By Garrett Haley
PASADENA – Thirty years after an influential Christian seminary in California specifically labeled homosexuality a ‘concern,’ the school has officially accepted its first on-campus homosexual student group.
Since its founding in 1947, Fuller Theological Seminary (FTS) has grown into a leading Christian school, with the Los Angeles Times recently describing it as “arguably the most influential” seminary in America. One of the school’s stated purposes is to equip “men and women for the manifold ministries of Christ and his Church.”
“Under the authority of Scripture,” the seminary’s website states, “we seek to fulfill our commitment to ministry through graduate education, professional development, and spiritual formation. In all of our activities, including instruction, nurture, worship, service, research, and publication, Fuller Theological Seminary strives for excellence in the service of Jesus Christ, under the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of the Father.”
In 1983, FTS leaders published a document titled “Mission Beyond the Mission,” which outlines several of the school’s key priorities and beliefs. While the document does not express unequivocal opposition to homosexuality, it does mention several “concerns that rightly evoke the attention of many Christians,” including alcoholism, drug abuse, abortion, pornography, and—notably—“the promotion of homosexuality as an acceptable alternative lifestyle.”
Furthermore, the school in 1983 articulated that marriage should be viewed as a “divinely ordained covenant. However, FTS administrators admitted that “[t]emptation to compromise, whether knowingly or unknowingly, with the world, the flesh, and the devil is a constant reality.”
Additional articles can be found at http://www.fuller.edu/About-Fuller/News-and-Events/News/2013/Mark-Labberton-s-Response-to-Recent-AP-Article.aspx and http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/13/lgbt-group-finds-acceptance-at-evangelical-college/2514629/
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As a Fuller alumni from 1986, I was very sad to hear of this development. I would urge all FTS alums to contact the school and let them know of your concern and urge a greater discernment about what is underway right now at FTS.
As a former PCUSA pastor for over 25 years, now joyfully in the EPC, the FTS story is a reminder of how all of this unfolded in the PCUSA. We started with permission to officially talk and share in dialogue. It ended up with a takeover. I use to be very idealistic about how folks on the other side said they wanted to “work with us”…..but few did. All that ever went on was a less that genuine positioning to takeover things. The same thing will happen to Fuller. In their desire to be “tolerant and loving” (whatever that means Biblically these days), the Fuller leadership will just “baptize” the end goal of the opposition…..takeover and marginalizing the students that support Biblical foundations. That is NOT theory…it is happening in the military, the Country in general and sadly in the Lord’s Church. Time for everyone to wake up. We need more discernment NOT dialogue, more evangelism and less engagement. Jesus is still Lord of the Church and He doesn’t need our help compromising the truth to accommodate culture.