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Reporting the Truth.
Restoring the Church.

Moody Statement Obscures Facts & Hides Wrongdoing

By Julie Roys

Moody Bible Institute (MBI) last week issued a statement claiming “there is no corruption, or any illegal and unethical activity taking place at Moody,” adding “it is false to characterize” the institute’s actions in this way.  Though MBI offered very few facts to refute the evidence of wrongdoing I presented in blogs on Jan 9 and Jan 18, it nonetheless sought to leave an impression that all is well at the institute.

However, all is not well, and Moody’s latest statement has only further muddied the waters. The $500,000 loan to former President Paul Nyquist is legally questionable, and certainly ethically wrong.  The institute has given no evidence to refute first-hand accounts that Trustee Jerry Jenkins used a Moody-owned apartment as his own.  And clearly, some MBI faculty profess postmodern views that appear to contradict the institute’s doctrine of inerrancy. 

As I wrote in a previous post, it was my desire from the beginning for MBI to deal with these and other issues internally and then to communicate openly and transparently about them with supporters, alumni, students, and employees. Instead, the MBI board decided to deny many of its problems, though it simultaneously removed the institute’s three top officers, leaving many confused.  

That confusion persists, and Moody’s latest statement obscuring the facts has not helped.  

The Loan to Nyquist

MBI claims that the $500,000 loan it gave to former President Paul Nyquist to buy a $1.08 million condo violated no IRS rules and complied with an Illinois statute, which allows “this type of principal resident loan.”  It also said, “Dr. Nyquist has been faithfully paying” the 4% loan.

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[pullquote]”The existence of an exception is not the issue.  The issue is whether Nyquist’s loan meets the criteria for the exception – and it does not.”[/pullquote]Part of this statement is true.  As I reported in my initial blog post, the IRS allows for an exception to its prohibition on loans to so-called “disqualified persons” (officers or directors of a non-profit), provided the compensation is “reasonable and necessary to carrying out the exempt purpose” of the organization. Similarly, Illinois law allows an exemption, provided the loan is for a primary residence.

The existence of an exception is not the issue.  The issue is whether Nyquist’s loan meets the criteria for the exception – and it does not.    

The reason for the exception in both the state and federal law is to help someone of meager means – a poor pastor, for example – to take a position with a church or nonprofit in an area with prohibitively high-priced housing.  It is not intended to help executives like Nyquist making more than $300,000/year to buy a condo worth twice the median value of homes in the area.

This is an abuse of the exception, and likely would not pass the “reasonable and necessary” IRS standard under the scrutiny of an audit. The loan puts MBI at risk of a hefty IRS fine, and could even jeopardize its nonprofit status.

In addition, saying that Nyquist has been faithfully paying the loan is deceptive.  Yes, he has been paying interest on the loan. But from 2009-2016 (and presumably to the present), he has paid back zero principal.  This is crucial because as an expert in non-profit law noted in my first piece, if the principal on a loan to an officer is not paid back, then it “puts it into the category of self-dealing.”

I first discovered Nyquist’s loan a couple years ago when I visited the Charity Navigator website. The group no longer rates tuition-based institutions, but at the time had a rating for MBI, which included a red “X” calling attention to Moody’s questionable practice of loaning money to an officer.  

According to the site, “Making loans to related parties such as key officers, staff, or Board members, is not standard practice in the sector as it may divert the charity’s funds away from its charitable mission and can lead to real and perceived conflict-of-interest problems. This practice is discouraged by sector trade groups which point to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act when they call for charities to refrain from making loans to directors and executives.”

So apparently, Nyquist’s loan is questionable from a legal standpoint, but it’s clearly wrong from an ethical and best practices standpoint.  Also, it should be noted that this half-a-million-dollar loan was granted at a time when MBI was experiencing an acute financial crisis and cutting jobs.

Jenkins’ Use of the “Moody-Owned Apartment”

MBI’s statement about Trustee Jerry Jenkins’ use of the luxury apartment on the top floor of Jenkins Hall was telling not just for what it said, but for what it didn’t say. In response to the myriad of details I offered about Jenkins’ alleged inappropriate used of the apartment from 2000-2008, MBI offered one line of explanation: “Contrary to what some have said, the Moody-owned apartment was used by the Institute to host visits to campus by (Jenkins) as well as other Moody staff and guests.”

[pullquote]”Supposedly, MBI conducted an investigation into Jenkins’ use of the apartment and cleared Jenkins of any wrongdoing.  However, I have repeatedly asked MBI to produce documentation of this investigation, but to date, MBI has failed to do so.”[/pullquote]No one is disputing whether the apartment was used to host guests other than Jenkins after 2008.  (That’s when a whistleblower reportedly ended Jenkins’ practice of using the apartment as his “second home.”)  The questionable use happened from 2000-2008. And it’s telling that MBI didn’t expressly refute Jenkins’ inappropriate use during that time. 

I have now offered testimony from two former managers at Moody claiming first-hand knowledge that Jenkins took liberties with the apartment and treated it as his own. I also have corroborated these allegations with other former managers, who did not want to go on the record.

Supposedly, MBI conducted an investigation into Jenkins’ use of the apartment and cleared Jenkins of any wrongdoing.  However, I have repeatedly asked MBI to produce documentation of this investigation, but to date, MBI has failed to do so.

Interestingly, it was only one business day after I sent emails to MBI executives and board members asking about Jenkins’ use of the apartment and the questionable loan to Nyquist that I was fired and MBI tried to seize my computer. If the institute had nothing to hide, it’s odd that it responded in this heavy-handed manner.

Also, firing an employee for blowing the whistle on suspected wrongdoing is illegal. According to Guidestar, “The (Sarbanes-Oxley) Act protects whistle blowers who risk their careers by reporting suspected illegal activities in the organization. It is illegal for a corporate entity—for-profit and nonprofit alike—to punish the whistle blower in any manner.”  So if Moody wants to claim no wrongdoing, it not only must account for its financial dealings, but also for firing me for threatening to expose them.

Failing to Address Issues About Inerrancy & Theological Drift

In response to allegations that some Moody professors reject biblical inerrancy, Moody stated that “it grieves us that some of our faculty have been falsely accused of being in direct opposition to Moody’s stated beliefs and mission.”  In addition Moody stated, “When an employee’s actions or beliefs regarding this doctrine are questioned, they are thoroughly examined and addressed in a timely and correct manner.”

This statement is false and MBI leaders know it.

As I wrote in an post published last week, two MBI professors hold a postmodern view of truth that rejects the common-sense claim that truth corresponds to reality.  In other words, they do not believe that what the Bible says happened, necessarily happened. 

These professors also reject the Chicago Statement on Inerrancy, a consensus document created by conservative scholars to defend inerrancy and signed by nearly 300 noted evangelical scholars.  This statement also is the official definition of inerrancy held by the Evangelical Theological Society.

Moody administration is well aware of these professors’ views, and has been for more than a year.  Yet rather than addressing the issue in a “timely and correct manner,” two Moody vice presidents refused a request by Theology Professor Rich Weber to clarify whether Moody’s definition of inerrancy is compatible with these professors’ views.  Similarly, former President Paul Nyquist failed to clarify the issue when Weber appealed to him.

The professors with this postmodern view of truth and Scripture continue to teach at MBI and one has written theology curriculum for Moody Distance Learning.  Weber, on the other hand, has been stripped of all his classroom responsibilities and is slated to be let go at the end of the semester.

Unfortunately, this failure of MBI leadership to address serious theological concerns, and seemingly censure those who raise them, is not isolated.

[pullquote]“Maybe Moody does want to be that open and have people who have those kinds of positions . . . But I don’t think it’s something that the administration wants to be publicly known.”[/pullquote]Moody Theology Professor Kevin Zuber told me that he and two other professors once sent a letter to a Moody dean after hearing audio of a sermon that a colleague had given promoting a social gospel.  “The thrust of (the sermon) was, ‘We’re missing the point in seeking to convert people,’” Zuber said. The professor instead advocated “trying to change systems, not trying to change people.”

Zuber also said that he and two colleagues sent a letter to a Moody dean about another professor who “didn’t hold to some of the historical aspects of Genesis” and asserted that Peter didn’t write 2 Peter.

Both times, Zuber said the administration didn’t seem to take the complaints seriously.  The dean responded with a letter saying he had talked to the professors in question and was satisfied with their answers, but didn’t offer any specifics.  According to Zuber, the professors in question didn’t appear to have changed their positions.

“Maybe Moody does want to be that open and have people who have those kinds of positions,” Zuber said.  “But I don’t think it’s something that the administration wants to be publicly known. And the more difficult part is the way that they handled it.  It’s basically like . . . ‘We’ll handle it from here. Okay, we’re done.’ But was it done with a sanctified skepticism or, ‘Let’s see if we can brush this under the rug as quickly as possible’? I think the latter was how we felt it was done. . . . And subtly, it felt like having brought the concerns, it sort of made us suspect.”

Why the Change in Leadership?

These few examples are just a small sample of the mountain of disconcerting evidence that has been presented to trustees concerning issues at MBI. I know from talking to trustees in the weeks leading up to the shakeup in leadership that the failure of the previous administration to address these theological issues (and others) was a major concern for them. Yet now, MBI is denying that these issues ever existed, and I admit, I am profoundly confused.

However, as is evident in these accounts, the problems at MBI don’t just concern the top three leaders who stepped down, but extend to vice presidents and deans who remain at MBI.  So the housecleaning not only needs to extend up to the board of trustees, but also down to VPs and deans. And this, I suspect, is the rub. People want to keep their positions, regardless of the cost to the institution.  I sincerely hope this changes for the good of everyone involved.

Moody ended its statement with a call to prayer and unity, and I agree that for the sake of the gospel, that’s what is required.  But unity requires dealing with sin, not denying it.  So please MBI leadership, own and name your mistakes.  And then let’s move on with a clean slate and fresh vision.

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60 Responses

  1. I do not purport to be an expert about MBI but I sense a lot of public relations spin. This is perhaps to be expected in any organization but MBI seeks to follow Christ so the standard should be “what is the truth” rather than “what makes the institution sound impressive.”

  2. Moody doesn’t owe a blogger some sort of detailed investigation about a silly issue that everyone who’s connected at all to the story knows was pathetically researched, nor the time it takes to track down the registration logs from over 10 years ago for such a minor issue.

    I shouldn’t dignify all this with a response, but because I don’t want my Dad to have to deal with people in the Moody family having such incorrect information, I’ll clarify a few things quickly.

    1. As my Dad explicitly told you, but you chose to believe a building manager who had no connection to the office that handled guests, it is patently false that he EVER had exclusive access to the apartment. He had to ask permission every time he came to Chicago, and multiple times the apartment was already in use.

    2. I asked my Dad if I could use the apartment, and he told me it wasn’t his and belonged to the institute and was intended for Moody-related use.

    3. My parents donated all the furniture to the apartment.

    4. My Dad’s use of the apartment when he was in town on Moody business saved the Institute thousands of dollars. You know why? Because Moody pays for flights and housing for trustees when they come to town. My Dad paid for his own flights and stayed in the apartment.

    5. After the Institute apologized to my parents for the ridiculous accusations and subsequent investigation, my Dad went ahead and wrote Moody a check for the amount of what it would have cost had he paid for the apartment every time he visited. Which, of course, was an unnecessary move because the Institute had already saved money. But he did it anyway just to make sure there were no reasons for anyone to doubt anything.

    6. “Luxury” apartment? Ha. I visited when my parents were in town a few times. I actually took a shower once in the shower your “source” referred to as “a big walk-in.” It’s smaller than mine.

    It had one bedroom, and again, all the furniture was donated by my parents, and none of it was luxury.

    All this time and energy you’re putting into a big Moody expose…you’ve actually pointed out a lot of important things that needed to be acted on, and Moody has in fact taken huge steps to address some key issues. It’s just bizarre that one of your big hang-ups is some issue that was settled years ago, relying on sources who wouldn’t have access to the full truth anyway, which ultimately stains your other information that could have been taken more seriously.

    1. Moody doesn’t owe me an explanation. It owes the thousands of Moody supporters an explanation. Your father refused to go on the record. I had other sources — former Moody managers with very different accounts than your father — refuse to go on the record too. I didn’t report either.

      If Moody conducted an investigation (as your father alleged in WORLD Magazine), then producing evidence of that investigation shouldn’t require tracking down 10-year-old logs. It should already be compiled. Unless, of course, Moody’s investigation was “pathetically researched.”

      1. He answered all your questions here… Moody doesn’t owe an explanation. They had a so called “investigation” that resulted in their disgruntled employees being fired for starting false rumors that weren’t true about the use of the apartment. Does that sound familiar Julie? Moody firing employees for their poisonous unhelpful comments? You are wrong about Jenkins. His son just proved it. Please admit you are wrong. His own son wasn’t even allowed to use the apartment… doesn’t sound like insider deals to me, but rather fair treatment and wise use of resources so they didn’t have to pay for Jerry to have a hotel every time he came on business. The only thing that is shady here is your poor journalistic skills and your unwillingness to admit when you are wrong.

        P.S. I will be posting a blog soon about YOU Julie. This blog will be a report showing MANY of your former coworkers and a few of your relatives I have emailed with who report on your character. Do you want a prieview? They say some pretty negative things about your character. They call into question your heart. It’s not surprising and I can’t wait to publish it. Maybe the truth will truly come out about your past at Wheaton and even your recent past at Moody.

        1. Mary,
          I have not heard that Moody’s investigation resulted in “disgruntled employees being fired.” If that were true, that would be a violation of the law since the report about Jenkins’s use of the apartment came through a whistleblower website promising protection and immunity. If you have evidence concerning dismissals, I would certainly be interested in hearing it.

          I have reported eye-witness accounts of actions and behavior. I also have reached out to the accused in every instance and invited their response to specific accounts of wrongdoing. I have not reported rumors from people speculating on peoples’ motives or heart. That is gossip and a line I will never cross. Scripture says Christians are to judge peoples’ actions, but only God can judge the heart. I would encourage you to read the post below…
          https://julieroys.com/5-ways-christians-should-judge/

          If you have accusations against me concerning my actions (as opposed to speculations about my heart), I am more than willing to hear those and respond. Feel free to email me through this website.

        2. Wow, Mary. Such a Christian way to handle things. It’s one thing to hold a business accountable, but attacking people is not the answer.

        3. oh my goodness, please stop all this. Don’t let the enemy devour. This is getting to be like school days. I’m telling on you etc.

        4. It seems as though your entire denial is regarding the apartment. So, let’s leave the apartment out of the conversation. Can you please respond to the accuracy of the other allegations? Does Moody Bible Institute allow gambling by it’s staff and does a sitting board member partake in gambling? Are there racial harassment issues at the school? Can you please address if there is a professor who supports Planned Parenthood teaching at the school? Are there professors there who do not believe in the inerrancy of the Bible? Is it true that during his tenure at Moody, Mr. Nyquist made over 300K a year and was given a 500K loan by MBI to buy a million dollar condo? Because I am DEEPLY disturbed by these allegations. I’m also offended by your (and Mr. Jenkins’ son’s) tone in responding to these allegations. People like me who work every day and donate our hard earned money to Christian institutions are owed an explanation and the truth. We are owed accountability. People support and donate to Moody to support the mission of Jesus Christ–not to keep those who feel that they are Christian royalty because they are well-known or even accomplished living above their means.

      2. Seriously, when is this going to stop? Your termination, regardless of your accusations, is understandable, and I am certain you expected it.

        You have a book, of which Im guessing; the promotion of it kept you from doing your job at MBI.. there were rebroadcast after rebroadcast. You wrote yourself that you were home on the Saturday (the day of your weekly live show) you were terminated.

        You are a writer, a journalist, speaker and now author, it may be me, but I’m just thinking you could surely honor God by moving on.

        -An MBI Partner

    2. I agree with this young man here. Every story has two sides, and by ‘exposing’ and airing only one side, this harms your school irreparably. As a former board member at Prairie Bible Institute, my institution did offer to pay for airfare and lodging. I paid my own way, and I could appreciate Mr. Jenkins who wanted to save the institution some money. If he were wanting to use Moody as a cheap hotel, he could have gone to other expensive five star hotel and let Moody pay for that.
      Where is the editorial responsibility in misleading the public? It is no wonder that you were fired. An institution will always protect itself, first. I am curious that you kept up this long on the same topic, is there a personal vendetta against the school other than these issues?Would it be as the Scriptures once taught of how long this devastation must be, and the answer was until every voice, the voices of the bride and groom have been silenced. Moody is on a downward trend, as more controversy that you bring up, will ensure less enrollment. At the end, the lone voice of fundamentalism will be silenced.

      1. Benjamin, If you read my original piece, you’ll see that I did include both sides, including the statement Jenkins offered. If he wanted more information in his defense, he should have offered it on the record, but he did not. It’s still an issue of he said/he said. Two former MBI managers refute Jenkins’ account, and the institute has not provided any evidence one way or the other.

        1. I disagree with you on this. This young Jenkins have made a statement that I can relate to. I paid my own way to be on the Board ( of PBI) and I know that by the amount of money and time Jenkins have invested into the school, he is committed. I think unless you visit the apartment and check it out, and see that it is a small apartment, it has little value. Staying in the nearby hotel and charge it to the school would cost more. I can relate to that. I paid my airfare, and lodging, except this last time I was there.

          I think I can appreciate why they have decided to terminate your employment there. It is about the consistency of this defiant spirit and if you keep going, Moody will shrink even more. Many of these matters I hope the administration can come forward and clarify, and to your satisfaction. But this school is in decline and shall continue to do so, not because of inerrancy issue. I do believe people stop coming because there is no value in getting a biblical based education. It has very little to do with variations in inerrancy. It matters in paying bills and having a job. Bible degrees are a dead end in itself. Mission fields are shrinking, and churches are shrinking. It is because this approach has excluded modernity. Modernity is not our enemy, and science would be our friends, and when they find issues with biblical accounts, are we humble enough to listen? Or do we blame the scientists and archaeologists for not finding biblical presumptions of Exodus/Invasion of Canaan?

          Moody has to face modernity at some point. Do you want a holy war until the sounds of the brides and bridegroom cease as it has been foretold in the Valley of Visions?

          Think about it.

          1. ” I do believe people stop coming because there is no value in getting a biblical based education. It has very little to do with variations in inerrancy. It matters in paying bills and having a job. Bible degrees are a dead end in itself. Mission fields are shrinking, and churches are shrinking. It is because this approach has excluded modernity. Modernity is not our enemy, and science would be our friends, and when they find issues with biblical accounts, are we humble enough to listen? Or do we blame the scientists and archaeologists for not finding biblical presumptions of Exodus/Invasion of Canaan?
            Moody has to face modernity at some point. ”

            Heh. .. This comment is just WAY off track. Clearly, you are not commited Christian, one would doubt your very salvation, Benjamin (if that’s your real name), because your comments here are so disatrously anti-Christian. Hopefully, you’re just playing devil’s (really) advocate. I think Ben’s comment can be struck from the record, as far as this important discussion is concerned.

    3. Truth has a way of making sense. Dallas’ first hand account makes sense and rings true. It is corroborated by the statement published by Moody. No further “evidence of an investigation” is needed.

      1. Interesting that you would think so. I do think it rings true also. But that leads me to wonder why he thought to ask his dad to stay in the apartment, rather than asking Moody. His bathroom may also be larger than the apartment’s- but we don’t know how large his is, so that really isn’t helpful. And finally, if Moody saves so much under this arrangement why isn’t there an apartment for every trustee. Think of the money that could be saved.
        I can appreciate that he desires to defend his dad, but what I think everyone would really prefer is Moody being straight with their supporters. So far all I hear is carefully crafted press releases that sound like spin (damage control).
        I do pray for resolution. I desire to see Moody clear up all of the confusion. I hope they have the facts to do so, because right now it just feels like take my word for it.

    4. “you’ve actually pointed out a lot of important things that needed to be acted on, and Moody has in fact taken huge steps to address some key issues”
      I am just wondering what important things you are referring to. So far, aside from three resignations for no acknowledged reason, Moody has not really told us of anything that needs to be addressed or what huge steps they have taken.
      Maybe the resignations are allowing some huge steps to be taken, but that doesn’t come across in any of the statements. They seem to be more of the “nothing to see here” variety.

  3. If I just would hear this information from this journal, I would just assume a disgruntled employee. But when you hear a common theme from employees, faculty, family members of staff and students; something clearly is amiss. Then you add the public actions of Moody.
    – accusation of intimidation to whistle blowers – MBI response, immediate firing of Julie

    – accusation of liberal theology being allowed on campus. Moody’s response, immediate removal of teaching duties of Profressor who brought to light the change of a theological tenet of our faith.

    – journal of Julie’s goes public. Moody’s response. Immediate removal of 3 top positions and declare all is good. This is a typical response of a corporation trying to save face with their investors.

    Moody has since released 2 emails. Not one of them acknowledges wrong doing but everything is over emotionalized. A great response would be we are very aware of the accusations. We are saddened by such news and we will doing a thorough investigation into these. We will communicate to the best of our ability our findings. Please pray for us as we take these matters very serious.

    MBI I know faculty and administration are reading and following this journal.

    I am an alumni of MBI who absolutely treasures my education as well as spiritual foundations built while at MBI. Moody has always been that fortress of theology and doctrine that we knew was unwavering. While a student, Cooper was a Profressor there. Very highly respected and loved by all. He began to teach a prewrath trib. Still in lines with a premillenialist but outside the lines of MBIs stance on pretribulation rapture. Cooper had to step down. Difficult for most to accept but MBI was respected for the unwavering on its theology.

    MBI this is becoming more public than you might imagine. I am one student from 25 years ago who is being contacted by past students, other pastors wondering what is going on. One student amongst thousands who are truly saddened by such news. And our first response, can’t be. Not Moody, not a chance. But too much smoke for no fire.

    Moody please allow transparency in your communication and actions.

    1. MBI told Cooper that he could have his private position (prewrath) but publicly he had to affirm pretrib. In essence, MBI was asking him to lie. Cooper said no, I will not do that. So MBI fired him, one of the best and most popular profs at MBI who is African-American, simply because he affirmed the prewrath, premill viewpoint.

  4. Thank you, Julie. You and others have personally sacrificed to bring truth to very important matters by shining a bright light on MBI and those who would put their own personal position above everything that truly matters in the Christian Community. To be sure, those people were “warming their hands at the fire long before they fell in.” Certainly all others who are guilty should step down, as well.

    1. I just wanted to clarify, since I have previously posted, that I am a different Caroline than the Caroline posting at Jan 30 4:51 am. That sad, I believe that beating this horse has not made the horse go any faster. On the contrary, it appears as if the poor animal is about dead. We are going into Lent soon. I wish this subject could be set aside for now.

  5. I am grateful that these issues are finally in the spotlight. As a long time listener to Moody radio (more than 25 years), I have been sorrowfully aware of Moody’s theological drift, evidenced by Moody radio’s increasingly common embrace of authors and radio show guests with far-from-orthodox views, hailing them as great Christian thinkers when, in fact, they are introducing destructive heresies based on post-modern, contemplative, New Age, or universalist thought. I pray that God will grant the faithful who are left at Moody great discernment and the strength to stand boldly for God’s unchanging truth, even in the face of opposition.

    1. Sue, please name names, authors and current program hosts you believe are involved in this “theological drift”. Those are also very serious allegations to just drop and run.

  6. This whole thing breaks my heart. I pray for clarity and for reconciliation all around. Julie, it does not seem as though you are trying to be malicious.

    My heart has been pretty raw the past month. I love Moody Bible Institute more than words can describe. I pray for resolution on this.

  7. Thanks for the update Julie.

    Julie: Actions correct
    MBI: Actions devious

    Julie: Timely and bravely
    MBI: Cowardly and ignoring/denying

    Julie: Standing firm
    MBI: Huddling and conspiring

    Julie: Thorough and fair
    MBI: Preaching the “God is love” and we can do any damn thing we want to because we “preach the word”.

    Julie: In the world, but not of the world
    MBI: Scoundrels in the world, an so very of the world.

    Julie: Her words and actions prove her character and integrity.
    MBI: Their long-in-coming responses to the ethical behavior queries- that they, MBI, supposedly champion and would/did require of anyone else- prove their own just condemnation.

    I have still been listening to some of Moody Radio’s programming, and I truly doubt that I have missed any “statement” on-air in regards to any of this.

    I have been hearing a lot of my favorite program hosts asking for my/our financial help….. Chris Brooks and James Ford, especially. I am in the process of praying fervently about that, and my calling or writing to both, stating that I truly want to donate to their ministries, but I will not- unless, and until, I hear, on-air, both of them and hopefully more, ask MBI for answers- answers they should have given to Julie’s initial questioning.

    In my 20 year walk with the Lord, I have stated many times that I believe the best thing that could happen to Christianity would be having every single ‘church’ burnt to the ground.

    So sad to “know them- MBI- by their fruits”, but joyful that there are still today some who have not bent the knee to Satan.

    Hang in there Julie. I would so like to hear you take on the vile and corrupt police here in America, hunting down and murdering innocents…… Not that unlike MBI.

  8. Two observations:

    Moody leadership described the loan to Dr Niqest as an interest-only loan.

    Share is coming up. I pray that your exposing leadership problems will not spill over to WBBI and its programming. There are many excellent pastors and programs still on Moody.

  9. I am so sorry, Julie, that Mary Manning would write such an angry and unchristian email to you, thinking it is the way to defend Moody. If Ms Manning feels that you are the enemy, she has certainly not dealt with it in a Scriptural manner, saying she will blog about what others say about your character and your heart, and she can’t wait to tell everyone about it. Doesn’t Gods Word say to pray for our enemies? After forty some years of reading His Holy Word, I am sure there is nothing in it that says we should attack someone’s character as Ms. Manning is doing, no matter how much we may disagree with them. That being said, MBI is certainly capable of defending itself. A humble spirit and transparency are what they need now. Just the act of firing everyone who asks questions is terribly suspect.
    Be strong in the Lord, dear Julie. Those who know you and love you, know that the integrity of your heart is unquestionable.

  10. Everything that Moody puts out is so nebulous that all I can do is ask myself more questions. If they want to improve their financial bottom line they need to be a) more transparent, and b) more investigative if they really don’t know the answers. If they are heading down a different theological trail than they have been on the past 100+ years, they have a responsibility to make this known to their donors.

  11. As I have been reading your articles I am really angry at what you claim to have “exposed”. As my own sources tell me that there is nothing going on at Moody to what you are claiming. There is nothing illegal or unethical. I graduated from Moody twice with a diploma and a degree and i am also a donor. I love this school and pray for it every day in my devotional, “Today in the Word”. What you are “exposing” sounds like nothing more than a radical trouble maker, not a whistleblower or investigative reporter. YOU are NOT an investigative reporter or a whistleblower! I know what a whistleblower is as I have been that int he past and you do not quality. All these blogs are nothing more than to get back at the school for firing you. My advise is for you to get on with your life and stop attacking the school. You need a job to keep your mind busy instead of writing wrongful, inflammatory statements about your former employer. This will only hut you in the end. Moody may have some problems but who cares. it’s the schools business, not yours. You no longer work there. And you were fired for good reason! All these blogs are proof that the school made a good decision to fire you!

    1. Kellie you say who cares.

      Parents should, I for one want to know the school my children go to will be one that gives them a solid Biblical foundation. One that will guard the truth at all costs. Provide an atmosphere that guides them to Christ. A theology that will stand the test of time and cultural relevancy distortion.

      Alumni should, as a past graduate who is very grateful to a solid Biblical education from MBI. The Profressor’s and incredible preaching by Stowell, Sweet I g and many others guided me closer to Christ. I care as an alumni that future generations will receive an education as I was blessed with.

      Pastors should, knowing how Christianity is moving to relevancy and our own interpretation of God’s Word is deeply disturbing. As a pastor I see many attacks on the integrity of God’s Word. I want to see Christian colleges that prepare our students to minister faithfully in this world guided by the Biblical authority in their life.

      Donors should, every ministry is viaing for our dollars. We have to search for places to give our dollars that will be used faithfully for God’s Kingdom.

      And finally Moody should, 132 years of tradition of being a school that stands on a solid Biblical foundation and any change whatsoever from that should “keep them up at night”

      Finally Kellie you say Julie is being revengeful. What about staff who are communicating the same story? What about faculty? What about the students? Or the parents? Are all of them about revenge?

      Kellie, I care about MBI and it’s direction. My heart breaks for the school DO Moody founded. I care and thousands other do.

      1. Jason, by saying I did not care, I should have said, it is not our place to judge the things going on at Moody. All schools have problems but the issues Ms. Roys is bringing out don’t exist at the school. I did my own investigation and I did not find what she is talking about. The school is NOT in a bad place that Ms Roys has brought out. Jason, all schools have problems but they are handled with private confidence and behind closed doors for the public not to see. The fact that Ms. Roys “exposed” problems at the school is the school’s business and has been handled. Moody had problems in the past, they weren’t made public and Moody got through them. These issues are for the school to handle and not to make them a public mockery of the school daily business

        1. Moody’s business IS my business when I am a regular giver/grad/alum who is concerned about the issues that have been raised. I want to know that I am giving to a ministry founded on integrity and the principles it claims to represent. To give a different example, I’ve been a member in my almost 50 years as a believer of two churches where the pastors fell into grievous sin. The first church tired to hide it (although many people already knew because it was a very small town), let the pastor leave, and the church was totally destroyed due to lack of confidence in the leadership trying to hide the truth. The second church had several congregational meetings, was clear on the issues but not on all the details. The church stayed together through a difficult pastoral transition, and is still thriving.

          Moody has taken “corrective action”, but they have not yet formally stated why and what correction to their course needs to be made. For all I know, they are sailing the same ship to the same destination, but with different leadership…that isn’t helpful at all.

        2. Kellie, sadly you are so wrong that I had to go open a window to let some of the wrong out of the room. I just don’t have time to address all of it, but I will say this. For those of us who donate money to MBI and care deeply about it, it is ABSOLUTELY our business if Moody wants any more money from me. It’s called PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY or TRANSPARENCY.

          You were wrong, but IF you had been right, you would not have spoken the truth to her in love. Instead, you had to be hateful about it! My guess is that you’ve done that your entire life and don’t even realize it. Try talking to yourself that way and see how YOU like it.

          Right or wrong, Ms. Roys spent her time and energy investigating and bravely came forward because she cared. Do you honestly think she wanted to do this? She knew she could lose her job, but she did it anyway, and made some excellent points. At the very least, she deserves a detailed response from Moody, but instead they are all hiding under their desks.

          I hope you will consider humbly praying for Julie. If you are a Moody graduate, then Moody clearly needs to add more coursework on 1 Corinthians 13 (that’s the chapter on LOVE). Kellie, I will pray for you and I hope you will pray for me as well. We can both pray for MBI. I don’t have any more time to spend on this. You can have the last word if you want to. If you DO reply, I’d love to hear about your “investigation”. If possible, please present it in the same thorough way that Julie Roys did. Thanks!

    2. Kellie- Sorry, you missed the entire first half of this ensuing saga. This issue did not begin with Julie’s blogs, just the opposite. For the record, at least according to everything I’ve read so far on this topic, including those of multiple commenters, here and from Twitter posts (Julies’ and others).

  12. God bless the school that DL Moody founded; Firm may she stand though by foes of truth surrounded,……PRAYERS to the THRONE OF GRACE are rising from all over this world. PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW.

  13. Dear Julie: I am not sure why you continue to put out articles to attack Moody. Is it not time to just go separate ways, now that you are no longer a Moody employee? Unless, you seek to make sure that every last voice is silenced at Moody, as the institution falls further into disgrace?

    1. Ben- Julie has a clear vested interest in both MBI and Jesus Christ and His Kingdom and glory. We’ve not seen that from you. Perhaps focus your attacks inwards, instead.

  14. Julie, your not sure of what all these things are meaning to us now overseas. I’m writing from Africa to tell you thank you. We’ve needed this kind of revival amount our church and my people. We’ve eaited eagerly for this day to come. We had previously known about pastors from Moody to come visit us and teach us about the true God and his love. As a young boy I loved the stories they shared and a particular favorite of brave Joshua and his wall. I’m glad to hear all these things especially now. We had been giving all our extra funds to the moody radio and we had to stop for awhile because of issues we had with the leaders, but now realizing they are done and the school is fixing things and doing better is a big blessings. Reading of brother Dallas was a help for us. We realize that now with your postings that God is not dead at Moody but he’s alive and doing much to help them. They are growing and are no longer pretending to be perfect but correcting mistakes. We used to gift them 200,000 rand per month of our giving but needed to stop until this post. We have saved up that money hoping they would restore and reconcile and now thanks to you we know they are working on the issues we had with them. Also thanks to Randy Fairfax and Greg Thornton for their response to our emails with much detail to help see more truth. I’m sorry they stopped to tell you the things they are doing. It’s very sad you care and they don’t tell you, but don’t loose heart because they are telling some of us who know them more of all the details they will be working on. It’s a good thing you didn’t that to help them with the 10 pages of documents they are working on to fix. Thank you also to the good professors who answered our questions in email as well to affirm they know of the changes that will come. These are happy times that the air has been cleaned and we can rebuild and donate more than ever. Our church has decided to star giving 300,000 rams per month now to moody radio. We never heard your shows Julie but we think they are provably good ones. Thank you momma for the help here at moody. Momma is our sign of respect for the woman and papa for the man. God bless momma Julie

  15. Years ago a friend who graduated from MBI was concerned about an attitude (not stated but implied) of “all Christian groups have imperfections and blind spots but MBI is the only one who doesn’t.” MBI has done some very good things in its history but that doesn’t mean that administrators are infallible or that people should be fired for expressing concerns.

  16. All of us, including me, need to lighten up a bit. So here goes. “Alumni” is plural of “alumnus.” When I see an individual referring to himself as an “alumni” it’s easy to regard him as someone beside himself, that is, two persons! I haven’t looked any of this up in the original Greek but will let the Moody theologians straighten things out – especially if each of them looks at himself as an “alumnus” and never departs from Darby’s Rules of Order!

  17. Dallas, I appreciate your love and loyalty to your father, but there appears to be incredible favoritism by MBI toward Jerry Jenkins. A man who made a lot of money, and gives a lot of money for writing end-times fantasy.

  18. Dear Julie,
    I already replied to another negative comment above, but just wanted to tell you directly that your firing made my blood boil and spoke volumes about the toxic state of Moody. Many of the comments here are a sad, sobering reminder to me of how much wrong thinking is out there. I agree with “Jason” up above, except that not one thing you said has even come close to sounding like a disgruntled employee. If we’re going to say that, then we can’t listen to ANYONE who has left a company. The funny thing is that some don’t seem to realize that you did all this BEFORE your program UP FOR DEBATE was taken off the air.

    I just want you to know that my wife and I are so grateful for everything you have done. You would think that society would be grateful for whistleblowers, but I can’t recall ever hearing one example of a whistleblower who was praised as a hero for bravely going against the flow.

    I don’t have all the facts about your recent post, “Three Top Leaders Are Out, But Has Anything Really Changed At Moody Bible Institute?” but the apartment and loan don’t concern me as much as everything else you mentioned. However, that is ONLY because I don’t have all the facts, and wonder if they were honest mistakes. But, given the honorable way you have conducted yourself and the stonewalling from Moody, my wife and I believe YOU! I can only imagine how stressful and hurtful this must be for you. I’m so sorry for all you must have been through.

    I meant to download several Up For Debate programs that I missed and now I’m sure they’re gone from the website. I really hope you will produce your own podcast via SoundCloud.com, iTunes, YouTube, etc. Ustream has an excellent live streaming format and is far better than Facebook’s live video stream. I’m not a fan of Facebook anyway. May God bless and keep you, Julie. Thank you for your Christ-like example, especially in replying to to some of the horrible comments on here. If you were running your website/blog like MBI is currently being run, as moderator, you would have deleted all the comments you didn’t like. Instead, you lovingly replied to comments made by people who SHOULD be ashamed of themselves. We love you, Julie. You go sister! —Roy

  19. Dallas Jenkins, you are in need of much growth. I would have expected more from you given your lineage. This does not honor your father; earthly or heavenly.

    Mary Manning, your words are spiteful and hurtful. Shame on you.

    Benjamin J Chung, “Moody has to face modernity at some point.” Really? Try saying this to Jesus.

    I could go on but I won’t. Satan loves to destroy, and we are giving him a foothold. Maybe I am guilty by adding words. But issues need to be aired; and I pray we can achieve this and rise victorious, both sides, over the true enemy.

    Moody, I still love your mission, but I sense you have strayed. Or maybe you are only misled. Please prove us wrong. Be forthcoming. I work in corporate America, and your response to this matter is all too similar.

    Julie, I have listened to you on the Moody airwaves for years. Your heart for the Lord and commitment to biblical truth is crystal clear. I find no fault in your effort to settle this matter. For those who would pick up Satan’s baton and attempt to attack your character, I say this: people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. I am a Christian, but follow me around for an afternoon and you will find much to criticize (Romans 7:24).

  20. Let’s pray for wisdom for those in authority at MBI. I don’t doubt that many are Christians trying to do the best thing but I fear that focus on institutional success might have become a bit too important. It is faithfulness to Christ that is the important thing for MBI as for any other Christian institution.

  21. I’m curious why you have not noted the other headlines not related to your investigations, such as:

    “How White Privilege Is Destroying One of America’s Oldest Bible Colleges”
    https://relevantmagazine.com/current/white-privilege-destroying-one-americas-oldest-bible-colleges

    “Female ex-instructor sues Moody Bible Institute, says wrongly fired for advocating gender equality”
    https://cookcountyrecord.com/stories/511322578-female-ex-instructor-sues-moody-bible-institute-says-wrongly-fired-for-advocating-gender-equality

    Why have you not brought awareness to these issues as well, or do you not see them as issues?

    1. As I told Jonathan Merritt, I don’t think race issues had anything to do with the leadership shakeup at Moody. At least if it did, I wasn’t privy to it. That’s not to say that there aren’t significant racial issues at Moody. There may be, but I’m not aware of any evidence that they contributed to the removal of Nyquist, Venugopal or Mogck.

      As for the former female professor suing Moody… That wasn’t part of my investigation either. However, I did talk to numerous alumni and a student who said they found Moody’s decision to take government money and become subject to Title IX extremely problematic. It’s hard to maintain a doctrinal statement that maintains that the office of elder/pastor is reserved for men (or that forbids same-sex relationships) and adhere to Title IX.

      What seems especially disconcerting about this professor’s account is that a vp and associate provost knew that she was an ordained minister (which clearly violates the doctrinal statement) and hired her anyway. Even worse, they allegedly asked her to hide the fact by removing that she was an ordained minister from her resume. That definitely needs to be looked into.

  22. Thank for the comment. Some in comments on social media have suggested that you have issues with supporting MBI’s approach/efforts to address racial diversity issues at Moody (re: in light of your previous comment MBI engagement in “reverse discrimination” is part of the crisis). Your silence on the race issues some have brought up at Moody that have been in the headlines over the last year not only in Relevant Magazine, but also in the Chicago Tribune, is a bit perplexing in light of the “reverse discrimination” issue you raised in your original “Moody Bible Institute Facing Unprecedented Crisis. Please Pray!” Why did you not include the race issue in that post? Do you plan on going into more detail about how MBI is engaging in “reverse discrimination” and how this in particular contributes to the crisis.

  23. I appreciate you actually coming to me and asking, rather than posting conjecture on social media. The allegation of “reverse racism” came from several professors and it had to do with hiring. It had no tie to MBI’s efforts to address racial diversity issues like the Embrace Conference, etc… I haven’t reported the story because it involves people who have since departed, so I don’t think it’s an issue anymore.

  24. A few weeks ago I tuned in to hear Up for Debate and was shocked when a “special” airing of Equipped by Chris Brooks was announced. I thought this was odd but didn’t think too much further about it. Today I decided to catch up on my podcast listening and went to the Moody Radio site to listen to Up for Debate. That’s when I saw the message that the show has been canceled. After a little googling to find out why the show was canceled, I landed here and oh, my. My, oh my. I am shocked, hurt, and disgusted by everything I’ve read about what has been going on behind the scenes at Moody Bible Institute. Greed, gambling, misuse of institute assets and funds, so-called Bible teachers who support Planned Parenthood, racial divide, and the denial of the absolute truth of the Bible by professors. I am truly saddened about these revelations and deeply disturbed. I will pray for Moody but I can no longer support them. Thank you Julie for doing the right thing and making this issue known to the public. To the leadership at Moody Bible Institute: All things done in darkness shall come to light. God is not mocked. I pray that the entire board of directors humble themselves and resign and allow a new board to come in and restore Moody.

  25. During my research on various things, I’ve run into some Moody-related articles on Google including “Jerry Jenkins: Betting on Pretrib,” “The Moody Erwin Lutzer,” and “Moody Leaders Suddenly Raptured.” Some other Google items touching on these would include “Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty,” “Pretrib Hypocrisy,” “Pretrib Rapture Stealth,” “Pretrib Was New in the 1830s,” “Margaret Macdonald’s Main Point,” “Pretrib Rapture Diehards,” “Greatest Hebrew-Christian Scholars Not Pretrib,” “Pretrib Rapture: how WHAT becomes WHEN,” “Pretrib Rapture: A Staged Event,” “LaHaye’s Temperament,” “Prof. Wm. L. Craig Leaves Tim LaHaye Behind,” “Pretrib Rapture Pride,” “Walvoord Melts Ice,” “Thomas Ice (Bloopers),” “Be careful in polemics – Peripatetic Learning,” “Left Behind or Led Astray,” and “GFM’s DVD Survives Paul Wilkinson’s Attack.”

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