Profile – Bible College V – The Exodus

The next 10 days or so were, and are, a blur. The administration took my words as a challenge to its policy of segregation and it also apparently took issue with my theology of the indwelling Christ. I was approached by older students in the dorm with questions about my beliefs. I particularly recall that the issue of capital punishment was raised – why I don’t know, but it was. At the time I was reading Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship, and I had questions about capital punishment – so when asked about the subject all I could say was that I didn’t know.

It strikes me that during this time not one adult talked to me about what I had said in my devotional. Not one adult talked to me about my beliefs. Not one. Not a professor, not someone in administration, not the dorm parents (there was an adult couple living in the dorm). This is nuts isn’t it? One of the school officials had a son attending the Bible College, and I recall questions from him – but of course he was another student.

On Tuesday, January 10, 1967 I was summoned to the president’s office. The president said to me, “Brother Withers, I understand that you’ve been teaching false doctrine. You either conform to the teachings of this institution or you will be forced to leave.” Those were pretty much his exact words – I’ve never forgotten them.

“How soon do you want me to go?” I replied.

“Immediately.”

I didn’t have the presence of mind to inquire as to the false doctrines I was allegedly teaching, and I don’t suppose it would have done any good – but it would have been nice to know, if for no other reason than I could share them with you.

George Will was also expelled. I don’t recall if he went first or if I did, it happened so fast. Apparently George was expelled because he had been a bad influence on me – see, I told you in an earlier post that George had ruined my life. Bad George, bad bad George.

I just noticed that January 10, 1967 was the day Lester Maddox was sworn in as Georgia’s segregationist governor, kind of ironic isn’t it?