#franklout

On Tuesday morning, the BJU administration announced that Marshall Franklin, BJU’s Executive Vice President for Operations and Chief Operations Officer, would resign immediately. 

This is obviously a surprise. Big changes come at the end of the semester -- not in the middle of the summer. Here’s the verbiage of the announcement:

BJU, Inc. President Steve Pettit today announced that Marshall Franklin has resigned as executive vice president for operations and chief operations officer, effective this month. Marshall has agreed to be available for consultation for the next six months and to continue on the board of BJUEG through the end fo the year. In light of this resignation, President Pettit indicated he will take time to better understand the roles of the individual Operations components and will eliminate the EVP position currently. The CFO will report directly to President Pettit, Human Resources, Facilities, IT and Corporate Aviation will report temporarily to the chief of staff, Randy Page.

In making the announcement, President Pettit said, “Marshall came to the University as chief operations officer in 2011 from an outstanding 24-year career Ernst & Young. We are most grateful for his many contributions to the University and for his love for, service to and investment in our students, the Operations team, faculty and staff.

“Under his leadership the last seven years, a number of facilities have been renovated including the dining common, The Den, the executive offices and The Hub; the Administration Building was demolished and the area transitioned into Palmetto Green; food services and ground maintenance have been outsources; the University became tax exempt; BJU Education Group was formed; a new financial system and a standardized budgeting process have been put in place; facility plans are in place for the new School of Health Professions; and the components within Operations have been strengthened across the board.

“We pray for the Lord’s blessing on Marshall as he moves on to his next position.”

Marshall Franklin is the first surprise administrative resignation under Pettit’s presidency who is not going to be replaced. Dean of Students Eric Newton has been replaced. Sam Horn, Bobby Wood, Beverly Cormican all had newly created positions. Kennie Still replaced John Matthews after he was promoted. Randy Page was promoted too. The administration has been bloated beyond recognition. 

The last eliminated administrative position from the BJU administration was under Stephen Jones. Remember? It was Chief Branding Officer Joseph Bartosch. 

So who is replacing these players in the BJU Family Feud? 

Steve Dickinson is likely the replacement for Marshall Franklin. That’s easy. 

Bob Jones University has made a few switcheroos for the administration this Spring. In the April 2019 Accord, BJU announced that the former BJU CFO Kennie Still -- the CFO who left a year after Marshall Franklin was fired from his role as Executive Vice President for Operation -- has now moved to Bixby’s BJUEG. 

Curious.

And Steve Dickinson, who took Still’s place at BJU, has a new role as Chief Accounting Officer.

After nearly a year of deliberation between them and with Bob III wringing his hands over the potential problems with a Board member and the President co-owning a home, Marshall and Lecia Franklin and Stephen and Erin Jones purchased a mountain home in Tryon, North Carolina in October 2009.

Franklin would begin his job as BJU’s new COO in July 2011.

Stephen Jones would resign from the Presidency on December 13, 2013. 

Through his pre-employment time on the Board of Trustees, while Franklin is advising Stephen to view an employee as a “thorn in the flesh” from Satan, he had another big piece of advice for the struggling Jones. Ask Jim Berg for help! Since ...

Jim Berg is one of the best counselors walking the face of the earth.

Poof! Just like that, he’s gone. All that devotion and religious fantasy about Satan and holding up the president’s arms is gone. 

If you go to his old page on the BJU.edu site:

https://www.bju.edu/about/university-leadership/franklin.php

It redirects to the University Leadership page. 

You can see Marshall’s page in the Wayback Machine. And you can see all of WutBJU’s information by searching the tags for #FrankLOUT.

On January 20, 2007, Marshall Franklin advised Stephen Jones in the handling of what Jones had concluded was a difficult employee.

Marshall sent this email to Stephen. Read it slowly. Let it sink in what Marshall is doing. 

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through my position as president, there was given to me EMPLOYEE, who’s [sic] work was great but who’s [sic] attitude was persistently not like Christ’s, she became the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For relief from this trial I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. For relief from this trial I besought EMPLOYEE thrice, that she would change her attitude.  9 And he said unto me, No, I will not solve this problem through a change in her heart, instead My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in your lack of natural ability to confront. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in this display of ungodly behavior - for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Read the passage in the Message if that helps. 

Paul is writing to the Corinthians about his “thorn in the flesh” which since the early Church has been assumed to be some physical infirmity or perhaps a temptation to unbelief. 

Here it is in the KJV that Marshall is pillaging:

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Let’s lay out what Franklin is doing here. 

the abundance of the revelations // my position as president

thorn in the flesh // EMPLOYEE, who’s [sic] work was great but who’s [sic] attitude was persistently not like Christ’s

the messenger of Satan to buffet me // she became the messenger of Satan to buffet me

For this thing // For relief from this trial... I besought EMPLOYEE thrice, that she would change her attitude.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee // And he said unto me, No, I will not solve this problem through a change in her heart, instead My grace is sufficient for thee.

in weakness // in your lack of natural ability to confront.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses // Therefore I take pleasure in this display of ungodly behavior

The next day Stephen Jones fired the employee.

This is how Bob Jones University male administrators handle female employees who stand up to them. This is how they justify it in their minds -- by framing themselves persecuted by a messenger of Satan. 

This is blasphemy. That’s how they manage employees. Through blasphemy.

When Franklin was first on the President’s Advisory Council, it was Bob Jones III he was “advising.” In the meetings, Franklin noted that Bob III set his leadership as the key to keeping BJU true to God. 

The school is not a board directed organization but a president led organization.

Final decision making related to policy, especially on spiritual matters rests with the president. Dr. Bob has seen other schools that delegated decision making and changes were made that were not consistent with a fundamental focus. These poor decisions caused the schools to leave the fundamentals of the faith.

So Marshall Franklin, since the beginning of his tenure advising and administrating BJU, saw the President as a kind of vicar of Christ and his employment as a sacrifice unto death to save that vicar.