My simple plea is that you don’t just cherry-pick the evidence that fits a decline narrative, but take an honest look at what Wheaton as a whole is like today. President Ryken is a conservative Presbyterian minister, a complementarian, and a founder of The Gospel Coalition. If he is woke, the word is broke.
Wheaton’s senior theologian is the conservative Presbyterian, Daniel J. Treier, whose Ph.D. is from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Read his recent book, “Lord Jesus Christ” (Zondervan), and state honestly what you think. Wheaton’s most recent hire in Bible is the complementarian John Dickson. Listen to his popular apologetics podcast, “Undeceptions,” and give your honest opinion about it. One could go on and on in this way.
I swapped comments on an online forum a year or so ago with an alum who wrote, “All evidence points to the conclusion that, yes, Wheaton College has indeed drifted off course…Seeking and saving the lost has been replaced by handing out blankets and food.”
I would be greatly encouraged to learn that Wheaton is getting blankets to those exposed to the cold and food to the hungry, but I don’t know what she could be referring to. As to seeking and saving the lost, however, that is hard for anyone to miss. Less than two years ago, Wheaton made the news when students successfully sued for the right to share the gospel in Chicago’s Millennium Park.
Wheaton’s evangelism efforts are organized and robust. I last spoke to the group a little over a year ago and, even though it was during a busy finals week, the room was packed with students, faculty, and staff who wanted to learn how to share their faith more effectively over the coming Christmas break.
This week happens to be Missions in Focus week here at Wheaton. I remember it well from when I was a student in the late 1980s. As President Litfin used to say, “Same old Wheaton, only better.”
