Why The Firing Of Paige Patterson Was Right

Norman Geisler recently wrote about why he thinks the firing of Paige Patterson was a mistake. From the title of this post it should be obvious I disagree. I want to address some of Geisler’s specific concerns, but first I want to lay out my biases.

I have never been a fan of Paige Patterson. I have never had any direct interactions with Patterson. But, my observations of him over the years has led me to not find much room for agreement with him. The notable exception is that we both love the Southern Baptist Convention and its mission. But, I am not writing from a standpoint of having ever been a fan of Patterson.

With that said, there is no reason for anyone to celebrate the firing of Paige Patterson. The trials of Patterson are a call for reflection and repentance, especially for him. There is no reason anyone who loves Christ and His church should celebrate the fall of such a man as Patterson. He was a force for good in the orchestration of the Conservative Resurgence. But, as Albert Mohler noted, “it sure looks like their prophecies [from former SBC moderates and liberals] had some merit after all.” Those prophecies were that many leaders within the Conservative Resurgence were after power most of all.

Timing Matters

The first object that Geisler raises is that Patterson’s firing “was done at the wrong time.” He grounds this in relation to the imminent retirement of Patterson. He asserts that the trustees “should have waited and allowed him to retire honorably and properly.” But, that would fundamentally deny that Patterson did anything wrong. That is simply not the case. His counseling of a sexual assault victim to keep the incident quiet is a great mishandling of a need for justice. That he encouraged the victim to forgive the assailant was the only thing he seemed to handle well in that circumstance.

But, that is not the only thing that led to this firing. Patterson unapologetically encouraged women to remain in dangerous relationships. Patterson established a pattern of irresponsible advice directed towards women who suffered abuse. And, that pattern spanned decades. We, as Southern Baptists, allowed him to get away with this for longer than we should have. And that is why the timing of this matters. It was absolutely right for the trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary to act so abruptly. They were, in part, righting the injustice that Patterson had perpetuated for decades. This abruptness serves as a clear censure of his behavior.

The question about timing is whether Patterson will recognize the opportunity he has been afforded. Will he repent? Will he apologize? Will he seek restoration and reconciliation with those whom he has wronged? That is the hope that we should all have. We should pray that Patterson would recognize the wrongs he’s done and clearly and specifically repent.

Sins Worthy of Censure

Geisler goes on to assert that Patterson has done nothing worthy of this kind of censure. To Geisler, counseling women to remain with abusers and to not contact police after being sexually assaulted is not sinful. I want to beg to differ. And, since Geisler complains the trustees did not cite biblical grounds, I will do so.

Psalm 11:5, Proverbs 3:31, and countless more passages demonstrate God’s displeasure with regards to violence in general. Deuteronomy 22:25 and following condemns rape and other forms of sexual assault. It also expresses the Law’s punishment: death for the rapist. But Patterson counseled a young woman to not seek justice after sexual assault, so his response was unjust and sinful. The Bible also champions the need to protect the oppressed and seek justice. Patterson failed to do this in any meaningful way through he counsel he gave. It is because of this moral failure that we can affirm that Patterson’s advice was wrong and sinful.

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17, ESV)

Specious Complaints

Geisler also complains that the firing happened too fast, by a mere majority, and in the wrong spirit. All these are grasping at straws. The firing happened quickly because the trustees likely recognized their failings from the previous week. They had attempted to do what Geisler wanted: “[allow Patterson] to retire honorably and properly.” But, as they considered the additional allegations and the call from women and men in the SBC, they reconsidered their leniency. The trustees were right to do so. The only way this could be shown to be wrong is if any of the information reported on Patterson is grossly inaccurate.

Hiring and firing of a seminary president is the responsibility of the trustees. As long as they followed their own rules for this process, complaining about the presence or absence of a majority vote is just whining. And, finally, no one knows the hearts and minds of the trustees. Maybe some were unduly influenced by outside factors. But maybe they knew the Scripture and rightly recognized the seriousness of Patterson’s errant counsel. Only God and the trustees have sufficient insights.

Signals Matter

Finally Geisler complains that the actions were not done without enough thought of the signal it would send. He complains that Patterson’s firing “will send a strong and wrong signal, namely, one of encouragement to the less-conservative movement in the country.” I’m sure some “less-conservative” individuals will read this incorrectly as an expression of openness to liberalization. But, the reason they’re wrong is because they conflate liberal politics with caring for the oppressed. They don’t understand that Christianity has this as an animating influence too. It is entirely possible to remain theologically conservative, rooted in Scripture, and care for the oppressed. I would argue it is far easier to do so since the Bible clearly addresses our natural selfishness and failings. It is with that recognition that the Bible then unites the quest for forgiveness and justice.

The trustees have sent a signal to the world. Yes, it will be misread by some. But hopefully the signal is that Southern Baptists do take the Bible seriously and that we will defend the oppressed. Hopefully, the signal that will come across is that we are realizing that we have been wrong and that, in this case, one of us was very wrong. Hopefully, this is an opportunity for reflection and repentance on all our parts. Hopefully, we will not celebrate the fall of Patterson, but will seek his restoration through the power of God’s Word and The Spirit’s work.