Sattler College Turmoil

[Ernie]

Further, they are named after Michael Sattler after all, and the specific college room names are Grebel, Manz, and Blaurock etc.

As well as a Carmichael room, a Judson room, etc.

[Ernie]

However a "bait and switch" seemed to be occurring to some, where certain folks couldn't work in certain positions for the college unless they were FOTW meanwhile the college seemed to be taking a "pan Kingdom Christian" approach formally in their founding documents. Other folks thought they were assured that "their perspective on Christianity" was accepted (if not agreed with), later to find out it wasn't ok, but the belief was that FOTW was so compelling in their positions that they would "convert" them. When that didn't happen, things went "south."

A FOTW member wrote this to me the other day...

I actually think that Neo-Anabaptist orders like FOTW are less open minded than Anabaptists like the Faith Builders crowd. There tends to be bait and switch that takes place and could easily lead to spiritual abuse. I'm much more comfortable with groups that just write out their standards and admit that they have them.

The last sentence is something I have been saying since the formation of FOTW.

[RZehr]

Is FOTW so unsure of their expressions that they worry they will be subsumed? I'd love to see an FOTW church in Ephrata PA =).

Not all, but some. The other founder of FOTW welcomed the Anabaptists to plant a church in Boston by saying, "Come on up. We need some good competition."

Lol. If that other founder is who I think it is, tell him that I said that he deserves a rematch after the drubbing his team took in Oregon the late 2000’s.

[joshuabgood]

The sad thing is the irony of this blog/video post a couple of days ago on their website by students. I wonder how this Sattler conflict will impact them and what they write/speak about the love of Jesus being able to resolve any personal conflict.

https://www.sattlercollege.org/blogs/sa ... eacemaking

[Sliceitup]

For those of us who aren’t as familiar with Sattler, what is Eventide? And how is it connected with Sattler?

[Ken]

For those of us who aren’t as familiar with Sattler, what is Eventide? And how is it connected with Sattler?

It is Finny Kuruvilla's financial management firm: https://www.eventideinvestments.com/individuals/

And the source of much of the seed money that started Sattler and keeps it operational.

[joshuabgood]

For those of us who aren’t as familiar with Sattler, what is Eventide? And how is it connected with Sattler?

It is Finny Kuruvilla's financial management firm: https://www.eventideinvestments.com/individuals/

And the source of much of the seed money that started Sattler and keeps it operational.

The real cost per student at Sattler is right at 60K per year. Through Eventide contributions, that cost is dropped to somewhere between 10-25K per student. Multiply that 35-50K by 100 and it gives a picture of what outside funds are pouring into this model.

It goes without saying, that with a down year in the stocks, which has also happened with Eventide, the budget becomes quite a bit more painful. In recent times Sattler has driven a much harder bargain regarding what they want students to pay (which is understandable considering the cost). They also have radically switched gears from saying that Sattler students don't borrow for school and won't be in debt to now encouraging them taking on subsidized loans.

[RZehr]

Finny was never keen on the idea, but allowed Taylor to pursue this 6 months ago. It seems like Finny has become more uncomfortable with the idea since then. He has not been comfortable with the "progressive" Anabaptist influence that has come to Boston. (many moderate-conservative and intermediate-conservative Anbaptists are not blessing their young people to study at Sattler.)
(As I understand it.)

I can see how this might be problematic to FOTW. They don't really see eye to eye with more conservative Mennonites, but I could see them being more comfortable with them, than they might be with the more progressive Mennonites. Unfortunately, they seem to have, and probably increasingly so over time, attract the more progressive Mennonites and less of the more conservative Mennonites. So I could see them viewing their progressive Mennonite customers as a bit of a threat to their own church group in terms of bringing in undesirable influences. I don't really know what they can do about that.
I could be way off here. But this theory is what sort of makes sense to me.

[nett]

However a "bait and switch" seemed to be occurring to some, where certain folks couldn't work in certain positions for the college unless they were FOTW meanwhile the college seemed to be taking a "pan Kingdom Christian" approach formally in their founding documents. Other folks thought they were assured that "their perspective on Christianity" was accepted (if not agreed with), later to find out it wasn't ok, but the belief was that FOTW was so compelling in their positions that they would "convert" them. When that didn't happen, things went "south."

A FOTW member wrote this to me the other day...

I actually think that Neo-Anabaptist orders like FOTW are less open minded than Anabaptists like the Faith Builders crowd. There tends to be bait and switch that takes place and could easily lead to spiritual abuse. I'm much more comfortable with groups that just write out their standards and admit that they have them.

The last sentence is something I have been saying since the formation of FOTW.

What does this mean? Are there unwritten lifestyle or outward appearance standards?

[joshuabgood]

Finny was never keen on the idea, but allowed Taylor to pursue this 6 months ago. It seems like Finny has become more uncomfortable with the idea since then. He has not been comfortable with the "progressive" Anabaptist influence that has come to Boston. (many moderate-conservative and intermediate-conservative Anbaptists are not blessing their young people to study at Sattler.)
(As I understand it.)

I can see how this might be problematic to FOTW. They don't really see eye to eye with more conservative Mennonites, but I could see them being more comfortable with them, then the more progressive Mennonites. Unfortunately, they seem to have, and probably increasingly so over time, attract the more progressive Mennonites and less of the more conservative Mennonites. So I could see them viewing their progressive Mennonite customers as a bit of a threat to their own church group in terms of bringing in undesirable influences. I don't really know what they can do about that.
I could be way off here. But this theory is what sort of makes sense to me.

Frankly, I don't think it is fair to say they have attracted more progressive Mennonites. They have systematically and strategically recruited them. They have visited their schools and churches. And targeted FB ads their direction. And provided buses from here to there for visits...etc.

Which I supported btw...