and part-time students. While admittedly, this doesn't detract from their growth in FTEs, it does sort of "cook the books."

NOBTS recently began to proclaim itself the "largest" of the six SBC seminaries, primarily because its reporting includes people in certificate programs and in prison programs, etc.

Even with the FTE growth at Southern and Southeastern, and their status as the "darlings" of the convention for nearly a decade, SWBTS remained the largest seminary using the only number that really counts, FTEs.

As mentioned, I started looking at the enrollment issue mainly because I thought the board was unfair to Hemphill on the issue and naive to think that a larger personality in his office would change things.

That all factors in to why it think its "apples and oranges" to compare enrollment in 1985 to enrollment in 1995 or 2005.

But you're right. It is conjecture. Even though I happen to think its pretty well informed conjecture, if I may say so myself!

 

Dilday was only conservative by the standards of the lunatic left.

Jimmy, my boy, what you fail to grasp is that missions under the moderate/liberal fringe leadership was not missions. It was a social gospel, if the word gospel can even be used.

This is why the moderates lost. Their THEOLOGY drove their methodology and their methodology was horrendous. Good riddance to Dilday, another worthless liberal who is rotting in bitterness.

 

So you think it is okay for you to be named among the liars?

 

Call me whatever makes you feel better about losing the convention to Christians.

 

Sorry guys, but anyone who says that P. Patterson is GOOD for theological education at SWBTS is mistaken -- just like Patterson himself. I know that will rankle some of your Fundy feathers, but so be it. Yes, SWBTS is on the "DOWN HILL SIDE" of their blessed history. Who says that increased enrollment is a sign of godly events and blessings? Numbers going up do not always indicate positve events taking place. It could just be a definite sign that there are more fools out there than 1st expected. That, in my humble opinion, is the case here. After all, sheep are so dumb they will follow the leader off a steep cliff and plummet 100's of feet to their death... such is the case here at SWBTS. Many young, impressionable, students of Theology are following this cowboy boot-wearing, misinformed seminary president right off the theological cliff of Christian and Baptist life. Sure, he has helped some people in his years, but at his age, you would hope he had done some good for someone during all that time. But, wiegh the cons against the pros and the cons will quickly outweigh the pros. Look at what he did the beloved SBC... he hlped tear it up with his misinformed scare-tactics that he and Pressler absolutley terrified millions of S. Baptist with beginning in 1979. Instead of being proud of the work he says he 'has accomplished,' he ought to be ashamed of what he has done!
And trust me guys, there is no person or minister more conservative theologically or more Baptist than me. So, be careful about posting junk about me and writing me off as some liberal fool who knows nothing about any thing. I am as strict when it comes to theology, Scriptural authority, or any other litmus test you want to run me through. I am so conservative, I squeak when I walk. I can quote, live, and preach the KJV with the best of them. I just have enough insight and personal knowledge of the situation to know what I am talking about. I am 45 and have been a Baptist for alomst 46 years. I went to church for 9 months in my mom's womb and was in the church nursery before I was one-month old. I have been in a Baptist church just about every week since, have a M.Div. from SWBTS and a D.Min. from New Orleans Baptist Seminary. I have been a Baptist pastor for 20 years plus 4 more as a youth pastor. Tack on a few more years as a youth intern, pastoral assistant, mission field work, and I have been actively serving God and Baptists for 27 of my 45 years. Yes, if you cut me, I will BLEED Southern Baptist blood and the Cooperative Program!

Like the saying goes: "God said it, That settles it. I believe it... ans so should you." Good day.

 

couple of quick hits from a current SWBTS student:

1. DD you're comments are mean and not in a good Christian spirit. I hope the Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin here and you apologize

2. There is an undergrad instutition being started at SWBTS.

3. Not all current SWBTS students are going lock step with Dr. Patterson...actually Dr. P has been gracious enough to tell us its okay to disagree with him

4. There has been a great outcry about the required chapel thingy...but I doubt it will change since I sit in meetings with admin folks and see their reponses to such things

5. SWBTS is still a great school with a growing and budding theological faculty. Looking forward to hearing from some of my profs in years to come

6. I doubt I'll ever return to SWBTS to do futher education

7. SWBTS has always been a conservative school in the SBC...it didn't need rescuing

8. I doubt the Dilday book will be carried in the bookstore

thanks...maybe I'll comment more once I graduate

 

Scuba, you may want to be careful with your language: "But whoever says, 'You fool' shall be in danger of hell fire" (Mt. 5:22). Branding those of us who have followed the career and have a good relationship with Dr. P as "fools" is certainly nothing worse than what DD has done. Your posting simply proves your ignorance in this situation. You rattle off a bunch of smear opinions about Dr. P and who he is, but you offer no evidences of things that he had done to you or those around you that would prove that he is an unfit Pres at SWBTS. You ought to be ashamed and convicted.

 

I thought you might find it interesting that you can buy this book at the SBTS bookstore.