Another Student Expelled

I just read the story about a student at a small Baptist college in Kentucky who was expelled for posting on his internet blog on myspace.com that he is gay. I am sure the kid feels miserable and that his parents are embarrassed. While the school remains "unapologetic about its Christian beliefs", one wonders how such beliefs can be so callous to the havoc wrecked upon a 20 year old.

This story brought to mind my own experiences at a Southern Baptist seminary in which the school officials reminded me that their actions were meant to be redemptive, and not callous. And yet, I wondered how redemptive such an action could be for me if they were trying to expel me. I left feeling that the only redemption that occured was for the school itself by helping keep their reputation in tact.

A friend of mine was once the secretary for the Office of Student Affairs at my former seminary and he told me that the school routinely expels about 100 students a year for being discovered as gay or lesbian.

Still, leaving the Baptist seminary was the best thing that ever happened to me. For leaving it, I transfered to Union Theological Seminary in New York. I got a great education there. Being *out* and in a safe environment enabled me to make better grades and live an honest life. Now I am serving a parish as an out gay pastor in a small town in Northern New Jersey. For me, it is the fulfillment of such a life lived in honesty.

The kid who was expelled in Kentucky may find such an action to be better for him than he can presently imagine. He is probably feeling all sorts of guilt and anxiety. But going through such travails, as the old addage goes, may serve to make him stronger (albeit a little bit bitter too). And, it may also empower him to accomplish great things and enable him to have greater opportunities.

So maybe the actions of both my former seminary and this Kentucky Baptist school are redemptive after all. And redemptive for us the students rather than the institutions concerned about their reputations.

My prayers are with you Jason Johnson as you struggle and deal with this ordeal. May you find redemption and a life well lived with honesty, integrity, and hope.