1. Preparing For the Crossfire:
Equipping Evangelical Administrators
for Service in Public Schools

2. At church on Sunday you hear…
“The Church systematically, seemingly without
guilt, turns one generation after another of
children over to a pagan, godless, secular
education system that turns them from the
faith.”
Ken Ham & Greg Hall, Already Compromised, p. 101

3. At work on Monday you hear…
"These people have serious anger-management issues. From the
speakers’ podium, one hears a constant blast of hate directed at
the enemy du jour: gays, feminists, non-religious people,
university professors, 'liberal elites,' evolution, Democrats, the
media, Muslims, Keith Olbermann, Hollywood, progressive
Christians, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, public schools, global
warming, France, etc….Yeah, I know the Religious Right claims to
love the sinner and hate the sin, but after listening to two days of
this, I usually conclude that the movement’s followers don’t love
anyone who fails to agree with them.”
Rob Boston reporting on “Values Voters Summit”
in Wall of Separation, September 17, 2010)
Americans United for Separation of Church and State

5. How well is your program
preparing Evangelical leaders to
deal with this crossfire?

6. EITHER:
IGNORANT
“…did not know what ‘evil forces’ were at work in
your school…”
OR
EVIL
“…acting as a tool of evil forces even though you
say you are a Christian.”
(Adler, 1996)

7. Program Possibilities
TEACH THE CONFLICT
MODEL THE VISION
ANALYZE EVANGELICALS
CONFRONT COMPARTMENTALIZATION
TARGET SUSTAINABILITY

8. TEACH THE CONFLICT
Long history
Facet of multiculturalism
Conflict as opportunity

9. MODEL THE VISION
Cosmopolitanism (Appiah)
Convivencia (Hicks)
Common Good
Servant Leadership
Social Justice

10. ANALYZE EVANGELICALS
Unique importance in
American culture
Practical importance as leader
Window to other faiths

11. CONFRONT COMPARTMENTALIZATION
Starts with the leader
“Secular Spirituality” (Flintham)
Mine faith traditions for resources
Check for role conflict
Practice of “faith at work”? (Miller)

12. TARGET SUSTAINABILITY
Wounded Leader (Ackerman &
Maslin-Ostrowski)
Reservoirs of Hope (Flintham)
Tempered Radicalism (Meyersen)
Adaptive Change Leadership
(Heifetz, et al)

13. PROVIDE
“Campfires” and “Caches”

14. Gary Sehorn:
gsehorn@georgefox.edu