Seminary Dean Steps Down at Andrews University, Speculation Results
by AT News Team
Dr. Denis Fortin has announced that he will return to full time teaching at the end of the current academic year. He has served as dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University for the last six years and associate dean prior to that.
In a statement released this week by the university, Dr. Fortin said, “For personal and professional reasons, I have come to the conclusion that after serving in academic administration for the better part of the last 14 years … it is time for me to take a break. I have therefore asked … to return to full-time teaching in the Department of Theology and Christian Philosophy.”
The seminary “has been very well served by Dr. Denis Fortin, both as a professor … and dean,” the release quoted Dr. Niels-Erik Andreasen, university president. “I am happy to note that he will return to his first love: teaching Seminary students. We are delighted to welcome him back full-time to the faculty.”
The seminary has grown to become one of the largest of any faith in the United States, despite the fact that both Southern Adventist University and La Sierra University also operate competing graduate school programs for clergy. The Andrews seminary not only prepares pastors for the Adventist Church in North America, but also educates faculty for college and university religion programs and trains church administrators for the global Adventist movement.
Adventist Today has been told that there is speculation among the faculty and denominational leaders about Dr. Fortin’s announcement. “What are the real reasons for his decision?” one person who refused to be identified in any way, even anonymously, told Adventist Today. He has published articles documenting the support that Ellen White and other denominational founders expressed for women serving as pastors and with the current controversy about ordination, some speculate that General Conference (GC) leaders may feel more comfortable with a different person in this crucial role.
“A search committee will be established, overseen by President Andreasen, to identify Dean Fortin’s successor,” the university’s news release states. “The search committee will include representation from the Seminary faculty, Andrews University administration and Seventh-day Adventist Church leadership.” It is unclear if the denominational leaders will be from the North American Division or only the GC.
Dr. Fortin joined the seminary faculty in 1994 after serving as a pastor in Quebec, Canada. He is the author of a book about the early history of the Adventist movement in Quebec, an area where the vast majority of the church membership is among immigrants from the Caribbean and French-speaking nations in Africa. The Adventist Church has been slow to win significant numbers of native-born Quebecois.
As a faculty member at the Seminary (and a friend of the Dean), I would like to assure your readers that Denis has for over a year contemplated how long he should stay in administration. Since the opening came in his field, it was a perfect opportunity to return to the classroom. We have to remember that adminsitrators who come from the classroom and faculty make excellent Seminary/Academic leaders but they often feel seperated from their "first love." The return to the classroom by deans is a seminary phenomena around seminary circles, If I wasn't so near retirement I would beg to go back to a full faculty position too!
Dr. Fortin is a great person and a scholar he has served the church a great deal as dean of the seminary , he will be missed as dean but I am sure that many students will be blessed taking classes with him . praying that God will lead the search comittee to chose the next dean .
Galion, prefacing your call for revival with a lie (calling Fortin a non SDA) is rather ignoble. I hope your comment will be removed or edited (thus making my response also disposable.
Say you disagree with Fortin. Say you believe he is a heretic. Those statement, at least, would not be patently, incontrovertibly false. Don't tell bald-faced lies in the service of "revival."
May I offer a minor objection to removing the absurd outbursts from such as Mr. Joy. The vast majority of those posting here operate in a reasonable world of reality and rationality. We rarely come into contact with the mind set of individuals such as Mr. Joy. Regretfully, there are many out there in the world of populist Adventism who share his insecurities and world view. We need to know more about these people so we can better understand why they see the world the way they do so we can effectively combat their lies and misrepresentations.
It would appear that anyone that disagrees with a position or positions held by you (Brother Joy) automatically sets you up as their judge and jury. It is a good thing that you have not been chosen to lead the church or by your statements we know you would cut and slice until only those who conform to your brand of understanding would be left as members.
Are we correct to assume that those of us who disagree with you should resign from membership in the SDA Church so it can be revived and renewed? Let’s have some prayer time.
Gailon, you seem to have a very un-Christlike attitude. Your words are too harsh and do not seem to reflect that of Christ.
Gailon, if you read scripture you will find that Christ "Himself" chose Judas to be his apostle (Matthew 10:1-4; Luke 6:12-16), interestingly, Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray him (luke 22- passover meal), he also knew that he was stealing (John 12:4-8). Yet, Jesus appointed Judas to be an apostle, he gave him power to cast out demons, and also allowed him to be His treasurer.
Your attitude seems to be holier than that of Christ. How about taking Christ as your example and let us work towards building the church and our communities?
The article states: "The seminary has grown to become one of the largest of any faith in the United States, despite the fact that both Southern Adventist University and La Sierra University also operate competing graduate school programs for clergy."
This is not fully true. La Sierra University does have the M.Div. which puts them in a direct appearance of competition with the Seminary. Southern Adventist University's program has no M.Div., has no plans for one, and generally is designed for pastors to sharpen a speciality like homiletics, evangelism, and chuch leadership. As such we are not really competing with Andrews for general training at the graduate level for ministry. Also, we primarily serve pastors from the Southern Union (though any can come) while the purpose of the Seminary is clearly Division wide in scope. Additionally we urge our undergraduates to go to the seminary for the M.Div. to broaden their perspective with new teachers, etc., instead of taking our limited specialties. So we are not really in competing for students with the Seminary except, perhaps for a few specialty students. Rather, we are highly supportive of the Seminary.
Minor point: Andrews University I believe is not a Division School but like Loma Linda a General Conference school.
I guess my question would be: Is it good journalism for AToday to speculate on Fortin's reason for departure based solely, apparently, on the conjecture of one person?
Great to hear positive testimonies from collegues and friends of Dr. Fortin. I was wondering when we, the membership, would hear of someone "stepping aside from administrative duties to return to his love of teaching". This has been the way leadership has given the person choices: step down and remain with the organization or stay in the administrative position with the potential threat of dismissal. Also leadership has been known to do what Gailon Arthur Joy did on this blog yesterday – Spread Untruths. Example: The treatment shown to David Dennis (GC auditor) from the administration of the GC – even to stoop so low as to accuse him of adultry!!
People make choices for various reasons depending on their age, how their family would be affected, etc. Sad – and should not be allowed to happen – feeling of helplessness except to protest with a vengeance in venues like AT.
It is pretty easy to cut and slash at others. No good comes from it.
“Jesus does not receive glory from any one who is an accuser of the brethren. Let not a day pass that we are not healing and restoring old wounds. Cultivate love, and let no words of evil surmising escape our lips. Close this door quickly, and keep it closed; open the door where Christ presides, and keep it open, because we know the value of Christ’s sacrifice and His unchangeable love.” Lift Him Up page 321.
It is so easy to lash out and hurt. It takes maturity to build one another up. It is so easy to kick someone when they are down and forget how hurtful it can be. Jesus died for each one of us.
Blessings to the dean for choosing a path that is fulfilling for him and uses his spiritual gifts.
Allen would you clarify what you said, "Jesus does not receive glory from any one who is an accuser of the brethren"? My immediate feeling was of being put on my chair in the 'discipline corner'. The intro stated speculation regarding Dr. Fortin's stepping down especially since he had written papers showing his support for WO. I agree it is not helpful to "trash for trash sake". However, I do know that Jesus admonished his elders and would not smile and agree when an injustice has been done. Looks like the seminary student gave us some insight. Pres. Wilson is keeping his flock cordoned off by "preaching about not inviting people from other churches to speak in our pulpits". Looks like a major coup for the GC to have Dr. Fortin meekly step down. I do not criticize Dr. Fortin for being cooperative (we do what we have to do and what is best for the family).
well , conservatives were not happy with Fortin . Some of the problems were that sometimes the Seminary invites scholars from other denominations and after Pastor Wilson preached the sermon about not inviting people from other churches to speak in our pulpits , there was a lot of tension besides the Seminary being in Michigan conference territory it is very stressful , michigan conference sends spies to events with hidden cameras to film whatever they can pick to make the seminary look bad .
Thanks Bea for calling my post to my attention. I was not clear in identifying where my post was directed. I was still thinking of the attack on the Dean stating he was not an SDA and then passing judgment on PUC, PU and the conferences in it/them as if there was nothing good there, so just call fire down from heaven…
Those statements, to me, were accusing of the brethren and mean spirited. I do not wish for brother Joy to be drop kicked from the church either. I do want us to talk about issue and not blindly follow a spirit of evil surmising.
To the Seminar Student I must ask if he/she is sure the Michigan Conference sends spies to events with hidden cameras? Do you know the conference sent someone? Or is it possible that someone was at an event and shot some video? With technology as it is today it doesn’t take much to be able to shoot a scene on the spur of the moment. I have no doubt pictures were taken. Was there evil intent?
The following is taken from a message shared by James White when speaking to the General Conference in session in 1873:
“We want a school in which the languages, especially the spoken and written languages of the present day, can be taught, and learned by young men and women to prepare them to become printers, editors, and teachers; and if we can do no more, where our young men that are about entering the ministry, and women, too, who are to be laborers in this great work, can be instructed thoroughly in the common branches, where their minds can be disciplined to study, where, if it is not for more than three months, our young men may have the best instruction, and may, during that time, at least, learn how to study.”—Ibid. {2BIO 375.2} The Progressive Years
The generic use of the word men causes James White to remove doubt about the potential for women to enter the ministry as he adds "and women" when speaking of preparing for the ministry.
Gender is not the issue. Being called by the Holy Spirit and being gifted by the Holy Spirit is the issue. Isn't it?
I had the pleasure of having class with Dr. Fortin in 2006. In my estimation he is a first rate scholar, teacher, leader, and Christian. Those who view him as apostate or unChristian simply don't know him. Thank you for your leadership, Dr. Fortin. At least the loss to the dean's office is balance by the gain to your future students in the classroom!