Lee University student body reacts to statements from administration and Church of God

On Thursday, March 11, Lee University President Dr. Mark Walker addressed the student body in chapel to discuss the subject of repentance, quoting John 3:16. He explained the conversation was to clear the air, like a family does, in a community that cares for one another and to clarify a conversation started by Dr. Preston Sprinkle in chapel on March 2.

“In his message of Jesus Christ being the embodiment of grace and truth, there seemed to be some uncertainty and confusion about what Dr. Sprinkle was saying about a certain topic concerning the grace and truth of Christ, and this topic is important enough to take the time to speak to it this morning. This topic is repentance,” Walker said, assuring students Sprinkle was aware he was following up on the original message.

“[God] doesn’t just love a certain group of people who look a certain way. He loves all humanity and all of our sin, all of our brokenness, all of our rebellion,” said Walker. “Repentance begins with understanding this kind of love that [we] didn’t deserve.”

Walker then transitioned into a discussion concerning Sprinkle’s chapel message and discussing Lee University’s stance.

“The scriptural position that I’m about to share is what Lee has always believed. It’s adopted by the Board of Directors. It’s stated in the Lee Community Covenant that all students sign, and it has been reiterated on several occasions by Dr. Conn throughout his presidency. This isn’t anything new at Lee,” said Walker.

The community covenant specifically states that “homosexual behavior” is prohibited by scripture. Additionally, it prohibits premarital sex, extramarital sex, sexual promiscuity and pornography.

“The biblical view of human sexuality teaches that the only biblically valid marriage is between one man and one woman and that God has does not approve or condone sexual activity between individuals of the same sex,” said Walker. “It requires repentance. But all sexual misconduct requires repentance.”

Walker said everyone deals with temptation and stressed the temptation itself is not sinful.

“We all have temptations. We all have feelings and desires that we struggle with. But listen to me — that isn’t sin. Temptation is not sin,” said Walker.

Sprinkle spoke on Jesus’ example to include the outcast

Sprinkle is the president of The Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender in Idaho. The Center is a biblically-based source for information and resources to address needs in the church, often focusing on sexuality and gender and how to include the LGBTQ+ community in the church. In their statement of faith, The Center states marriage is designed by God to be between a man and a woman, and all sex outside of marriage is a sin.

In chapel, Sprinkle delivered a message focused on sexuality, gender and love. He spoke of his friend Lesli who struggled with gender dysphoria, sexuality and religion. According to Sprinkle, Lesli was ostracized and removed from the church because of confusion concerning sexuality and gender.

Lesli was eventually welcomed into a church. In his subsequent message, Walker clarified Lesli now “does not believe that it’s God’s will to act on these desires and is therefore committed to a life of celibacy, out of allegiance to Jesus Christ.”

Sprinkle continuously reminded his audience Jesus was drawn to people who were not accepted by society. He cited the Bible story about Zacchaeus found in Luke 19.

“We can get the Bible right, but if we get love wrong … then we’re wrong,” he said.

Sprinkle mentioned “hate the sin, love the sinner” ideology can be harmful to members of the LGBTQ+ community. According to Sprinkle, this attitude is condescending and does not invite people to follow Jesus.

Sprinkle ended his message with a call to love those the church shuns.

Mixed feedback follows Sprinkle’s chapel service

In response to Sprinkle’s message, on March 5, General Overseer Dr. Tim Hill and the International Executive Committee of the Church of God released a statement.

“During [Sprinkle’s] presentation, he addressed sexual orientation and homosexuality in a manner that was contrary to Scripture, Church of God doctrine and teachings,” said the statement. “Issues of marriage and sexuality must be predicated upon a sound Biblical perspective and church doctrine.”

The International Executive Committee shared their concerns with Walker and the leadership of Lee University, according to the statement. To address the concerns, the Office of the President sent a response to church leadership.

“Let me first affirm that Lee’s position on sexuality is and always has been that the only biblically valid marriage is between one man and one woman; and that a biblical view of human sexuality teaches that God does not approve or condone sexual activity between individuals of the same sex,” said the statement.

Walker invited the recipients of his statement to tune in to chapel on Thursday, March 11, where he would be discussing these concerns.

“We consider chapel a sacred responsibility, so much so that on those occasions when our invited chapel speakers ‘miss the mark,’ we want to bring better clarity and understanding,” said Walker.

In response to the released statements, some Lee students expressed their feelings on the situation.

Joie St. Hubert, a junior vocal performance major, was deeply upset at the Church of God’s statements and the Office of the President.

“Jesus would not turn anybody away for being exactly as they are. We should not have to live in fear on our own campus, a place that we would love to call home. We cannot do that until changes are made,” said St. Hubert of LGBTQ+ students at Lee. “Accept us for who we are, not for who you want us to be.”

Other Lee students share this sentiment.

“If you know and love [an LGBTQ+] person, you know that the saying ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’ is so tied to identity. It doesn’t work like that. You couldn’t say ‘hate the gender love the person’ or ‘hate the profession, love the person.’ They are what they are,” said Jenna Veasman, a junior anthropology major.

Stephen Busic, a senior mathematics major with minors in philosophy and computer science, believes Sprinkle’s message was not controversial.

“I thought his sermon was thoughtful and engaging but also profoundly uncontroversial,” said Busic. “His sermon merely amounted to a message of loving the marginalized, which is one of Christ’s most obvious commandments.”

‘Family Meeting’ style chapel offered conversation on repentance

Walker invited the recipients of his statement to tune in to chapel on Thursday, March 11, where he would be discussing these concerns.

“We consider chapel a sacred responsibility, so much so that on those occasions when our invited chapel ‘miss the mark,’ we want to bring better clarity and understanding,” said Walker.

Walker emphasized that sin of any kind requires repentance. He spoke on the importance and necessity of intentionally listening to one another.

“The scriptural boundaries of the Lee community covenant are vital to the health and the safety of the Christ-centered environment we want here,” said Walker. “We will exercise the correction that needs to be exercised, we will exercise the discipline that needs to be exercised, we will seek to keep one another accountable.”

Jaclyn Taylor, freshman business administration major with a minor in Christian ministry, enjoyed watching Dr. Walker’s chapel. Taylor appreciated that Walker focused on everybody’s sin rather than singling out and focusing on one sin as more important than another.

“He addressed it, but he didn't particularly single it out,” said Taylor. “He mentioned it along with the other sexual sins, and didn't put it above other ones.”

Tyler Hubbard, senior nursing major, watched chapel virtually and enjoyed hearing Walker’s message.

“I thought it was a very loving chapel, even though it's a hard subject,” said Hubbard. “We're all sinners, and we're all called to repentance.”

Hubbard appreciated the way Walker emphasized this idea during his message in chapel.

“We all need repentance no matter what our sin is,” agrees Hubbard. “[We shouldn’t] be singling out a specific sin -- because we're all guilty of sin.”

Several Lee students attended chapel with posters. Andrew Crouch, a senior TESOL major, organized a small group of students.

“I actually met with Dr. Walker yesterday and talked with him about the need for making a very clear space at the table for people of minority,” said Crouch after chapel. “I am just here to embody the love of God for all people, exactly where they are, specifically for the students on campus who are closeted and hearing a message like that and thinking that they need to repent of something that they couldn’t change.”

Holding signs with the message ‘you are loved,’ Crouch was joined by Busic, Liam Wheeler and senior literature major Shawn Enright.

“We wanted to come out to just let everyone know that there is a community of [LGBTQ+] people at Lee and that this space is safe,” said Enright. “And that there’s no reason to feel ashamed or to hide… The phrase that keeps coming into my mind is ‘the church is marked by its embrace, rather than its exclusion.’ And so if Lee University models itself on the life of Christ, then it ought to be a place of embrace rather than exclusion.”

Walker ended his message with an invitation to talk in an open discussion with him.

“If you have any questions about anything I have said, let’s talk. I’m available,” said Walker.

To view Walker’s chapel service, click here.

News Editor Anna Shand and Senior Reporter Jada Williamson contributed to this article.