Christian university that denied TPUSA club also accused of faith deconstruction, hypocrisy – The College Fix

Point Loma Nazarene University; ABC news San Diego screenshot
Point Loma Nazarene University; ABC news San Diego screenshot
Point Loma Nazarene University is facing criticism for refusing to recognize a Turning Point USA chapter, one example of what several students and alumni say represents the institution’s ongoing divergence from its evangelical roots.
The controversy has come to a head in recent months after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, when students said they sought to host a memorial on campus.
The students said they were forced to ban outside community members from attending the vigil and prohibited from advertising it. What’s more, informal memorial items such as flowers and photographs were removed, they said.
This crackdown prompted an alumnus to gather examples of other concerns about the San Diego-based school from students and alumni — and the complaints poured in — primarily centered on concerns that the private, San Diego-based school allows faith deconstruction to fester.
Some students and alumni reported they’ve been marked down for referring to God with masculine pronouns and claimed the lyrics of the famed Chris Tomlin worship song “Good, Good Father” were once changed to “Good, Good Parent.” 
One student said she was given an assignment to identify all the inconsistencies in the four Gospels, and has had theology professors who suggest there are more ways to get to heaven than just Jesus, what’s known as pluralistic theology.
The university last month hosted popular deconstructionist Liz Charlotte Grant, author of “Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis After Losing Faith in the Bible.”
Reached for comment, a university spokesperson did not address the specific allegations on social media, but pointed The College Fix to a written statement published recently that stated the claims have “often been false or misleading.”
Rather than address them one by one, according to the statement penned by President Kerry Fulcher, school leaders are reaching out to concerned alumni and donors for one-on-one conversations. 
“Our calling is not to win arguments on social media but to live out the truth of the Gospel with faithfulness and integrity,” he wrote.
But a current senior at the school told The College Fix in a telephone interview this week the social media posts offer an accurate reflection of the situation at the university. A Biblical studies minor, she said she’s been taught the Bible is largely a book of stories.
“Over time I have gotten more and more frustrated seeing my friends question their faith in an environment where they should be strengthening their faith,” she said, asking to remain unnamed for fear of backlash from peers or administrators.
The student said she has been involved in a pro-life ministry on campus and in the past has been harassed by staff while trying to spread her message. The group has also been denied approval to chalk pro-life messages on campus, she said.
Meanwhile, she added, not only was a TPUSA chapter denied — events that have taken place on campus include a “No Kings” protest, “pronoun pin making,” and “decolonizing yoga.” The school also has several pro-LGBTQ student groups.
“There is an inconsistency with the way they treat their liberal students, and the privileges those clubs get,” she said. “This whole thing is bigger than the Turning Point USA club. It’s becoming more about faith and [PLNU] being inconsistent with their values.”
The most prominent critic of the purported mission drift at PLNU is alumnus Lidiya Harvey, the creator of the series of posts on Instagram that chronicle anecdotes about the school. Her posts have gone viral, shared by prominent Christian pundits such as Allie Beth Stuckey, Britt Mayer, and Seth Gruber. 
One commenter posted a reply: “My daughter graduated from PLNU and I am so sickened by this. When I sent her a copy of what you posted, she responded ‘doesn’t surprise me, all my teachers were super liberal.’ Unreal.”
A 2014 alumnus, Harvey said she felt something was “off” at the school back then, and now it’s at a “tipping point,” infused with a progressive ideology, primarily in the theology department.
“I strive to be Christlike in all aspects of my life, and this is the flipping tables moment,” Harvey said in a telephone interview with The College Fix.
There are still good professors at the university, she said, noting the school, nestled atop a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is worth saving.
“That is my prayer every night,” said Harvey, who still lives in San Diego. “My kids are young, but one day they are going to need a Christian college, where their faith is nurtured and grown and supported.”
As for the recently rejected Turning Point USA chapter, it’s the third time in five years the school’s student government has refused to allow it to be officially recognized on campus.
Ginger Friess, a freshman at Point Loma studying biochemistry, led the latest effort to launch the TPUSA club. She said she was inspired not only by Kirk’s passionate defense of free speech, but also after she “watched students and faculty who identified as Christian celebrate human death.”
“TPUSA at Point Loma Nazarene University sought to create a space where students could boldly and humbly share God’s truth, equipping them to engage the world with clarity and grace,” she said in a written statement shared with The College Fix. 
She said the club was denied in a divided student government vote because of a campus policy that does not allow an outside ministry from using campus resources if it duplicates what the university’s own campus ministry team already does. 
“But where are conservative Christian voices actually heard on this campus? Definitely not through invited speakers or chapel,” Friess said. “Just last week, chapel speakers, one who is on the Board of Trustees, showed a slide reading: ‘I am no better than my ancestors’ in a message about white privilege and inherited racial guilt.”
“That’s the political agenda they welcome with open arms,” she said.
Reached for comment, Lora Fleming, Point Loma Nazarene University’s spokesperson, pointed The College Fix to two lengthy written statements on the controversies.
Regarding the TPUSA rejection, President Fulcher, wrote “I know this decision will land differently for different people.”
“For some, it may be deeply disappointing or raise concerns. For others, it may feel affirming or reassuring. However you view this outcome, I want to encourage us all to respond in a way that reflects Christ-centered community committed to mutual respect, thoughtful dialogue, and the dignity of one another,” Fulcher wrote.
He said the denial was partly due to “concerns related to TPUSA’s Professor Watchlist.”
“…I also want to be clear that students who hold conservative views are valued members of this community,” he added. “There are conservative chartered clubs that are able to participate fully in the shared life of our campus. I’m committed to supporting these students with the same spirit of respect, consistency, and hospitality that guides how we care for all student organizations at PLNU.”
Fleming did not respond to a question from The Fix asking about what clubs on campus would duplicate a TPUSA club’s programming. 
In response to a question about the accusations flying across social media regarding the university, Fleming sent a second written statement from Fulcher dated Oct. 17 and headlined: “Choosing dialogue in the social media space.”
“PLNU is, and will continue to be, a Christian university rooted in the authority of Scripture and the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Those convictions have not, and will not change,” he wrote.
MORE: Christian university student leaders refuse to approve conservative club
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