A Farewell to Cedarville

(Originally posted in The Ventriloquist. Go check out the rest of Issue 10!) “A Farewell to Cedarville” – Joshua Steele As what was once a vision for the future has become an agenda for returning to the past, the list of people who no longer fit the Cedarville mold is growing. I contacted former vice president of Student Life, Dr. Carl Ruby; former professor Dr. Michael Pahl; current professors Dr. TC Ham, Dr....

April 24, 2013 · 5 min · joshuapsteele

Honors, Grace, and Generosity

Yahweh and others have been too good to me. Today I received two awards at Cedarville University’s 49th Annual Academic Honors Day Chapel. The first: The Oxford University Press Award in Preseminary Bible, given to the graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPA in the preseminary major. The second: The Daniel Award. “Established in 2001 by David and Jean Heyd, this endowed award was created to honor their parents, Charles and E....

April 15, 2013 · 2 min · joshuapsteele

On Building/Burning Bridges

DISCLAIMER: there’s a fair bit about the Church that frustrates me. However, I’d like to address those frustrations in a way that builds bridges, not burns them down. Especially since sin and justice are both relational. It does no good to flee the former for the latter in a way that creates more rifts than it heals. Therefore, any criticisms I level against my sisters and brothers in Christ, (many of those criticisms coming from outside the walls of the Church), I’d like first to aim them at myself....

March 29, 2013 · 3 min · joshuapsteele

Let There Be Light: My Resignation

**Please read: Let There Be Light – Leadership Transfer** Until further notice, I hereby rescind my use of the Let There Be Light platform (including blog, Facebook, and Twitter) to protest recent changes at Cedarville University. The LTBL platform will now be exclusively alumni-run, and I encourage everyone interested in developments at the University to follow their posts and make subsequent judgments regarding Cedarville’s identity and vision. My goal in all of this is to honor my Messiah by following him well and furthering his Kingdom with justice, unity, and true peace....

February 26, 2013 · 3 min · joshuapsteele

Open Apology

To whomever the following concerns: I’d like to apologize publicly to any persons I may have offended during the past few months of my student activism efforts at Cedarville University. After all, I recognize that some of my statements/claims about the perceived injustices at my University have seemed quite shocking, especially without further context. So I apologize for the times when I put pithiness before precision and unwittingly ostracized many good people whom I was not intending to criticize at all....

February 22, 2013 · 3 min · joshuapsteele

For shame, Cedarville

This is ridiculous and dangerous. For shame, Mr. Scharnberg and Dr. Gredy. How dare you try and accomplish this (already concerning) return to fundamentalism in an unethical manner! How dare you sacrifice good men and their families on the altar of your own agenda, and then proceed to bathe your actions in lies!

February 22, 2013 · 1 min · joshuapsteele

Oh Cedarville!

Have you ever been extremely frustrated with someone/thing you love? That’s been my experience during my final year here at Cedarville University. See, I love this place. And that’s why I can’t stand it sometimes. There are still so many good and godly women and men here, so much potential for God’s Kingdom. And that’s why recent decisions made by Cedarville Admins and Trustees are so heartbreaking. I’ve written about this before (Open Letter)....

February 19, 2013 · 8 min · joshuapsteele

Open Letter to Cedarville Admins and Trustees

To my sisters and brothers in Christ, entrusted with the arduous task of leading and directing Cedarville University: greetings, grace, and peace. Allow me to thank you all for your countless hours of service to this institution. I do not want to underestimate your care and concern for this place. In fact, I want to reassure you that I share your passion. Here at Cedarville I have been blessed with the opportunity of meeting, falling in love with, and marrying my wife....

January 13, 2013 · 7 min · joshuapsteele

An Explanation

If you haven’t read my previous two blog posts, “Cedarville, Let there be Light. (pt. 1 and pt. 2),” please go do so before reading this post. Summary: I’ve been blogging in order to raise awareness of Cedarville University’s recent dismissal of Dr. Michael Pahl from his teaching post. Using the University’s statement on Dr. Pahl, I’ve raised some uncomfortable questions that I believe need to be asked in this situation....

September 22, 2012 · 6 min · joshuapsteele

Cedarville, Let there be Light. (pt. 2)

Read Part One Further Questions, All Relating to the University Statement on Dr. Pahl’s Dismissal: If Dr. Pahl’s book, The Beginning and the End, was controversial enough to lead to his dismissal, why was the book allowed to be used as a textbook last school year? Shouldn’t we trust the Bible professors’ judgment in their selection of the book as a text? If we should, then was it worth firing Dr....

September 21, 2012 · 2 min · joshuapsteele