Inappropriate conduct: Famed theologian John G. Stackhouse fired

Evangelical author and theologian John G. Stackhouse, Jr. has been terminated by Crandall University in New Brunswick, Canada, following a six-month investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior.

The investigation, conducted by law firm Pink Larkin, focused on a faculty member at Crandall who displayed “persistent” conduct “of a sexual nature.” The summary of findings indicated instances of grooming and suggested the faculty member likely misled the interviewing committee regarding previous complaints.

Stackhouse, who has written 11 books and confronted disgraced apologist Ravi Zacharias in 2017, disputes the findings and criticizes the university’s decision to publicly disseminate the details. Stackhouse’s firing comes amid a larger investigation into allegations of misconduct by unnamed Crandall professors. Some responses praise the university’s transparency while lamenting the alleged misconduct, emphasizing the need for accountability in Christian institutions.

The Roys Report writes:

Leading evangelical author and theologian John G. Stackhouse, Jr., has been fired following a six-month investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior, his former employer, Crandall University, announced just before Thanksgiving.

Crandall University, a Baptist college in New Brunswick, Canada, notified Stackhouse of his termination on Wednesday, according to a press release from the institution. His resume shows he had been a professor of religious studies and the dean of faculty development at Crandall since 2015.

Stackhouse has written 11 books, including “Partners in Christ: A conservative case for egalitarianism,” and co-authored or edited several more, his website states. He has also given more than a thousand interviews for major outlets in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, his resume states. And he was one of the first leading evangelicals to confront now-disgraced apologist Ravi Zacharias in 2017 for inflating his academic credentials.

Stackhouse’s firing was first reported by Canadian broadcast outlet CBC News. It came days after Crandall’s board of governors received the findings from a six-month investigation into alleged “inappropriate or sexually oriented statements or conversations” in 2020 and 2021, the press release indicated.

The university’s board of governors hired Pink Larkin, a law firm specializing in business and employment matters, in April, according to the release. That came shortly after an anonymous Instagram account began posting allegations of misconduct by unnamed Crandall professors.