Union University is one of the universities that left the CCCU after some universities in the Council changed their hiring practices to accept openly LGBT individuals as staff.
The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities has accepted the membership withdrawal request of Eastern Mennonite University and Goshen College, which permitted hiring of openly gay and lesbian staff.
The schools left the CCCU to avoid causing possible future split in the organization, represented by some 120 Christian universities, many of which are against hiring professors who are openly LGBT.
The CCCU said in a statement that the board completed its consultative process, and spoke to all the member universities except one, and noted that 75 percent of the schools accepted continuing with EMU and Goshen College with changed status as non-member affiliates of the consortium.
Another 20 percent felt that they should be allowed to keep their member status, while some 25 percent universities objected their continuation as either members or affiliates, with few of the schools favoring more than one option.
CCCU President Shirley Hoofstra said in a press teleconference that she respected EMU and Goshen's decision to withdraw voluntarily.
"EMU and Goshen said we don't want to be the cause of 25 percent feeling this sort of disease. ... We are going to withdraw. So it was a very generous sacrificial move on EMU and Goshen's part ... It allows our task force now to look at categories that might actually fit better for 2015 and beyond," she said.
"We're looking to 2015 and beyond, looking around issues of religious liberty, and we think having strong collaborations is the way forward. ... What we found is the affiliate category is widely confusing for our association," Hoofstra continued.
Union and Oklahoma Wesleyan, the two universities which left the CCCU over differing views on Christian morality of accommodation of gay or lesbian staff in universities, have not expressed any intention of coming back to the association yet, but Hoofstra said the council is open to such a move from their part.
"We are in conversation with anybody. We're a voluntary membership, so we would of course be in conversation with them again," she said.
Hoofstra noted until recently there was a singular viewpoint shared by all the universities on the hiring of same-sex couples, but now differences have emerged.
"On the call with presidents, there were numerous presidents who expressed appreciation for EMU and Goshen as institutions. They have always said it from the beginning, they did not want to cause any division [within the council], and EMU and Goshen had a threshold for that. I have the highest regard for EMU and Goshen. They live out their [Mennonite] principles. That was evident."
The CCCU announced the voluntary resignation of EMU President Loren Swartzendruber from the council's board on its website.
"It has become evident that a lack of clarity, purpose and common understanding exists about the various associational categories within the CCCU.. Therefore, the Board appointed a task force ... to review the CCCU's categories of association, and to explore how the Council will remain rooted in historic Christianity while also fruitfully engaging with other institutions seeking to advance the cause of Christian higher education or religious freedom," the CCCU statement read.
"As a broad and diverse association, the CCCU has never adopted specific creedal or doctrinal tests for its members and affiliates. Nevertheless, the council has been and remains dedicated to the advancement of Christian higher education that is aligned with the historic Christian faith ... Accordingly, the CCCU has maintained the historic Christian view of marriage, defined as a union of one man and one woman, in its employment policies and student academic program conduct codes."
Samuel W. "Dub" Oliver, President at Union University, wrote a letter to CCCU in August explaining his differences over the issue of hiring same-sex staff, "The fact that this is not unanimous damages our witness. The reason we are passionate about this is because what we are talking about is not a secondary or tertiary theological issue-marriage is at the heart of the Gospel. To deny the Bible's concept of marriage is to deny the authority of Scripture."
Goshen President James Brenneman explained their stance on college website saying, "We seek forbearance and grace amidst our differences. We deeply affirm the goodness of marriage, singleness, celibacy, sexual intimacy within marriage, and a life of faithfulness before God for all people ... We affirm the equal value and worth of each unique member of our community as a beloved child of God, and we seek to be a hospitable community for all-including those who disagree with this decision-as Christ modeled to us."
