Baylor University regents on Thursday fired the school president, the second in three years to leave amid clashes with the faculty at the world's largest Baptist university.
Board Chairman Howard K. Batson repeatedly declined to elaborate on why John M. Lilley was fired, referring only to the board's lack of "confidence in John's ability to unite various Baylor constituencies."
"We need a new president who will listen to all the divergent voices in the Baylor family," Batson said.
Lilley was hired in November 2005 after regents' unanimous vote, five months after embattled President Robert Sloan stepped down and became the school's chancellor in a deal worked out with regents.
Sloan, who had been president since 1995, had been blamed for rising tuition costs and rifts among professors who had been calling for his ouster for months.
In a statement Thursday, Lilley said he accepted the Baylor post aiming to help "heal the wounded hearts left in the wake of the conflict that preceded us," but it became clear immediately that regents reflected "some of the deepest divisions in the Baylor family."
He said he was proud of the work he had done as president to bring the university together and help it achieve its goals.
"I deeply regret the action of the board, and I do not believe that it reflects the best interests of Baylor University," Lilley, a Baylor alumnus, said in the statement.
The firing comes despite what Batson acknowledged was a string of successes for the school under Lilley. The school's endowment is its largest ever and the school has risen in the ranks of at least one influential college ranking.
Batson said Lilley's faith was not a factor in his firing. Although Lilley is the son of a Baptist preacher and an ordained Baptist minister, he was a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church before he came to Baylor.
But Batson said the new president will be a Baptist.
Regent Harold Cunningham will be acting president until an interim is found.
Comments
lewr, unfortunately it appears they already have gone very liberal with the start of the Truett Seminary. It appears the CBF has a stranglehold on this "cemetery" and will produce men and women who will probagate ideas such as salvation does not come in and through Christ alone.
There is no meat in this article at all (outside of the actual firing), just speculation.
Grace and Peace,
Jim
Baylor is a major university now. It will do as Mercer and other CBF schools have done and take an enlightened approach to theology. Baylor won't go backwards towards old folkways, old prejudices and even old Baptist superstitions from this point.
Let's hope Baylor goes the the way it should and not the liberal theological way.
True, believer.
hlerwin, and what plain truth is that? Plus wasn't it Nazi Germany who supported the Palestinians in helping them in their attempt to eradicate the Jewish presence in the Holy Land during World War II? Outside infuence in support of both sides has been a part of the problem in the Holy Land for centuries.
"16 million southern baptist = 16 million different opinions"
Being in a Southern Baptist Church I can honestly say this is NOT true. Some people have more than one opinion....
A very small presence, believer. That land, without Europe's intervention, would still belong to the Palestinians. It's the same mistake King James made in Northern Ireland. Just because people have not weapons to resist does not give us the right to take land and give it someone else. Of course, Abraham's group took it from local people, too - so I don't know that the land issue has a solution (except to you people who have your heads stuck so far into the Bible that you can't see the plain truth around you). As far as a workable state, thought, I think the only solution is for Palestinians to be full citizens with full rights in the modern state of Israel. At this point, the Jews treat to Palestinians like sub-humans, the way my people treated the Indians on this continent.
hlerwin, I'm not sure of the percentages, but my point was that there has always been a Jewish presence in the Holy Land.
Was it you, believer, that I wrote to about the percentages of Jews and Jewish property in Palestine in 1948? I think the place was 2% Jewish, and the Jews owned 7% of the land. Does that sound right?
I did not read that denomination was an issue, believer. (It might be, though, knowing how some Baptists can be.) I only meant to say that the article reminded me of the funny (to me, anyway) remark my great aunt made. Her husband used to say that a Presbyterian was just a Baptist with an education. (I don't think these two old people knew much, really, about denominations.)
hlerwin, where did you read where denomination was an issue in this matter, plus they called him knowing he was an elder in a Presbyterian church?
The university regents shouldn't jump on the president for changing denominations. This reminds me of a remark my Episcopalian aunt made years ago at her friend's funeral. After the third preacher began, my aunt asked, "What church did Ella go to?" Another lady whispered, "She was a Baptist." My aunt was struck! "A Baptist?" she not-so-quietly exclaimed, causing heads to turn. "Why, I thought she was, at least, a Presbyterian."
jhs, a majority of the Southern Baptists who don't like the 2000 version of the Baptist Faith and Message really only have a problem with one or two points in it, but will agree with the remainder. They don't like the teaching on family and headship or the one with regards to the views of Scripture. And I would not be surprised to find out that many who you hear that from are supporters of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
believer
Where I live in Oklahoma, its baptist country, and most of them are of the ardent republican type, but when you get a round alot them, say at a social, I have never so many different opinions in my life. I do hear alot about the baptist faith and message of 2000 or the newer one, that alot of them don't like.