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Seminary Dean Steps Down at Andrews University, Speculation Results
Submitted: Nov 2, 2012
By AT News Team
Dr. Denis Fortin has announced that he will return to full time teaching at the end of the current academic year. He has served as dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University for the last six years and associate dean prior to that.
In a statement released this week by the university, Dr. Fortin said, “For personal and professional reasons, I have come to the conclusion that after serving in academic administration for the better part of the last 14 years … it is time for me to take a break. I have therefore asked … to return to full-time teaching in the Department of Theology and Christian Philosophy.”
The seminary “has been very well served by Dr. Denis Fortin, both as a professor … and dean,” the release quoted Dr. Niels-Erik Andreasen, university president. “I am happy to note that he will return to his first love: teaching Seminary students. We are delighted to welcome him back full-time to the faculty.”
The seminary has grown to become one of the largest of any faith in the United States, despite the fact that both Southern Adventist University and La Sierra University also operate competing graduate school programs for clergy. The Andrews seminary not only prepares pastors for the Adventist Church in North America, but also educates faculty for college and university religion programs and trains church administrators for the global Adventist movement.
Adventist Today has been told that there is speculation among the faculty and denominational leaders about Dr. Fortin’s announcement. “What are the real reasons for his decision?” one person who refused to be identified in any way, even anonymously, told Adventist Today. He has published articles documenting the support that Ellen White and other denominational founders expressed for women serving as pastors and with the current controversy about ordination, some speculate that General Conference (GC) leaders may feel more comfortable with a different person in this crucial role.
“A search committee will be established, overseen by President Andreasen, to identify Dean Fortin’s successor,” the university’s news release states. “The search committee will include representation from the Seminary faculty, Andrews University administration and Seventh-day Adventist Church leadership.” It is unclear if the denominational leaders will be from the North American Division or only the GC.
Dr. Fortin joined the seminary faculty in 1994 after serving as a pastor in Quebec, Canada. He is the author of a book about the early history of the Adventist movement in Quebec, an area where the vast majority of the church membership is among immigrants from the Caribbean and French-speaking nations in Africa. The Adventist Church has been slow to win significant numbers of native-born Quebecois.
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Say you disagree with Fortin. Say you believe he is a heretic. Those statement, at least, would not be patently, incontrovertibly false. Don't tell bald-faced lies in the service of "revival."
Are we correct to assume that those of us who disagree with you should resign from membership in the SDA Church so it can be revived and renewed? Let’s have some prayer time.
This is not fully true. La Sierra University does have the M.Div. which puts them in a direct appearance of competition with the Seminary. Southern Adventist University's program has no M.Div., has no plans for one, and generally is designed for pastors to sharpen a speciality like homiletics, evangelism, and chuch leadership. As such we are not really competing with Andrews for general training at the graduate level for ministry. Also, we primarily serve pastors from the Southern Union (though any can come) while the purpose of the Seminary is clearly Division wide in scope. Additionally we urge our undergraduates to go to the seminary for the M.Div. to broaden their perspective with new teachers, etc., instead of taking our limited specialties. So we are not really in competing for students with the Seminary except, perhaps for a few specialty students. Rather, we are highly supportive of the Seminary.
People make choices for various reasons depending on their age, how their family would be affected, etc. Sad - and should not be allowed to happen - feeling of helplessness except to protest with a vengeance in venues like AT.
“Jesus does not receive glory from any one who is an accuser of the brethren. Let not a day pass that we are not healing and restoring old wounds. Cultivate love, and let no words of evil surmising escape our lips. Close this door quickly, and keep it closed; open the door where Christ presides, and keep it open, because we know the value of Christ’s sacrifice and His unchangeable love.” Lift Him Up page 321.
It is so easy to lash out and hurt. It takes maturity to build one another up. It is so easy to kick someone when they are down and forget how hurtful it can be. Jesus died for each one of us.
Blessings to the dean for choosing a path that is fulfilling for him and uses his spiritual gifts.
Those statements, to me, were accusing of the brethren and mean spirited. I do not wish for brother Joy to be drop kicked from the church either. I do want us to talk about issue and not blindly follow a spirit of evil surmising.
To the Seminar Student I must ask if he/she is sure the Michigan Conference sends spies to events with hidden cameras? Do you know the conference sent someone? Or is it possible that someone was at an event and shot some video? With technology as it is today it doesn’t take much to be able to shoot a scene on the spur of the moment. I have no doubt pictures were taken. Was there evil intent?
“We want a school in which the languages, especially the spoken and written languages of the present day, can be taught, and learned by young men and women to prepare them to become printers, editors, and teachers; and if we can do no more, where our young men that are about entering the ministry, and women, too, who are to be laborers in this great work, can be instructed thoroughly in the common branches, where their minds can be disciplined to study, where, if it is not for more than three months, our young men may have the best instruction, and may, during that time, at least, learn how to study.”—Ibid. {2BIO 375.2} The Progressive Years
The generic use of the word men causes James White to remove doubt about the potential for women to enter the ministry as he adds "and women" when speaking of preparing for the ministry.
Gender is not the issue. Being called by the Holy Spirit and being gifted by the Holy Spirit is the issue. Isn't it?