Contrary to what appears on the web piece, Wheaton College remains fully committed to Christian service—which we embrace as “service” in our very mission statement—to biblical orthodoxy and Christ-centered education, including in matters of human sexuality, gender identity, and race relations. For accurate information about our convictions, please visit our webpage on Institutional Commitments.

Dear Students, Staff, and Faculty,

This morning, an opinion piece by a freelance writer appeared on the FOX News website, making various claims about the College that are either false or misleading. The mischaracterizing post seems to be cobbled from out-of-context items found on the Internet. The author does not name any sources or give any citations for his many contentions.

The writer attempted to reach out to our marketing department approximately a month ago, when he wrote a phone text that began, “I am writing for the Wall Street Journal” and ended with “My deadline is tomorrow at noon.” Our spokesperson questioned Mr. Scheiderer’s credentials, and Mr. Scheiderer admitted that he was actually a freelance writer attempting to “pitch” an idea to the WSJ Opinion Section. A representative from the WSJ confirmed that he was not an employee. Although the WSJ did not run his piece, evidently he was able to have it appear on a FOX News page.

Contrary to what appears on the web piece, Wheaton College remains fully committed to Christian service—which we embrace as “service” in our very mission statement—to biblical orthodoxy and Christ-centered education, including in matters of human sexuality, gender identity, and race relations. For accurate information about our convictions, please visit our webpage on Institutional Commitments.

I would discourage members of our community from engaging further with an incendiary op/ed that fails to meet minimal standards for journalistic accuracy.

In Christ’s service,
Philip Ryken
President