At church yesterday a friend told me that The Master’s University and Seminary (= TMUS) has been put on academic probation by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (=WASC), TMUS’ regional accrediting agency. Then when I opened my email this morning, a friend sent me a link to a ninety minute video blog by Dr. Andy Woods in which he discusses the academic probation of TMUS. You can see that video blog here. See also this article at Christianpost.com. And this article by a fan of TMUS who is concerned. Also you can see here the four-page letter from the WASC President to Dr. John MacArthur, President of TMUS, notifying TMUS of being put on probation.
MacArthur responded to the WASC report in a chapel message which you can listen to here. An article regarding this chapel message may be found here.
Outside of their position on salvation, I’ve long had a very high regard for TMUS. Of course, I strongly disagree with John MacArthur’s Lordship Salvation position and I realize that many or most of the faculty at TMUS hold to Lordship Salvation. However, I have always appreciated the conservative positions that MacArthur and TMUS have taken on issues like inerrancy, marriage, expository preaching, young earth creation, and so forth.
I still have a high regard for TMUS. But in light of what I’m seeing in the report (available here) of the accrediting agency, I’m concerned.
Here are some of the issues that led to the school being put on probation:
- Significant numbers of faculty and staff were observed and reported to be living under “a climate of fear, intimidation, bullying, and uncertainty”.
- There has been high turnover of staff, executive management and faculty in the past few years.
- Regular reviews of staff and faculty have not been done in many cases.
- Faculty and staff have been terminated for vague reasons.
- There is an appearance of a conflict of interest with MacArthur’s son-in-law supervising a contract with TMUS from which he benefits. Over the course of nine years, MacArthur’s Grace to You ministry has paid a business headed by MacArthur’s son-in-law about $6.7 million dollars. While there may be no nepotism going on here, it certainly gives the appearance of questionable activity.
- In some cases degrees were granted under problematic circumstances.
Another Christian friend suggested to me that it is possible that the strong legalistic teachings of Lordship Salvation caused some of the problems at TMUS which have surfaced (Gal 5:13-26). In other words, certain issues at TMUS that led to this probation may be in part a result of the strong Lordship Salvation emphasis on legalism, guilt, fear, uncertainty, and condemnation.
I pray regularly for John MacArthur and TMUS. I pray that he and TMUS would abandon Lordship Salvation, would remain conservative, and would begin teaching Free Grace Theology. I now ask the Lord to do what He wishes with this probation matter. I urge all readers to pray for the TMUS faculty and students. This is surely a trying time for them all. It appears that TMUS needs to make a number of major changes or it will lose its accreditation.
Hopefully the probation will result in positive changes at TMUS. Possibly this could even be used by the Lord to bring the school over to the Free Grace position.
Leo Z
Pastor Bob, This is a very sad and woeful predicament indeed, affecting so many people. I have many good friends and acquaintances that have a connection with TMUS and this has been a heartbreaking and disappointing thing for them. Most of them are saddened but many are not surprised.
I absolutely agree, (more than ever) our earnest prayers for TMUS are definitely in order. God can turn this terrible situation around for His glory!
Paul
I absolutely agree with what the article said about JMACS Lordship position, and it’s legalism, fear, guilt, condemnation, and never being able to clean up my life like JM demands.
I could never have assurance with his position when he, and RC Sproul was all I would listen to, and study what they wrote. Thank the Lord for granting me repentance, and faith by causing me to be born again , and trust, and rest in the finished work of Christ for all of my salvation!!
Alvin
The condition for eternal life is NEVER repentance AND faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
But, some people before they can be persuaded to believe in Jesus as the Christ (for eternal life) first need to be persuaded that what they believe is false. That is they have been granted repentance from whatever false teaching they were persuaded was true.
Harmony with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
That is what Paul said in Acts 20:21b. repentance TOWARD God and faith TOWARD our Lord Jesus Christ.
I know there was a transitional period for the Palestinians who had heard John the Baptist call to repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and when Paul finally said: Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His (Romans 8:9).
Transitional example 1.
Whom you cruicified….cut to the heart (God opened the heart, they were born again)….then harmony with God was granted through repentance of baptism, then they would receive forgivenesses of sin, and the gift of the Holy Spirit..(Acts vr. 38).
We receive eternal life and forgivingness of sin, and the Holy Spirit now the moment we believe in Jesus for eternal life.
The moment God opens the heart we have ASSURANCE because we understand what Jesus as “the Christ” means….He saved me FOREVER~!!!
Repentance=harmony with God through Jesus the Christ:-) No one has harmony with God until they believe in Christ. Paul said that.
(245 words)
Karen Reid
I know someone who desired to leave TMS, and was kicked in the SHINS. I personally was kicked out of the car of the man who organized JMac’s Strange Fire conference (Travis Allen), on Easter 2015, because I refused to deny that Jesus came to me in a dream in 1973 (and BTW, I’m a service connected disabled woman in a powerchair), and Travis had invited me to dinner with his family. These men are more like mafia members than men of God. Don’t waste your sympathy. It’s interesting that the lights went out as JMac preached in the Sheperds Conference in 2014, 4 months after Strange Fire, and he finished his sermon in the dark, by flashlight. Think it was an accident? Read Isaiah 45:7.