BJU Papers: number 09

“BJU has lost the confidence of many of its historic and most loyal supporters-those who, as young people, learned and embraced biblical fundamentalism at BJU. Parents in our churches have shown great concern about sending their children to live in the BJU dorms or be discipled by upperclassmen whose theological and personal positions would be different from their local churches or parents. We have come to the point where we have little confidence that the students that we send will return to be supportive members of our local churches.” -FBFI Letter, February 15, 2022

“In coordination with the board chairman, Mr. Larry Jackson, the approach I took about churches and religious associations was right of center. Larry and I were both unified in this thought. I had a full understanding of the nature of fundamental churches and their attitudes and nuances. I saw the overall constituency of BJU as a road that ran between two guard rails – a far right position, especially on the matters of cultural issues (like the FBFI) and churches and believers that were doctrinally sound and culturally conservative in today’s world, but a bit broader on cultural issues. I took a middle-of-the-road position. This is where I was in my ministry and where I have operated the whole time in my thinking as president. This is very consistent with our constituency. Today, of our top 250 churches that send 50% our student body, 25% are on the right, 60% right-of-center or center, and 15% all over the map (KJVO, FBFI, SBC, PCA, and Contemporary).-Dr. Steve Pettit, State of the University, March 30, 2022

Before the FBFI Letter on Monday, February 15, 2022, the Board of Trustees supported Dr. Steve Pettit and his direction. For instance, when the church attendance policy was released in 2019, Dr. Bud Steadman (who later signed the FBFI letter) resigned from the Board of Trustees because of the new policy. The chairman, Dr. John Lewis, wrote this letter to Dr. Steadman in support of the Pettit administration.

(2014-2022): Peace. Unity. Growth. Energy. Clarity.

(2022-2025): Strife. Division. Unhealthy. Sullen. Confusion.

One era demonstrated wisdom from above. The other continues to display the wisdom from below.

Dr. Steve Pettit led commencement on May 5, 2023, and spent most of the afternoon conversing and taking pictures with 2023 graduates. The day marked the conclusion of the fifth president of BJU, Dr. Steve Pettit’s, administration.

Six days later, on May 11, 2023, the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Dr. Gary Weier as acting CEO until the end of the day Tuesday, May 16, 2023. This temporary position (six days) marked the first time the title “CEO” had been used at Bob Jones University to refer to the position, which for 97 years had been “President.” Dr. Weier, who accomplished so much for the University’s obtaining and retaining its SACSCOC accreditation, graciously agreed to bridge the gap (a SACSCOC requirement) between Dr. Pettit and the official interim or the sixth CEO/President.

On May 16, 2023, the Bob Jones University Board of Trustees appointed Alan Benson as acting CEO. Dr. Sam Dawson said of the appointment:

“Appointing an acting CEO will give the Board of Trustees time to solicit qualified applicants, conduct interviews, and strategically evaluate candidates for the permanent position. We trust God will guide our steps as we look for the individual who will lead the University as we approach our century mark.”

Dr. Gary Weier returned to his position as BJU’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Dr. Bruce McAllister, who most recently had served as Director of Ministry Relations at GFA Missions, was appointed as Vice President of Ministry to assist Dr. Benson with key aspects of BJU’s ministry and outreach on campus.

Dr. Alan Benson was well-liked by most of the faculty, staff, and students. He was a good preacher, demonstrated a pastor’s heart, and was a capable leader. Dr. Alan Benson, however, having been a Vice President and an Executive Vice President in the Pettit administration, had been personally involved in many of the decisions and implementation of the philosophy of ministry of President Steve Pettit. Those close to Dr. Benson quoted him early on in his administration as saying, “I believe if I can give the BOT a few ‘wins, ‘ I will be able to work with them to get some things accomplished.” Dr. Benson is a visionary and builder. It wasn’t surprising that his first chapel series was from the Book of Nehemiah entitled, Nehemiah: Life on Mission. Benson endeared himself to the students and encouraged most of the faculty/staff with his administrative abilities. He even met with the leaders of the alumni group, Positive BJU Grads & Friends. Considering the chaos of the previous 18 months, Dr. Benson brought stability and led with a gracious heart. The spirit on campus in the fall of 2023 had settled following the storm.

Some previous and present board members said that a draft of an apology letter to the faculty, staff, students, and alumni had been written by the BOT that sought to restore the University family’s confidence in the BOT. (A request included in the Admin letter.) According to multiple board members, they couldn’t get half of the board members to sign it. The letter was never released, and we have not been able to get a copy.

On October 20, 2023, the BJU Board of Trustees launched a presidential search website to accept nominations and applications for the sixth president of BJU. The site featured a presidential and institutional profile. On the website, there was also a nominating form and an employment application. Here's a summary of what the BOT was looking for: “

For this position, the Board is seeking a godly and Spirit-filled individual with a passion for God, His Word, evangelism, ministry and Christian education; who is totally committed to the absolute authority of the Bible, the mission of BJU and the local church; and who has successful leadership and administrative experience.”  

On the date of the website launch, Dr. Sam Dawson also gave an update on how Dr. Alan Benson, six months in, was doing as the acting CEO.

“We are grateful for the leadership of acting CEO Dr. Alan Benson during this transitional time. He is doing an excellent job moving the University forward. Selecting the next president of Bob Jones University is an awesome responsibility that the Board does not take lightly. We are asking God for guidance as we continue this process.“

A formal update on the search for BJU’s next president was given to the BJU Faculty/Staff on Friday, February 9, 2024. Dr. Sam Dawson informed that approximately 140 individuals were recommended by over 400 people. The nominating committee-which by policy is the Board’s Executive Committee (EC), filtered out those who did not meet the presidential profile and job qualifications. The EC was also preparing to begin conducting interviews. “Working through the search process with thoroughness and integrity takes time, and the Board remains committed to conducting the process in the right way,” said Dr. Dawson.

With the March 1st deadline swiftly coming for faculty and staff to confirm their contract for another year, Dr. Dawson tried to assure the faculty and staff by saying, “the nominating committee is not seriously considering any candidate who would change the mission or direction of the University when it comes to theological positions or administrative policy. The Board is committed to making the right decision, depending on God to reveal His choice for the next president.”

On Friday, March 29, 2024, the BJU Board of Trustees held its annual meeting. After nearly 50 years of combined service, and to the surprise of alumni and faculty, the much-loved and respected Mr. Jerry Morgan was non-renewed by the BJU BOT. Dr. Gary Cobb was also non-renewed. Both of these trustees were outspokenly “pro-Pettit” and defended the simplicity and criticality of the BJU creed. Along with the two non-renewals, there were also three renewals -Dr. Joe Helm, Dr. Bruce Woodworth, who is a member of the Executive Committee, and the only remaining woman on the Board at the time, Dr. Dawn Akim. Mr. Mike Buiter was appointed as a new member to the full board effective May 2024.

Dr. Joe Helm returned to the Executive Committee, replacing Jerry Morgan, where he previously served with Dr. Mike Harding and Dr. Sam Dawson during the prosecution and persecution of Dr. Steve Pettit and his administration.  Dr. Joe Helm had voluntarily taken himself off the Executive Committee in 2023 during the scandal, exactly one week before the Administration and Faculty demanded the Chair and Vice Chair resign.  Dr. Joe Helm was the EC Trustee who, as a lawyer, was in charge of the Board’s failed attempt to rewrite the bylaws in October of 2022, on the eve of the vote on Dr. Pettit to try to guarantee the President's removal (by requiring a supermajority to get re-elected). Dr. Joe Helm is also the brother-in-law of fellow board member Dr. Dawn Akim. There were a total of 13 BOT members after the 2024 annual meeting. The BJU Board of Trustees' monolithic consolidation was complete. Dr. Sam Dawson gave another update on the Presidential search, indicating that the EC had narrowed the list to just a handful.

Previous board members, as well as Dr. Sam Dawson, have said that there were three “finalists” that emerged in April 2024. Those were: Dr. Alan Benson, Dr. Bruce McAllister, and Dr. Josh Crockett. Dr. Josh Crockett had pulled his name from consideration earlier in the spring of ‘24, but upon hearing that Dr. Bruce McAllister was then the leading candidate, he decided to put his name back in the running, believing that Dr. McAllister as BJU President would not be a good choice for the University. He believed that a “President Bruce McAllister” would be a detrimental result for BJU.

The nominating committee (the EC), according to their bylaws, must be unanimous in nominating a candidate for BJU President before the candidate is moved along to the full board for a vote. According to multiple sources, neither Dr. Alan Benson nor Dr. Bruce McAllister was able to receive a unanimous nomination vote from the EC for a full board vote. Dr. Josh Crockett did, however.

On May 7, 2024, Dr. Sam Dawson announced the election of Dr. Joshua Crockett as the sixth president of Bob Jones University, saying,

Dr. Crockett had served as the Pastor of Morning Side Baptist Church in Greenville since 2015.

“As we considered the institutional profile, which was informed by feedback from our constituents, we concluded that Dr. Crockett was the individual best equipped to lead Bob Jones University at this time. As a graduate with deep ties to the University who has been away for two decades, he has keen insight into our history, provides a fresh perspective for our future, and is deeply committed to our mission,” said Dawson. “His pastoral experience and heart for young adults are evidenced in his thriving church ministry. We trust God will give him wisdom as he leads us into BJU’s next century.” 

Dr. Dawson went on to say, “We are so confident in his election, under the direction of our Lord by his grace, that we have given our next president a five-year contract, which is allowable by the bylaws but not normal.”

Dr. Mike Harding, speaking of Dr. Josh Crockett before his election, “We will have the most qualified president and board chairman in almost 100 years of the University.”

Dr. Josh Crockett made some inspiring introductory videos in the first days of his presidency. Those alumni, executives, and faculty who had early meetings with Dr. Crockett left those meetings encouraged and with a sense of anticipation of good days on the horizon for BJU.

However, word came out that Dr. Crockett hit opposition with the BOT at the first Board meeting he attended. Sources say he left that first board meeting having “had the rug pulled out from under him” and returned home discouraged and deflated. Josh was counseled by family and friends alike to stand up to the BOT for integrity’s sake and declare to them that the initial agreements must be honored, or he would resign. He was asked by those who knew about the dysfunction in the BOT over the past two years, “How’s it going?” His reply was, “I’m having real struggles with the board. But, can outlast them, because I have a five-year contract.”

Over the 2025 school year, and into the second semester, Dr. Crockett’s resolve began to erode. By late January 2025, Dr. Crockett was said to be “day-to-day” with a mental tug-of-war between resigning immediately or waiting until commencement. Dr. Mike Harding, speaking of Dr. Crockett, said to a previous board member, “Pray for Josh. He’s struggling.”

By March of 2025, through meetings that alumni had with Josh or his brother Nathan, and in speaking with other BJU executives, Josh’s resignation seemed to be imminent. When it became known that the BOT had become somewhat of an operational board beginning in the Fall of ‘24, by essentially stripping the President of his authority, BJU NewContract began. The ideologically consolidated BOT appeared to have done it again.

However, in contrast to the communication friends, family, and alumni had received from Dr. Crockett, Dr. Crockett announced on Tuesday, April 2nd, in chapel, that talk of his resignation was an “unfounded rumor.” He went on to say that he had approached the chairman last fall about bifurcation between a President/Campus Pastor and a CEO like Marantha Baptist University and Pensacola Christian College. Dr. Crockett also announced that he was a candidate for the Senior Pastor position at Morningside Baptist Church. Instead of speaking about the struggles he had reported to have had with the BOT throughout the past 9 months, he bragged about the members of the BOT. He announced that he would be making Mythbuster videos after that chapel to deal with misinformation. The entire chapel announcement had a strange feel to it. But one thing was clear: BJU bifurcation was the new governance model going forward.

In another history-making move, the BJU Board of Trustees approached the Morningside Baptist Church Deacon Board (pastoral search team) about the bifurcation plan. During April, the two Boards began to negotiate the specifics of how this bifurcation would work. MBC hosted a couple of “town-halls” for MBC members to ask the questions they wanted to ask Dr. Crockett. The BJU Board Chair, Dr. Sam Dawson, periodically reminded the University family during April that the BOT would make “governing decisions” as soon as Morningside voted. Then, on Sunday, May 4, 2025, Dr. Josh Crockett was elected as the senior pastor of Morningside Baptist Church. Just before the vote, the congregation asked for the title “President of BJU” to be removed. It was.

Would the BOT provide another opportunity for recommendations for nominations for the seventh President of BJU, like there was following Dr. Stephen Jones and Dr. Steve Pettit? Word leaked that there were already finalists. Dr. Alan Benson’s name had come up again, along with Pastor Tim Potter, Mr. Mike Buiter, Mr. Tim Stanley, and Dr. Bruce McAllister. Three on this list confirmed they had been contacted before Josh was elected senior pastor at Morningside.

The search was short. On May 20, 2025, Dr. Sam Dawson, chairman of the Board of Trustees, announced that Dr. Bruce McAllister would be the seventh president of Bob Jones University. Dr. Dawson explained why the BOT was able to move so swiftly:

“Now, turning to the introduction of the new president, the board was able to move quickly because over a year ago, the person we now have elected was a finalist for the position of president, so we have already vetted him thoroughly. In the meantime, we have had over the intermittent months been able to maintain communication with him since he is currently part of the administration. The board believed that it was important to elect a president who had a deep, deep institutional knowledge and who could start to prepare for the upcoming academic year quickly. “

Dr. Bruce McAllister’s acceptance speech can be read in its entirety right here.

Dr. McAllister spoke of his admiration for the Board of Trustees that unanimously elected him the day before.

“I  am so very thankful to God now for this opportunity to serve in this way. I am thankful to the board, to Dr. Sam Dawson. And it will be my privilege to serve with this board and under their authority and leadership in this role. These are exceptionally dedicated, wonderful, spirit-filled people. I know all of them, and I'm getting to know some of them even better and looking forward to serving with them.” 

In the lengthy speech, Dr. McAllister spoke about addressing many of the issues that were made much of in the Pettit administration. (Modesty, separation, associations, etc.) The much-promoted bifurcation plan of a President/Campus Pastor and a CEO stopped being discussed. Dr. Crockett is nowhere to be found on the University's leadership page.

The half-brother of Jesus discusses two types of “wisdom” in James 3:13-18. There is a “wisdom from below” and a “wisdom from above.” One leads to confusion and strife. The other, to peace and righteousness. We can use these lenses to view the history of 2014-2022, noticing the peace and righteousness contrasted with the chronicles of 2022-2025, observing the confusion and strife. One era demonstrated wisdom from above. The other continues to display the wisdom from below.

8 1/2 years of stability: Accreditation. Grace Report. Discipleship. Love. Tax-Exemption. Humility. Gospel Growth. Unity.

3 years of turmoil. Secret meetings. Stolen papers. Strife. Instability. Title IX investigation. Pride. Undue influence. Slander.

As the BJU Papers conclude, we can trace the trajectory.

On Monday, February 15, 2022, 40 executive board members from the FBFI gathered in Phoenix, AZ, to discuss their issues with BJU. 41 men had their names attached to the FBFI letter written to the BJU BOT outlining their concerns with BJU. Upon receipt of the note, the BJU BOT begins to “right the ship." The BOT ultimately ousted Dr. Pettit.

And just over three years after authoring the FBFI letter, Dr. Bruce McAllister was elected the seventh president of BJU.

This is wisdom from below.