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Now he has become a spokesperson of sorts for alumni seeking answers. "If this is all just one huge misunderstanding based on flawed humans who can't discern truth, then explain that," said Jenkins. "But let's take a stand as Northwestern College and decide exactly who we are instead of letting this unease continue."

Brook Berry, vice president for marketing and enrollment management, acknowledged that concern over the college's theological direction was too widespread to be dismissed, but said the heart of the controversy was related to personnel, not theology.

"Much of the campus unrest can be traced back to a few high-profile personnel decisions," he said. "[Grievance] procedures were not utilized, which has resulted in these personnel issues spilling over into the public arena."

Supporters of the trustees argue the personnel issues arose when professors who voiced theological objections to the school's atmosphere came into conflict with the administration's vision for the college.

Dissent from trustees and faculty began to culminate after a June 2007 board meeting reportedly failed to achieve unity on the college's doctrine and its modern application. In August 2007, the board invited Huffman and two other faculty members to present their concerns on the college's direction without repercussion, first before the board and later before faculty.

The presenters said the administration was exhibiting postmodern views of truth, as evidenced by doctrinal agnosticism—an ethos where the "best ideas win" but biblical ideas aren't assumed to be best—and the advancement of gender and diversity agendas without biblical justification. "Our 'key' concerns … are simply not complementarianism and premillennialism, but the centrality of biblical truth and doctrinal integrity," said Paul Helseth, associate professor of Christian thought, during his remarks.

They also reported that a management style of "heavy-handed authoritarianism" had produced low morale and a loss of talent. Huffman was later demoted in the spring of 2008.

A board-commissioned faculty survey in April revealed 44 of 57 respondents felt "an atmosphere of fear and distrust exists at Northwestern College" and that dissenters feared repercussions. In May, the student newspaper reported that 52 percent of faculty respondents said relations between faculty and the administration were mediocre or poor, and 49 percent said they could not openly voice concerns to administrators.

On June 9, Call and three fellow and former trustees, citing a crisis of disunity between faculty and administrators, appealed to Cureton to resign so that NWC might "avert serious decline and recover its spiritual distinctiveness." On June 16, the board dismissed the dissenting trustees for having "drafted an ultimatum that directly opposed the majority action of the board."

"The divisions between the faculty and some members of the administration are real and need to be addressed," said Berry. He cited steps to bridge the gap with the formation this summer of the Jethro Commission, a panel of six faculty members. The body has recommended the creation of ex-officio positions on the college board and cabinet to represent faculty, among other proposals.

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November (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 52