While reporting to the Board of Trustees in April 2021 on how Gateway Seminary responds to racism and racial issues, President Jeff Iorg wrote,
“When we address racism (as we do and as we should), our faculty must speak to the global problem – with vocabulary, causes, and solutions commiserate to that discussion – not just about white/black issues rooted in the American experience. We currently have adequate tools throughout our curriculum – biblical, theological, and missiological tools – to address the global problem of racism.”
A trustee affirmed the accuracy of these comments and asked if the seminary could produce a document describing how the faculty accomplishes this throughout the curriculum (rather than through one class or department). Since the Gateway student body is now about 65% non-Anglo and has been more than 50% non-Anglo for more than 25 years, the faculty have significant, proven experience teaching the total curriculum in a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural context. The faculty are held accountable to do this through the course evaluation process which asks students if the course helped them, “become aware of cultural assumptions that influence ministry.”
To prepare this document, the faculty was asked to provide examples of how they address racism and racial issues throughout the curriculum. They were asked to highlight their ongoing, continuing efforts (many of which have been in place for years), as well as recent examples.
This document summarizes their responses (with input from multiple faculty members grouped by academic discipline) followed by some general faculty comments.