Petition against the non-renewal of Professor Daniel Churchwell's contract.

I have supported Moody Bible Institute in the past and have known numerous graduates over the years but if this is what the school stands for and the way it does "business" I will re-think my support of them.

Like many other students and alumni, I am not aware of every facet of the decision made to end Churchill's contract; however, the reasons given thus far are unsatisfactory, if not absurd. If the intent behind removing a professor without a doctorate is to improve academic rigor, I and many others can attest to the fact that Churchwell's courses are more academically challenging than those taught by some of MBI-Spokane's professors that do hold doctorates. Second, Churchwell is widely known for his efforts toward discipleship. Personally, I have grown in my writing skills and critical thinking merely by being a part of our SOMA Journal for over two years, of which he is the faculty sponsor. Churchwell is an asset to MBI-Spokane. I want to keep it that way.

I stand with Dan. I do not stand for unjust decisions that change people's lives wrongfully.

As a student at MBI I had the imence privilage of having Mr. churchwell as a professor. I was challenged in his classes and be challenged academically and in my faith also. It saddens me that he is not seen as an asset to MBI as I cannot agine my education without his influence.

During my time at Moody Bible Institute - Spokane, I had the pleasure of attending a variety of different classes by a variety of different professors. I had courses ranging from Speech to Systematic Theology to Philosophy. Out of those courses no other class challenged, provoked, and opened my mind like Churchwell's Introduction to Philosophy class. I loved every one of my other courses, but growing up in a Christian household I knew, or was familiar, with most of the subjects taught in those courses. Churchwell was able to break the traditional church mindsets that most students had towards philosophy and he made learning philosophy fun! The way that Churchwell setup his class allowed for instruction and interaction that was unheard of in any of the other classes and the class material was intriguing and thought provoking. On top of all of this, he is a passionate, caring and personable man who cared about each individual student's education and would be a huge loss to the Moody - Spokane Community. A doctorate does not mean a person is going to be a better teacher or not and it is a shame if this is the reasoning behind his termination. I implore the Moody - Spokane faculty to reconsider their position.

professor churchwell is dedicated to mbi-spokane students. though the conversations i needed to have with him were somewhat unfortunate, he was full of compassion & grace, truly seeking to understand where i was coming from & did his best to help. his dedication to high level academics challenges students to stretch themselves beyond their personal expectations. the Lord knows how many freshman--myself included--needed that push. churchwell really helped to open my mind to new ways of thinking & to pursue not only knowledge, but understanding & application. he wanted us to take our learning outside the classroom &, although it has taken awhile for it to kick in with me, i am strongly feelings these effects today in my "secular" education. i would agree that it would be a mistake to let such a valuable, involved man go when he is so passionate about mbi-spokane student's education. the Lord has used him in my life &, as it can be seen, in countless others. thank you.

Mr. Churchwell offers great challenge to the students of MBI- Spokane. it would be a huge mistake to let him go.

Prof. Churchwell is one of the most challenging and dedicated professors at our school. His passion for education and kindness toward our student body is, in my opinion, one of the most influential contributions to our school. I have attended MBI Spokane for 4 years, and i have worked in four different positions with our students and our faculty, and i can honestly tell you that the decision to remove Mr. Churchwell from our school is both short-sighted and, i choose to believe, sadly uninformed. Please do not make a decision that could/ will cause alumni to question the compassion, empathy, and discernment of MBI Chicago. The voice of MBI Spokane students should be valued. Please reconsider. Thank you!

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Mr. Churchwell offered the most engaging, fascinating, rewarding, and beneficial class I took during my time at Moody. He is a man whose passion for teaching and care for students is unparrelled. A doctorate doesn't provide these things and shouldn't dictate whether he is capable of instruction.

Prof. Churchwell was great! It would be a shame if he were not a faculty member anymore.