There has been significant concern within the church about Erskine over the years. Perceptions of a parting of the ways in the 1960s and ’70s led to the writing of the synod’s Philosophy on Christian Higher Education in 1977 and the formulation of a mission statement.

One finding of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church’s Moderator’s Commission on Erskine College and Seminary cannot be disputed – the faculty is divided over the direction in which the school should be heading.

Erskine English professor Bill Crenshaw recently said, “Members of the commission said they wanted to bring unity to Erskine. This is not unity. The campus has never been in such turmoil.”

On the same day, Bible and religion professor Bill Evans said, “There is no general agreement on what the mission should look like (in the classroom).”

Division of the faculty may be the only thing both men can agree on.

Crenshaw, one of several professors who has been accused failing to integrate faith in their classes, challenging the Bible and even “intimidating” students for professing their beliefs, has been a strident voice in opposition to the dismissal of 14 Erskine trustees by the General Synod at a special meeting March 3 in Flat Rock, N.C.

Crenshaw has called the ouster a right-wing take over.

“It looks like they’re trying to take over the college and imprint the college with their own kind of narrow Christianity,” he said. “… That does not bode well for Erskine to continue as a liberal arts center.”