The chief financial officer at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., resigned Sept. 20 in a dispute with president Philip Roberts over a financial analysis that raised questions about Roberts’ leadership, the school’s trustee chairman said.
David Hodge, vice president of business services, confirmed his resignation but declined to talk about the dispute.
According to trustee chairman Gene Downing and others, Roberts placed Hodge on administrative leave Sept. 20 after Hodge declined to give Roberts a copy of the confidential analysis, which Hodge prepared at Downing’s request.
Roberts and his trustees have been in a behind-the-scenes conflict in recent months over the president’s leadership and alleged financial “irregularities,” according to sources close to the seminary. Those issues and Hodge’s resignation are expected to be addressed by trustees at their mid-October meeting.
Downing, a businessman from Oklahoma City, said he requested the “professional business analysis” from Hodge, who was a banker for 26 years, with the understanding the document was confidential. Downing said he sent the document to the other members of the trustee executive committee.
Question of ‘leadership’
When Roberts found out about the analysis, he asked Hodge for a copy, Downing said, but the vice president refused. “David Hodge, being the honorable and reputable guy he is, felt that was not ethical,” the chairman explained.
“I asked him, as COO, to give me his assessment of where we are at,” Downing said of the document he requested from Hodge, who is the seminary’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. “Some of those things may not have been complimentary toward Dr. Roberts. … I thought it was a good, very professional review.”
The analysis included information that had been requested from Roberts “for quite some time,” Downing said.
He said Hodge’s resignation was “very unfortunate because [he] is one exceptional guy” who was “just trying to do his job.” Asked if Hodge was put on leave because he provided the analysis to trustees or because he didn’t give Roberts a copy, Downing said “both.”
Roberts released a statement Sept. 21. “We are deeply disappointed by the article released … by Associated Baptist Press concerning Midwestern … which needlessly attempts to undermine public confidence in our institution.”
Downing insisted Midwestern is not in financial trouble and there are no financial issues. Instead, the dispute with Roberts is over his “leadership” and his dealings with trustees and staff, Downing said.
Roberts has drawn criticism recently for his handling of an $8 million sale of seminary land to a developer, plans to build new student housing, and the opening of an off-campus extension program reportedly without the approval of the seminary’s accrediting agency. (ABP)
Share with others: