The term failing upward has often been used to describe Hollywood types like JJ Abrams who has never directed a good movie yet has been allowed to touch Star Trek, Star Wars, and even Amazon’s Rings of Power. But this phenomenon exists in Big Eva as well and it is embodied by Ed Stetzer.
Ed Stetzer was until this hire working for Wheaton College at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism. He is also the man behind Church Leaders, a Big Eva news publication that is rather liberal. Last week, Biola University Announced that Ed Stetzer accepted the position of Dean of the Talbot School of Theology.
According to Biola’s announcement:
Stetzer combines vast leadership experience, theological discernment, a commitment to the church, and a track record of helping organizations grow in their impact. He will join the Talbot School of Theology at a time when the Gospel is not necessarily popular but desperately needed. He will continue to maintain Talbot’s commitment to Biola’s theological convictions and advocate for them in effective ways including finding new ways to engage the global church and advance God’s mission in the world.
Ed Stetzer is not known for any of these things. Ed Stetzer promoted Branch Covidianism as well as lauded Francis Collins, the man who funded the gain of function research.
Ed Stetzer is also vigorously Side B in his sexual theology. Side B theology posits that sinful desires are not sin, when it comes to homosexuality. Church Leaders has a long track record of promoting Side B theology, producing podcasts like How God Has Used Same-Sex Attraction to Equip Me As a Pastor and promoting Revoice figures like Peston Sprinkle and Gregory Coles.
Ed Stetzer has been a stain of the church for years and now he’s failed upwards to Biola, a college with compromise of its own as it is. But their lack of discernment in hiring Ed Stetzer to lead their school of theology when the faith statement he promotes is the Lausanne Covenant is exceeding obvious.
