An Update on BTSR

by    Susan Martin                                                                                                                                            Vol. XXI, No. 5, May 2008

[Introductory Note: In mid-February I received some emails from Susan Martin. She was complimentary about The Baptist Banner and had some very interesting first-hand comments about her experience at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond. I trust that many readers have read John Ippolito’s very informative article, “Seminary in Apostasy” which appeared in the April 2001 Banner. If you haven’t, go to www.BaptistBanner.org, scroll down to the blue links, click “Seminary in Apostasy”, and read it. Now, seven years later, we have the following update from Susan Martin. Please keep in mind that the following was not planned and composed as a typical article but as three sequential emails. TCP]

Part 1: I wanted to thank you for preaching the true word of God and telling the truth about what is going on in our world today. We receive The Baptist Banner in the mail even though we have access to the Internet. I pass the Banner on to those who do not have Internet access.

I wanted to share with you something God shared with me during my prayer time a few weeks ago. In our secular society today Christianity has taken on a whole new meaning. Many people are calling themselves Christian without believing that Jesus is the Son of God. They follow Jesus' teachings and therefore think they are Christian. They have no idea what Christianity is really all about.

There are many churches and seminaries that teach that Jesus is not the Son of God. I don't understand how they can change the Bible to suit themselves. The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin, yet churches are allowing homosexuals to serve in leadership positions and even have civil ceremonies to marry each other. These churches and seminaries say that Jesus never condemned anyone and neither will they. These people have lost sight of what sin is. Sin no longer exists to them. Morality is what they make it. There is no right and wrong to them. They believe if it is okay in their own mind, then it is okay for them.

I read with interest the article “Seminary in Apostasy” and must comment on it. I attended BTSR from July 2006-May 2007. When I realized there was a "Baptist" seminary in Richmond – Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (BTSR), I applied for admission. It is about 2 hours from where we live, so I became a commuter student. [Note that this is the same reason John Ippolito went to BTSR, convenience. TCP] I was excited about learning how to witness and how to understand the Bible better. My excitement was quickly turned to dismay by what I was being told. I refused to learn things that I knew were totally against God's Word. I have read the wonderful article, "Seminary in Apostasy" and have been in contact with John Ippolito. He is now a teacher in a Catholic School in Richmond. Every thing that John experienced, so did I.

I quickly learned that CBF is not what we thought it was. CBF told us they are nothing about homosexuality. That is not true – they are EVERYTHING about homosexuality. When CBF says they are for the autonomy of the local church, I can understand this. However, when a local church is going totally against Scripture, how can they rationalize something is okay?

I was told (I hasten to say taught, because when one is taught, they accept something as truth) that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle and that since Jesus did not condemn anyone, neither should we. I was told that homosexuals are "born that way" and anyone who says otherwise is considered a hate-monger. I realized that churches are preaching that homosexuality is okay and that those in that lifestyle have no idea they are living a life of sin, because churches are telling them it is okay. These churches are rewriting Scripture for their own benefit. Or they are interpreting it in ways that it was not meant to be interpreted. How does one witness to a homosexual when they are told they are not sinning?

None of my classes mentioned witnessing, and when I mentioned it to someone else, they said I would not learn that at BTSR. What I did "learn" was how to pick the Bible apart. I "learned" some books of the Bible are nothing but fairy tales. In one of my classes there was discussion as to what "truths" would come about in 20 years. One man mentioned that when he was in grade school there was discussion as to whether Pluto really was a planet, but now it is coming out that Pluto really is not a planet. Then someone wondered what "untruth" would be discovered 20 years from now and the teacher replied, "that Jesus is not the Son of God." There was nervous laughter, and I was shocked that she would make such a statement.

I was an older student (45) while many of my classmates were in their 20's. Of all the ones I asked their views on homosexuality they all said they were taught in public school (another reason for private or homeschools) that homosexuality was an acceptable lifestyle and it is even all right for homosexuals to marry. Another lady in my online class spoke out that homosexuality is demon possession, and I can understand her view, because when we are not living the way of the Lord, we are following the devil. The class remained silent. However, with my postings, I was not so lucky. I was bashed as a hate-monger because I spoke out against homosexuality as an abomination and a perversion. I told of a place in Springfield, MO, where I grew up, that is a wonderful children's park by day, but at night is a homosexual meeting place. I was quickly bashed as to why is it okay that heterosexuals meet, but homosexuals don't have the same "rights." I replied that homosexuals want special rights. Of course that did not go over well at all.

I quickly realized I could not post my beliefs at all, that I would be ridiculed for them. So I remained silent. Yet I can no longer remain silent. I must speak out.

One class at BTSR told us to think of the Trinity in different ways - like Wind/Rain/Spirit, or Mother/Child/Womb.

I received scholarships to cover my expenses. When my mother in Missouri developed dementia I dropped out of BTSR to be on call to care for her. I did this a few weeks prior (August) to the start of the Fall 2007 semester. I was told by the financial aid department that since I withdrew, all my scholarships would be returned [by BTSR to the granting organization]. I wrote letters to all the scholarships to explain why I was dropping out of school, even though BTSR informed me they would take care of the matter. In November I received a phone call from one of the scholarships that they had never received their money back. Further inquiry determined that none of the scholarships received their money back. I was very disappointed that BTSR kept the money. When I contacted BTSR as to why the money had not been returned I was told the woman had not "got around to it yet." When I told her that I had contacted the scholarships and the money needed to be returned she said she would see to it. Yet would she have returned the money if I had not have contacted them?

I don’t want to make it sound like I only dropped out of BTSR to care for my mother. I wanted to drop out shortly after enrolling but felt God wanting me to stay, for what reason I could not fathom. But God showed me what CBF was all about. I had thought the SBC was too strict and that CBF offered more freedom. God used BTSR to lead me back to the SBC.

Part 2: Something else came to mind - some of my instructors would have foreign gods in their offices. Like a statue of Buddha, or an Eastern god with three arms. I just assumed that a seminary would be Christian. How wrong I was.

BTSR promotes feminism on a strong scale. One class I took, "Women in the Old Testament" while it was interesting, I felt I had to say what the teacher wanted me to say. The class was given a handout to correspond with this day and age. Mankind could no longer be used. It had to be womankind, or persons. I had always written "he..." I was told this was outdated. One bibliography I turned in was sent back to me with slash marks through all the male authors’ names. I wish I had kept more of my handouts. One book, "Understanding the Bible" by Stephen Harris is only good to start a fire with. But I keep it to show people just how liberal CBF really is.

BTSR pushed women in the pastoral ministry. One thing I have noticed, most of the women who are pastors push the feminist agenda and believe in abortion and homosexuality. Prior to entering BTSR I felt a woman should have the same chances as men. I no longer feel that way. While suffering through Biblical Hebrew, God spoke to me and reminded me that all Rabbi's are male. I never understood why all the hoopla about women teaching men. Now I understand, but that is a whole 'nother story. I believe God has shown me that His way is the best way. God is showing His people this and we need to sit up and take notice.

Number 3: I would like to make one more comment on BTSR. They are a seminary that preaches a "social gospel." They see Christianity as a "religion" not a "relationship". There was all this talk of helping those less fortunate; those in prison, the poor, etc., but no real concern for winning souls to Christ. In classes at BTSR students were told that Jesus never condemned anyone, so neither should we. Yet Jesus did say, "Go and sin no more." There was never anything about sin or morality. The impression I received was that BTSR would indoctrinate us into their way of thinking. Textbooks used told about Jesus the man, but never about Jesus being the Son of God. Jesus was rarely mentioned as God. "He was a good person, one should follow His example", according to BTSR.

Postscript: An article in the 17 April Religious Herald reports that due to a budget shortfall BTSR will let go four full-time professors and at least three administrative staff. This year income has been about $450,000 below the budget of $3.6 million.