Dr Tom White, Cedarville University, “Anthony Moore Acted in Perversion Technologically with Another Person.” Say What?

 

Hemispheric View of Venus Centered at the North Pole

If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything. Mark Twain


Today, I spoke with a former professor of Cedarville University who told me that Dr Tom White is a widely disliked university president. I will say more about that discussion in another post. However, one thing is apparent. Dr White has told many stories about how he came to hire Dr Moore. Some of the narrative about what happened appears to change or become more confusing at each retelling.

I believe that this story is developing hour by hour and I’m having trouble keeping up. This blog post is a *catch up* post. I believe that Dr White’s job is in jeopardy and well it should be.

On 4/24, Dr White wrote MY JOURNEY WITH JAMES 5:19, A GOSPEL OF GRACE, AND ANTHONY MOORE

Todd has taken to making sure some documents land on WayBack just in case individuals start cleaning up their websites.

Read this carefully. It is startling to me, a nurse, that a university president could confuse a paraphilia such as voyeurism with a simple sin (cussing at the guy who cut you off in traffic-you remember traffic, don’t you?)

For those of you university presidents or just plain simple folks like the rest of us who don’t understand that a paraphilia is a profound psychiatric disorder, here is a link to an article by the NIH: Paraphilias: definition, diagnosis and treatment.

Take a look at this chart. Notice that voyeurism  and pedophilia are both on this chart. This means that the person who is afflicted with voyeurism like Moore has a problem that needs expert professional intervention. On other words, folks, a once a week meeting with a pastor is not going to treat the problem. However, Dr White is into the biblical counseling movement which tends to believe everything is curable with prayer and a listening ear. Dr White, along with Paige Patterson, The Village Church and Matt Chandler failed Dr Moore in my opinion.,

I believe that the actions of these men are an outgrowth of the worrisome *biblical counseling movement.* There will be more on this in another post. I beg people to seek professional help when they are afflicted with one of these paraphilias. A weekly meeting with your pastor will NOT cut it. Here is a post I wrote that lists other posts at TWW on the failure of biblical counseling: Another Reason to Avoid Biblical Counseling: Confidentiality Is Not Guaranteed When Sin™ Is Involved

In the meantime, Dr White outlined his *actions* in his 4/24 post and it has come back to haunt him.

On 4/27, Todd Wilhelm wrote “Oh, What a Tangled Web We Weave” -UPDATED!

This an an excellent post in which Todd asks some important questions.

Thomas White, in his statement of April 24, 2020 stated: “On April 22, 2020, I learned that I did not have all the information about the original incident. Instead of at most two videos, I heard there were at least five videos. Instead of this being over a short period of time, I heard that these were taken over a period of at least five months.” Whether White knew of two videos or five videos is irrelevant. One video should have been enough to prevent White from hiring his friend, Anthony Moore.

Additionally, Julie Roys, in her article published on April 24, 2020, said: “The elders at TVC Fort Worth said in a statement to me this week that they “thoroughly informed Dr. White and Cedarville University about the details of Anthony’s dismissal and our belief that Anthony was not fit for ministry of any kind.”

Quoting again from White’s April 24, 2020 statement, he said:  “I also heard details of an unhealthy friendship. I confirmed that the two people who counseled with Anthony at Cedarville did not know this information either. If I had known these items at the beginning, I would not have attempted the plan for restoration.”

So, again, White is asking us to believe that if he had known Anthony Moore had taken five secret videos of his good friend and subordinate while he was nude in the shower instead of two secret videos he would not have hired Moore. What if it had been three videos, Dr. White? What if it had been four videos, Dr. White? I’m simply attempting to discern what White’s acceptable level of videos of a nude man in the shower is. I mean, we obviously know two videos or fewer places you within the acceptable level for White to hire you as a reclamation project, while five videos of a nude man in the shower would disqualify you as a Thomas White reclamation project, so I just need to know if a man who has recorded three or four videos is salvageable.

You really need to read the entirety of Todd’s post. There is enough there to get you mad.

Today, August 29, Julie Roys posted a shocker: Leaked Email Reveals Cedarville President Withheld Information From Trustees & Conflicts With Public Statements

Instead of telling the trustees that Moore had been fired from The Village Church for secretly making multiple videos of a youth pastor taking showers, White said Moore “acted in perversion technologically with another person.”

White also said in a recent blog post that according to the five-year restoration plan Cedarville gave Moore, Moore would not teach students during his first year at Cedarville. Yet that’s not what White communicated in the 2017 email to trustees.

Instead, White wrote that Moore would begin teaching online classes during his second semester and “perhaps co-teaching with Jason Lee,” dean of the School of Biblical and Theological Studies.

…White describes Moore in the email as a friend both he and Dr. Lee know “well” from their time at Southwestern Seminary. White served as vice president of communications and student life at Southwestern from 2006—2013 and Lee served as chair of the church history department. Moore got his PhD from Southwestern and Lee was Moore’s PhD supervisor. (Ed Note: White worked for Paige Patterson and this will come back in the near future in a post I plan to write about a student during that time)

I find this following quote from Julie’s post fascinating…Why won’t either party, The Village Church or White, release the letter?

Both White and The Village Church have confirmed that The Village Church sent White a letter prior to Cedarville hiring Moore, but neither have been willing to release that letter.

However, the elders at The Village Church Fort Worth last week told me that they “thoroughly informed Dr. White and Cedarville University about the details of Anthony’s dismissal and our belief that Anthony was not fit for ministry of any kind.”

Is there more going on here? Is there a tie between The Village Church/Matt Chandler and Cedarville? Todd will deal with that tonight! I bet you know the answer to those questions.

Comments

Dr Tom White, Cedarville University, “Anthony Moore Acted in Perversion Technologically with Another Person.” Say What? — 116 Comments

  1. Dr Tom White, Cedarville University, “Anthony Moore Acted in Perversion Technologically with Another Person.”

    I know White said it, but you know why I don’t like it (besides the obvious)? Because it implies (using the word “with”) that Moore’s victim was somehow complicit in his own abuse.

    Moore should have used the word “against.”

  2. Muslin, fka Dee Holmes,

    Yes, it is very wrong for Thomas White to have used the word ‘with’ since that gave the misleading impression that what took place was consensual. In fact that could not be further from the truth.

  3. The continually ‘evolving’ story certainly proves a massive cover-up took place with an emphasis on deceiving members at The Village Church & the board at Cedarville, although I can’t imagine anyone on the board not asking for a definition of what ‘acting in perversion technologically’ meant. White either told them the truth, or minimized Moore’s crime.

    What is abundantly clear is The Village Church & Thomas White (and other persons involved directly) colluded to ‘save’ Anthony Moore’s career at the risk of students at Cedarville University.

    **I also discovered that Moore’s father-in-law, Leon Neal, is an assistant basketball coach at Cedarville.

  4. ishy: I can’t figure out why Moore isn’t in jail. He committed a crime.

    I think I saw from another part of a post that the victim declined to press charges.

  5. ishy:
    I can’t figure out why Moore isn’t in jail. He committed a crime.

    But no prosecution. This could be because the victim was unwilling (from church suggestion, from dislike that the videos [or some of them] would have to be viewed by the jurors and judge, and/or from reluctance to testify) and the state didn’t want to force the issue. Or it could be for other reasons.

    BTW the Clery act report for Cedarville reports very few sex related offenses in the last few years none of which, as far as I could see, were prosecuted (the victim chose not to follow up).

  6. ishy,

    My guess would be that the victim did not want to prosecute for whatever reason.

    Regardless of that, the fact that anyone thought an admitted voyeur should be in a ministry position shows that something is very, very wrong at Cedarville.

  7. As a “student peon” that attended, many decades ago, a fundamentalist school that behaved/functioned/had rules, like Cedarville U, this whole story of White and Moore makes me want to throw up…. You see, power obsessed people like White love to lord it over the peons students with their “wise, mature Christian rules/opinions”, and they can really “stick it to the students” for really stupid things….. this can really screw with some, but not all, of the kids minds. ( I could go on and on, about specifics, but I would bore you)

    Then, you find out the leaders pull this kind of stuff, and subject students to predators…. the issues is not that there are predators, that is just life…. the issues is that Dr White knew the Moore was a predator, and still set him loose…. a fox in the hen house….. you see, some of the students would believe the Bull that White spews that Cedarville is a “G$dly” place….. even the student above said he would never have thought about this until the stuff on Moore came out…. I completely understand where that student is coming from…. the great myth, the fundamentalist “bubble” is more pure than the evil, secular humanist world out there..

  8. readingalong: I think I saw from another part of a post that the victim declined to press charges.

    Perhaps Patterson stepped in to “break them down” and scared the $#*& out of them.

  9. readingalong: I think I saw from another part of a post that the victim declined to press charges.

    According to this article in the Dayton Daily News, when the victim filed the police report in Oct 2018, he was under the impression that law enforcement would proceed with charges, which was a misunderstanding on his part. Now wondering if he will pursue. https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local-education/accuser-cedarville-university-employee-firing-came-forward-case-there-were-other-victims/bxlBVMWqLLohh5OnXNbFKN/

  10. Anna: **I also discovered that Moore’s father-in-law, Leon Neal, is an assistant basketball coach at Cedarville.

    That could explain a few things! Might this clarify why Moore was hired? Do you have a published source to share?

  11. Friend,

    Seems more likely to me that Dr. Moore’s position at CU would have helped Neal to get on there than the other way around.

  12. Why would Neal take an assistant BB coach position after being head coach for so many years at Evangel?? Oh, let me guess, to be closer to the grandchildren. ‍♀️

    BTW, does anyone know how much Dr. Moore was being paid to go through his own 5 year restoration project??

  13. If Cedarville were a publicly traded company – White would have already been fired for his missteps by withholding information and his conflicting statements. This is a bad situation and the board of Trustees needs to step up and take action immediately

  14. readingalong: I think I saw from another part of a post that the victim declined to press charges.

    Probably very fearful of where they’ll spend eternity if charges are pressed?
    The hell game can really be hell on a person’s psyche.

  15. “Anthony Moore Acted in Perversion Technologically with Another Person.”

    BUZZWORD BINGO!

    First, Christians tend to have their own definitions of “perversion”; for all we know, he could have been looking up Furry art online.

    That said, “technologically with another person” implies something more like sexting or erotic chat, i.e. Over the Internet.

  16. readingalong: I think I saw from another part of a post that the victim declined to press charges.

    The threat of Eternal Hell can be quite a silencer.

  17. Muff Potter,

    Now, now, maybe since he thought Moore was his friend, he was showing some grace/mercy. Not everything a Christian does is out of a fear of hell.

  18. Read this carefully. It is startling to me, a nurse, that a university president could confuse a paraphilia such as voyeurism with a simple sin (cussing at the guy who cut you off in traffic-you remember traffic, don’t you?)

    Sin-Levelling, CHECK…

    (And you’re a nurse, Dee. Obviously SECULARized. If you were More SPIRITUAL…)

  19. Thomas White’s bio is found here:

    https://www.cedarville.edu/Academic-Schools-and-Departments/Biblical-and-Theological-Studies/Faculty-Staff/White-Thomas.aspx

    It contains the following claim which didn’t ring true to me:

    ‘White also served as Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Southwestern Seminary. In his faculty role, he taught in the Oxford University study program’

    A quick fact check reveals that the Oxford Study Program at SWBS is simply an SWBS study trip around various historical Christian sites in the England and has nothing whatsoever to do with Oxford University.

    https://forms.swbts.edu/oxford-study-program/

    I think we can conclude that truthfulness is not Thomas White’s strong point.

  20. Sjon,

    This reminds me of Ravi Zacharias claiming to teach at Oxford (or was it Cambridge?) Patently untrue it was.

  21. Sjon,

    Just like Ravi Zacharias! Also, I find it interesting that President White does not want Cedarville U to be associated with a “association of other Christian College” because they were not “ fundamental enough”; yet he lies about being associated with the secular humanist, worldly institution of Oxford!

  22. Sjon: Oxford

    Agreed, it looks like he delivered lectures to a traveling group organized by SWBTS. The video lists Oxford and eight other locales in England and Scotland. The next scheduled trip is July 6-22, so they cannot spend very much time in Oxford itself.

    My bigger question is why SWBTS calls this the Oxford Study Program and advertises it with a large photo of the Radcliffe Camera. Oxford is famously hostile toward Christianity, and the building was founded as a science library.

  23. Friend: My bigger question is why SWBTS calls this the Oxford Study Program and advertises it with a large photo of the Radcliffe Camera. Oxford is famously hostile toward Christianity, and the building was founded as a science library.

    I’m pretty sure padding resumes is exactly why.

  24. Friend,

    That Ravi Zacharias, Thomas White and SWTS each couldn’t resist the lure of borrowed grandeur (pilfering the Oxford name to bolster their own underwhelming credentials) reveals much about their individual delusions and insecurities.

  25. Terry Lange,

    “This is a bad situation and the board of Trustees needs to step up and take action immediately”
    ++++++++++++++

    well, given that christian culture is generally 40 years behind in awareness, it’s hard to imagine any group of christian leaders doing anything other than thinking about the possibility of thinking about whether or not that would be in God’s will.

    (which means whatever doesn’t threaten their power, reputation, and money).

  26. Sjon,

    Yup…. As a long time academic in the “secular humanist, heathen, etc, etc,” world, and one that knows, and worked for a Nobel winner, your summary is correct. While there are “a$$es” in my world that can be insecure, and one in particular has to brag about all their awards, in my world it is given, in general, that you are well qualified…. we tend to be more interested in peoples “pedigree” ….. who they trained with, what past projects they were involved in, what did they publish on, etc..
    When I see, listen to these preacher boys discussing their credentials, I just cringe…… they DO not know how those of us in this world really “do it”..

  27. Robert,

    “Now, now, maybe since he thought Moore was his friend, he was showing some grace/mercy. Not everything a Christian does is out of a fear of hell.”
    ++++++++++++++

    could be just an ingrained fear of…. who really knows. fear of doing something wrong.

    fear of doing something, anything which turns out to be “sinfully” doing something, anything.

    fear of coloring outside the lines? fear of stepping outside the lines of what is biblical (which shifts depending on which powerbroker is talking), and outside the lines of what is the will of God (which no one knows for sure unless the powerbroker informs them of what it is).

    gospel phantom-fear.

    standing still is the only safe option.

  28. Jeffrey Chalmers,

    “I find it interesting that President White does not want Cedarville U to be associated with a “association of other Christian College” because they were not “ fundamental enough”; yet he lies about being associated with the secular humanist, worldly institution of Oxford!”
    +++++++++++++

    double standards, uneven scales, and hypocrisy amongst evangelical leaders once again.

    (surprised it’s not a category in Trivial Pursuit and Catch-Phrase)

  29. Nuttshell:
    Why would Neal take an assistant BB coachposition after being head coach for so many years at Evangel?? Oh, let me guess, to be closer to the grandchildren. ‍♀️

    My thoughts were that Neal moved to Cedarville b/c Moore’s position there was ‘secure’, even though he was barely 2 yrs into his ‘restoration plan’.

    BTW, does anyone know how much Dr. Moore was being paid to go through his own 5 year restoration project??

  30. elastigirl,

    Maybe. But why not just assume that he wanted to go easy on his “friend.” I’m not saying he shouldn’t have done more, but it’s entirely possible that he—for whatever reason—thought Moore’s problem wasn’t as bad as it is and he thought whatever arrangement was in place was sufficient.

    White, Chandler, et al should have known better. But victims choose not to prosecute for all sorts of reasons, so I’m inclined to assume the best of the victim here.

  31. Jeffrey Chalmers,

    Good to have your take on the contrast with genuine academia.

    These preacher boys tend to be the centre of their own small and over marketed world – all style (and that of dubious taste) and precious little substance. And then they start to lie in an attempt to add apparent substance…

  32. “a paraphilia is a profound psychiatric disorder”

    Get woke, church, or is this another face of the anti-science prism hovering in the church?

    Perhaps anti-science-ism, in this day and age, is equally a profound cognitive disorder. Or hubris, arrogance regarding science. In this case the science of behavioral disorders.

  33. Sjon: over marketed world – all style (and that of dubious taste) and precious little substance. And then they start to lie in an attempt to add apparent substance…

    “start to lie” as the style has no substance. There is no there, there. Just hair slicked & skinny jeans.

  34. Jeffrey Chalmers,

    PS.. even “teaching” at Oxford U. Is not really a “ big deal”…. short term lecturing goes on all the time… and then, when claim they did, implying they were “invited”, and only visited on their own accord, like they really did, that is the worst kind of deception….
    the pew peons go, ohh, they are so smart, yet so and so is on our “side”…. yet we, “evil or compromised ones” , on the “other-side”, either are not even in their world to be able to “blow the whistle”, or, as I no doing, are written off as “carnal, or worse”…..

  35. Jeffrey Chalmers,

    Oxford is one of few universities where you’ll never encounter a lightweight among students or faculty. It’s very hard to get admitted as a student or hired for the lowliest faculty position. The hierarchy starts out lofty (just try to debate a fresher in a commoner’s gown), and ascends to regius professor.

    Although Cambridge is traditionally superior in fields of science, I’m not at all surprised to see Oxford making progress toward a coronavirus vaccine. The best Oxonians aren’t content to get ahead; they want to solve the most difficult problems in the world.

  36. Terry Lange: This is a bad situation and the board of Trustees needs to step up and take action immediately

    They will probably put White on a 5-year restoration plan.

  37. Friend,

    In my field, a branch of engineering, Cambridge and Oxford is fine, but plenty of “lesser famous”, state schools are just as good. I can not speak nearly as knowledgeably for humanities… but, overall, it has been my observation over 40 years in academia, the “top prestigious” schools are over hyped. ( this is just not jealousy, I have some of degrees from “big name” schools…. yet I had some great classes at my Christian College).

  38. Jeffrey Chalmers,

    Of course. No disagreement from me about the quality of education available. I hope higher education recovers as quickly as is safe.

    I would add only that some places are outstanding, and also have hype. 🙂

  39. Friend: My bigger question is why SWBTS calls this the Oxford Study Program and advertises it with a large photo of the Radcliffe Camera. Oxford is famously hostile toward Christianity, and the building was founded as a science library.

    I think for some, it’s a connection to a bit of history and tradition, especially academically and institutionally. The ensconsing of some in stained glass windows at a certain seminaries isn’t from a vacuum.

    These verses comes to mind for those concerned with personal status versus the Great Commision: “While all the people were listening, He said to His disciples, “Beware of the scribes, desiring to walk in long robes, and loving greetings in the marketplaces and first seats in the synagogues and first places in the banquets, who devour the houses of widows, and pray at great length as a pretext. These will receive more abundant condemnation” (Luke 20:45-47). Beware, indeed.

  40. Friend,

    Yes… I was not so much reacting to you as I was to the hype, and almost “worship” of the big name schools… and doing all you can to be a “top 10 school… I think it partially reflects the “winner/loser” mentality…. if you are not top, or top ten, you are a loser…. SWBT appears to following this by using Oxford name…..

  41. elastigirl: well, given that christian culture is generally 40 years behind in awareness, it’s hard to imagine any group of christian leaders doing anything other than thinking about the possibility of thinking about whether or not that would be in God’s will.

    You know, elastigirl, I wonder if you’re on to something here. Most people, when confronted with a story like this about Moore and White, would ask, “what is the right thing to do?” When confronted with abuse of any sort, we ask, “what is the right thing? How can we act ethically here and protect the victims?” And then we figure out the answer and we do it, and it’s quite a quick and obvious process, actually.

    But to many Christians, that’s not the question. The question instead is, “What is God’s will here?” And then they pray for a really long time, and “seek the Lord”, and then “seek confirmation”, and of course you can convince yourself that God’s will is any number of things. When we don’t realize that God’s will is that we do the right thing, we get ourselves in a whole mess of trouble.

  42. Sheila,

    Nice analysis…. I keep coming back to the Hebrew definition of “righteousness”, or “doing righteousness”. It is my understanding that righteousness is just what you say, “ DOING the right thing”…. I have always found it strange that fundamentalist/evangelicals are so many times willing to “selectively use” OT passages, and ignore the “problematic ones”…. In fact, my 16 year old daughter is doing a Church Bible study and highlight an OT verse, Exodus 21:12 “ Whosever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death” This really got her attention, and my comment back was… there are lots of “problematic verses” in the OT!

  43. “White is asking us to believe that if he had known Anthony Moore had taken five secret videos of his good friend and subordinate while he was nude in the shower instead of two secret videos he would not have hired Moore. What if it had been three videos, Dr. White? What if it had been four videos, Dr. White?” (Todd Wilhelm)

    “What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? … what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? …what if only forty are found there? … what if only thirty can be found there? … what if only twenty can be found there? … what if only ten can be found there? … Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah —from the Lord out of the heavens.” (Genesis 18-19)

    What if it had only been one video, Dr. White? God is serious about righteousness.

  44. Sheila: When we don’t realize that God’s will is that we do the right thing, we get ourselves in a whole mess of trouble.

    Amen! In regard to slavery rights, Abraham Lincoln said “It is never right to do wrong.”

    The extreme at which New Calvinist leaders go to protect their dudebros is reaching Biblical proportion. The movement is approaching antinomianism in some corners.

  45. Sheila,

    “Most people, when confronted with a story like this about Moore and White, would ask, “what is the right thing to do?” …

    But to many Christians, that’s not the question. The question instead is, “What is God’s will here?”
    +++++++++++++++++

    it is destructive and dangerous for a religion to teach people directly and indirectly to be suspicious of and not trust their own voice. their intuition and common sense. and their own decision-maker, and their right to actively use it to make their own decisions.

    regardless of this being an unintended consequence of doctrine, it is immoral for a religion to brainwash people to silence their own voice,

  46. Max,

    As I keep saying, remember, Cedarville University is an undergrad college, full of 18-22 plus year olds. They have a very strict, narrow view of behavior, I am willing to bet they hammer students for infractions of these rules…. and, as we have read, the dear one, President White, likes to “advocate” these rules…

    So, lets see, just that has been presented in the various blogs, and public statements, President White gave a person with that committed illegal voherism to a Vice President position at this “fundamentalist, separatist, Christian school. Then President White, at a minimum, mislead both the faculty, students, staff, and Board of Trustees about this persons “moral failings”. At worst, President White LIED to everyone about this person oast.
    Next, despite what President White said publicly, he has allowed this person to be unsupervised, in a locker room, wide nude young students. He as also allowed Dr. Moore to “spiritually guide” students, and participants at 9 Marks conferences.
    Next, President White has been confronted, by a father, with Dr. Moores invitation to take make students on private hunting trips. Again, which is against President White’s public statements on Dr. Moore’s “restoration plan”.

    i could go on, but as continue to attempt to think about this from a perspective of a 18-22 year old I just get madder, and madder… All of these “leaders” behave in a manner that is so against the “big picture” view of the Bible….. dare I saw their behavior is “antiChrist” like?? I want to make CLEAR… I am not worked up about Dr. Moore’s behavior, that is the human condition…… I am work up about the failure of leadership, and the “ Lording over” of the young people….which, from my perspective, all these leaders do not give a D$mn about..

  47. Headless Unicorn Guy,

    Unfortunately, it was pretty much that way with me also…. It was especially bad since I liked science, and I could see the young earth creationism was all BS… I might add that pope Mohler is a young earth advocate……

  48. Max,

    I agree. I heard he might be fired but I doubt that will happen. He will suddenly believe that God is calling him to teach at some Christian university and resign. Remember the trustees put up with him for a long time which means they probably agree with him.

    In the meantime, I want to know what Matt Chandler did to contribute to this mess.

  49. Jeffrey Chalmers,

    I have a question for you. Assuming that White agreed to take Moore, knowing what he did (or at least some of it), does Moore have an HR case for wrongful termination?

  50. Jeffrey Chalmers:
    Sjon,

    Just like Ravi Zacharias!Also, I find it interesting that President White does not want Cedarville U to be associated with a “association of other Christian College” because they were not “ fundamental enough”; yet he lies about being associated with the secular humanist, worldly institution of Oxford!

    I think I’m going to post the conversation I had with a former professor at CU.It will shed more light on this.

  51. Sjon: https://www.cedarville.edu/Academic-Schools-and-Departments/Biblical-and-Theological-Studies/Faculty-Staff/White-Thomas.aspx
    It contains the following claim which didn’t ring true to me:
    ‘White also served as Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Southwestern Seminary. In his faculty role, he taught in the Oxford University study program’
    A quick fact check reveals that the Oxford Study Program at SWBS is simply an SWBS study trip around various historical Christian sites in the England and has nothing whatsoever to do with Oxford University.
    https://forms.swbts.edu/oxford-study-program/
    I think we can conclude that truthfulness is not Thomas White’s strong point.

    Whoa. This is good. I think I may post it and let Todd know. I have a few observations that are short and don’t fit into one category.

  52. dee: He will suddenly believe that God is calling him to teach at some Christian university and resign.

    And God will suddenly then withhold His blessing from said university. The Christian world needs to stop passing problem children around. There are plenty of Christian teachers and administrators out there who have integrity before God, rather than recruiting a celebrity to fill an opening. We need to keep all these guys in one bucket … perhaps Chandler will hire him as a pastor at a TVC satellite.

  53. dee,

    As had been asked in multiple places, we need to see the paperwork on his hiring, and “the letter” from TVC…. offer letters are usually VERY important…. I.e. get it in “writing”

  54. I still cannot help but think that there a piece missing in this story and I am reluctant to speculate on what it is. It just seems to me that there must have been something more than basic friendship/acquaintance and a desire to ‘model grace’ that caused Thomas White to place so many and so much at risk by hiring Moore. And to ensure that the Cedarville trustees and other stakeholders played along, White covered up/sanitised Moore’s story, creating further risk and a ticking time bomb.

    In White’s telling of the story, Anthony Moore calls him out of the blue and essentially sobs down the phone. But if this is how it happened then why did Moore choose White to sob down the phone to? Was White a particularly close friend? Did Moore know that for some reason White would be particularly sympathetic to his situation? Did someone else (eg. Village Church or 9 Marks) suggest that Moore call White for help? Had someone else already primed White to help before the call?

  55. Sjon,

    I agree… or, these “leaders” are incredibly reckless….
    A further thought…. I am sure some critics of bloggers are saying this is none of our business, or we are just whinny, excreta..
    That would be true, if these “types” minded their own business, and were separatist living isolated lives, sort of like the Amish… However, they seem to think they have the “true Christianity, or recovered the true Christianity”, and I have heard pope Mohler interviewed on NPR as a leading evangelical… So, in my book they are publicly telling me they need to live what they preach…. clearly they are NOT here..

  56. Jeffrey Chalmers,

    Yes, those ‘leaders’ linked to this story have set themselves up as influencers not simply in their own locales, not even simply in the US, but across the world, leveraging networks such as TGC, 9 Marks, T4G etc. to collect followers and bolster their own power/authority. They need to be held to account.

  57. Well, if Moore does have a wrongful termination case (and I’ve been told by HR people that he probably does) and pursues it, all those documents (Letter from TVC they are refusing to release and the offer letter from CU HR and others) will come under public scrutiny in the court case.

    Perhaps Moore received a severance package only if he does not pursue litigation.

  58. Jeffrey Chalmers: avoid strange women

    Look at all the ingredients in the Jared Longshore Word Salad! He goes quite far beyond urging marital fidelity:

    This is a very important truth for us in our present moment. There is great pressure upon the church today to adopt a minimalistic approach to God’s law. Here’s what happening. Imagine the son replying to his father’s instruction in verse 8 with, “But dad, aren’t I simply not to engage in intercourse with this adulteress? It seems a bit legalistic of you to tell me to stay away from her house. What’s with all this adding to God’s commandments?” Many Christians are being tempted to respond to that inquiry with, “Well, son, you’re right, technically only the adulterous act is wrong, so forgive me for my pharisaical ways, and go along wherever you want I suppose.”

    Yeah, Jared: What’s with all this adding to God’s commandments?

  59. Ken F (aka Tweed): But all of the recent scandals were/are because of strange men.

    I’m still waiting for them to pluck their eyes out. Guess they don’t really believe in the Bible…

  60. Ken F (aka Tweed): Founders advice for today is to avoid strange women:
    https://founders.org/2018/08/03/sexual-sin-kills-avoid-the-strange-woman/
    But all of the recent scandals were/are because of strange men.

    The Founders Ministry, T4G, TGC, Acts 29 and their New Calvinist brethren scattered across America would fade into obscurity if church folks would simply avoid these strange men. I was young and now am old and I rate the cast of characters in the new reformation as some of the strangest I’ve ever seen hit church.

  61. Nuttshell: Perhaps Moore received a severance package only if he does not pursue litigation.

    Isn’t this commonly called “Hush Money” and “Gag Order”?
    Two terms used to describe Shady Dealing?

  62. Jeffrey Chalmers: they seem to think they have the “true Christianity, or recovered the true Christianity”

    The New Calvinists are certainly passionate about that, but it is a misplaced passion. The blogosphere continues to expose the error in their version of truth. The watchblogs are “aversion technology” in action to inform and warn the Body of Christ about wayward ministers and ministries within New Calvinism.

  63. Headless Unicorn Guy: Isn’t this commonly called “Hush Money” and “Gag Order”?

    That might be the least excruciating option. This allegedly improperly vetted man appears to have been a diversity hire, and he was put in charge of Kingdom Diversity. (Cue murmurings of “Look what happened the last time we gave one of them a chance.”) The litigation would go on until the year 30000000000, with everyone cringing and wincing the whole time, and the truth retreating into the great beyond.

  64. Max: The blogosphere continues to expose the error in their version of truth.

    “Truth is singular, its versions are mis-truths…”
    — Sonmi-451, from the film adaptation of Cloud Atlas

  65. ishy: I’m still waiting for them to pluck their eyes out. Guess they don’t really believe in the Bible…

    It’s not just the neo-cal wing of fundagelicalism, other sects (non-calvinist) seem obsessed with ‘sexual sin’ too.

  66. Just now arrived in my email:

    CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
    STATEMENT REGARDING TERMINATION OF ANTHONY MOORE
    May 1, 2020
    The Board of Trustees at Cedarville University was recently made aware of additional information related to Dr. Anthony Moore’s past that led to the termination of his employment by our president, Dr. Thomas White, on Thursday, April 23, 2020. The board is incredibly grieved over this new information and the questions it raises. This matter was our priority at our spring Trustee meeting. We understand the gravity of this situation, and we covet your continued prayers.
    The trustees have endorsed and ordered the following three courses of action:
    We are hiring an independent firm to conduct an internal investigation to ensure nothing inappropriate involving Dr. Moore took place on our campus or with any of our students elsewhere. This firm will report to the board, and the board will then report the findings to the Cedarville University community at-large.
    We are retaining an independent firm to conduct an audit of the entire process surrounding the hiring of Dr. Moore. This will include a thorough review of all relevant communication involving Dr. White and Dr. Moore, the trustees, The Village Church, employment references, etc. The firm will report its findings to the board.
    We have placed Dr. White on administrative leave during these investigations and have appointed Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Loren Reno as acting president of Cedarville University. Gen. Reno currently serves as senior advisor, office of the president, and was formerly vice president for academics at Cedarville. Dr. White has pledged his full support of both internal reviews being conducted and will make himself available to respond to either inquiry as requested. Dr. White will also fulfill his commitment to participate in the Senior Celebration online event on Saturday to honor the class of 2020.
    As our Cedarville University community processes this situation, we pray we would do so with humility, grace, mercy, integrity, civility, and respect. Above all, we pray God would be honored by our deliberations and actions.

    Cedarville University | 251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH 45314 | cedarville.edu | 800-233-2784

  67. jojo,

    Interesting that the Cedarville trustees are sticking to White’s story of ‘additional information’ leading to Moore’s firing, whereas Village Church are maintaining that they disclosed full information to White back in 2017.

  68. Sjon,

    The additional info is what the Board learned recently; they don’t seem to be saying one way or another when White learned of it.

    The independent investigation should probably look at the hiring process in general as well as this particular hire.

  69. Sjon: Interesting that the Cedarville trustees are sticking to White’s story of ‘additional information’ leading to Moore’s firing, whereas Village Church are maintaining that they disclosed full information to White back in 2017.

    Sounds very similar to letters issued by elder boards of other leaders before they were severed: Bill Hybels, Mark Driscoll, James MacDonald, Paige Patterson (the list could go on). The trustees/elders all stuck by their man until the potato became too hot to handle. Seldom do these boards do the right thing promptly. None of the folks mentioned earned the benefit of the doubt – their actions were known. How many perverted videos by a bad-boy preacher were enough to justify not hiring Moore? How many scary chapel services by White were enough? How many CU staff members were intimidated by White for years? How much is enough before you do the right thing? In the aftermath of these poor testimonies at Christian institutions, many “elders” were forced to exit, too … for failing to hold leaders accountable.

  70. Sjon: 9 Marks pastors seem to be struggling with the extra workload of sitting on their backsides

    Sitting on their backsides?! Heck, that’s all the YRR “pastors” do in my area. Before the pandemic, you could always find them sitting in area coffee shops, tweeting their lives away. They are too important and crazy busy in cyberspace to visit the sick in hospitals, pray with folks in nursing homes, call church members, preach funerals, and other pastoral responsibilities. Burnout? Nah!

  71. Sjon: ‘During this pandemic, church leaders & church members need help. That’s why we’re starting Pastoring in a Pandemic, a three-times-a-week livestream conversation with @JonathanLeeman.’

    https://twitter.com/9marks/status/1256022671445364737?s=12

    Oh brother! These guys are a case! The YRR camp in my area didn’t “pastor” before the pandemic! If you are genuinely a God-called pastor, you don’t need livestream instruction to suddenly become one! The Holy Spirit will lead you.

  72. Max: They are too important and crazy busy in cyberspace to visit the sick in hospitals, pray with folks in nursing homes, call church members, preach funerals, and other pastoral responsibilities.

    Building their Brand 24/7/365.

    “The sleepless, unsmiling concentration upon Self that is the true Mark of Hell.”
    — C.S.Lewis, preface to Screwtape Letters (from memory)

  73. Sjon:
    jojo,

    Interesting that the Cedarville trustees are sticking to White’s story of ‘additional information’ leading to Moore’s firing, whereas Village Church are maintaining that they disclosed full information to White back in 2017.

    Because that was 217 and This is Now (and has always been) The Party Line.

  74. Sjon: extra workload

    A quote: “I realized that not leaving the house made me always ‘on’ in a way I wasn’t used to before. My rhythms were erased and all of a sudden, I was husbanding, parenting, and pastoring all at the same time—in the same place.”

    Well duh. He’s just like every other teleworking person in America. However, he dresses up his experience with special Christian(TM) lingo about slothfulness, omniscience, and this: “Discipline your eating for the purpose of godliness.”

  75. Friend: The litigation would go on until the year 30000000000, with everyone cringing and wincing the whole time, and the truth retreating into the great beyond.

    With the lawyers’ money coming in in buckets the entire time.

  76. Friend,

    They always claim to be working harder than everyone else, but I’ve never seen evidence of that from those I’ve known. Most of the New Cals I knew in seminary had never had a job outside of pastor or church worker and had no idea what a physical job was like.

  77. ishy: Accuser in Cedarville University employee firing came forward ‘in case there were other victims’

    I can’t help but wonder if his “misunderstanding” of the criminal law system came after coaching from TVC…

  78. ishy: I can’t help but wonder if his “misunderstanding” of the criminal law system came after coaching from TVC…

    Paige Patterson’s style of coaching was “break ’em down” …keep your mouth shut.

  79. ishy: They always claim to be working harder than everyone else

    That’s because they read DeYoung’s “Crazy Busy” … tired them out just thinking about DeYoung working so hard. At least they have the “crazy” part right based on the steady stream of reports about the new reformers in the blogosphere.

  80. dee: I have a question for you. Assuming that White agreed to take Moore, knowing what he did (or at least some of it), does Moore have an HR case for wrongful termination?

    I would be asking if Cedarville has a morals clause in whatever paperwork it has new hires sign, and I would be asking if the “restoration plan” Moore was under has any legal force. It’s a private religious college, I can’t imagine that Moore generally has much in the way of an HR case, but hey, it really does depend on the paperwork.

  81. Max: They are too important and crazy busy in cyberspace to visit the sick in hospitals, pray with folks in nursing homes, call church members, preach funerals, and other pastoral responsibilities. Burnout? Nah!

    Foppish dandies and nothing more.

  82. Muff Potter: Max: They are too important and crazy busy in cyberspace to visit the sick in hospitals, pray with folks in nursing homes, call church members, preach funerals, and other pastoral responsibilities. Burnout? Nah!

    Foppish dandies and nothing more.

    “Macaronis” in 18th Century American English.

  83. Max: That’s because they read DeYoung’s “Crazy Busy” …

    And are trying to show everyone they’re Crazy Busier Than Thou.

  84. Max: They will probably put White on a 5-year restoration plan.

    i.e. Drop out of sight until the heat blows over, then Hit the Comeback Trail.

  85. ishy: I’m pretty sure padding resumes is exactly why.

    Like Ergun Cander and DR Ravi Zachariah.

    But they’re low-grade amateurs.
    The the all-time world record holder for padding his resume was “Psalmanzar the Formosan Cannibal”, circa 1700:

    https://allthatsinteresting.com/george-psalmanazar

    (Note his reaction when he was finally exposed (Page 3). Where have we seen that shtick before?)