Christian College Brought in Scholars, Theologians and Social Scientists to Examine Its Homosexuality Stance — and Here's What They Concluded

A Christian college in Massachusetts that has spent the past nine months exploring its theological stance on homosexuality revealed on Monday that it will not change its traditional views on the matter. The school also reaffirmed its life and conduct statement for students and faculty, claiming that sex should be reserved for a marriage between a man and a woman.

Gordon College president D. Michael Lindsay told TheBlaze in a sit-down interview for The Church Boys podcast that the statement, which faculty and students have signed for the past five decades, became a lighting rod that landed the Christian institution — based in Wenham, Massachusetts — in the headlines last year.

Listen to the interview below (at the 27:30 mark):

As a result of the controversy, Lindsay said that the college assembled a panel of 20 students, faculty and board members, who collectively spent nine months intensely looking at the issue of homosexuality, holding numerous forums and events to explore the school's biblical stance.

"We recognize that there have been some changing attitudes … and so we wanted to look at the issues as thoughtfully as possible," he said. "We hosted 24 forums on our campus over the past nine months. We brought in theologians, social scientists, scholars, pastors, counselors — helping our trustees and campus leadership to look at this holistically."

In the end, the panel decided to reaffirm its stance on homosexuality — a development that Lindsay said came after a long and prayerful process.

"In the end, the board concluded … we really do think the college's traditional position is exactly right for an evangelical institution, so the board of trustees unanimously reaffirmed the theological position," Lindsay said. "I feel really good about where we wound up."

Gordon College landed in the headlines last July after Lindsay joined other faith leaders in independently signing a letter to President Barack Obama that asked the president to exempt faith-based organizations receiving federal funding from being mandated to hire people who may be in same-sex relationships.

After he signed it, Lindsay said that confusion abounded and people incorrectly assumed that he signed on behalf of Gordon College.

That led to a multitude of media coverage and an announcement later in September that the New England Association of Schools and Colleges — the board that oversees the Gordon College's accreditation — was considering whether the school's ban on “homosexual practice” runs contrary to its Commissions Standards for Accreditation.

Gordon College responded to the controversy by announcing that it would setup the 20-person panel to explore not only the theology behind the issue, but to also look at how the school is handling students who struggle with sexual identity. This panel, though, was in the works before the announcement from the accreditation board, Lindsay said.

He reiterated in his interview with this author, though, that there is virtually no chance the board would revoke accreditation and that the exploration into the policy is representative of what happens whenever a school finds itself in the headlines.

"My sense is that Gordon has been at the tip of the spear of a very significant cultural conversation," he told TheBlaze. "And the kind of conversations and issues that we have faced over the past nine months are coming to every single Christian institution in this country in the days ahead."

The college president said that the 20-person working group became the "listening arm of the institution" and that the school attempted to be as thoughtful and "Christ-honoring" as possible while having in-depth conversations over the past nine months. In the end, Gordon College will implement some new policies as a result of these conversations.

"We're announcing the formation of a 'Life Together' task force that will be based within our center for student development," Lindsay said. "The life together task force is going to be thinking holistically."

He added, "We are strengthening our anti-bullying policy, adding in training for our residence life staff."

Gordon College president Michael Lindsay (Gordon College)

As for the behavior policy that was reaffirmed, it reads, in part: “Those acts which are expressly forbidden in Scripture, including but not limited to blasphemy, profanity, dishonesty, theft, drunkenness, sexual relations outside marriage, and homosexual practice, will not be tolerated in the lives of Gordon community members, either on or off campus.”

Speaking directly about the issues that young people face in today's society, Lindsay said that staying pure is tough.

"We are a sex-saturated culture. Pornography is rampant it's all around us," he said. "It's really hard for a young man or young woman to keep their way pure."

He also said that he would remind critics of Gordon College's decision that the "genius of American civil society" is embedded in pluralism and that it's essential to uphold the principles that surround it, including discussion and debate.