‘SES is standing steadfast in the truth. Maybe it’s time that others have the courage to join us’

August 8, 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Seattle Pacific University, a 131-year-old Christian university in Washington, recently sued the state attorney general in federal court for his office’s investigation into the school’s hiring practices. In line with their biblical principles, the university does not hire LGBTQ faculty or staff, yet Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office insists they go against their religious beliefs and hire an LGBTQ person. Seattle Pacific University’s lawsuit accuses Ferguson of “wielding state power to interfere with the religious beliefs of a religious university, and a church, whose beliefs he disagrees with. He is using the powers of his office (and even powers not granted to his office) to pressure and retaliate.”

Judge Phil Ginn, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES, www.ses.edu), remarked on the unconstitutional interference from the Attorney General towards the university, noting that Christians must prepare themselves for continued attacks on their faith.

Ginn commented, “At the outset of our nation, a number of states initially refused to ratify the original Constitution until such time as specific rights were embodied in the document. History buffs will remember that this particular situation gave rise to the birth of the first 10 amendments to the document, the Bill of Rights, which has served us so well for most of 250 years. It is in the very first of these 10 amendments where we find embedded not only the freedom of speech, but the freedom of religion as well. Now, it is this very same first amendment that has become a thorn in the side of the extreme anti-God leftist agenda.

“Word out of Seattle is that Seattle Pacific University has had to file a lawsuit to seek protection from the Attorney General of Washington who is trying to force them to hire LGBTQ faculty and staff and to keep the school from prohibiting its employees from engaging in ‘same-sex sexual activity.’ Never mind that Seattle Pacific is logically and rightfully basing its decision on their long-held Christian belief that is derived from a ‘biblical position on sexuality.’”

Ginn continued, “We at SES stand firmly with our brothers and sisters at Seattle Pacific. Simply because an elected Attorney General finds it politically beneficial to ‘wield state power to interfere with the religious beliefs’ of this highly ranked university does not alter the protections explicitly embodied in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Unfortunately, this is not the last assault on Christianity or people of faith from a governmental entity supposedly sworn to uphold the constitutional rights of its citizens, including Christians. Christ’s true church in America and those of us firmly planted in the truth of the Scripture and the Gospel should be prepared for an onslaught of machinations that will be coming from a culture that has not only forgotten God but is trying to destroy the very heartbeat of our nation as well.  

“SES is standing steadfast in the truth. Maybe it’s time that others have the courage to join us.”

Judge Phil Ginn was appointed president of SES in April 2021 after a distinguished career as both a lawyer and a judge. He holds a B.A. from Appalachian State University, a J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Doctor of Ministry from Southern Evangelical Seminary. Prior to his appointment as SES president, Judge Ginn served as SES Chairman of the Board of Trustees. 

The mission of SES is to train men and women, based on the inerrant and infallible written Word of God, for the evangelization of the world and the defense of the historic Christian faith. SES offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees (along with several for-credit certificates) that uniquely integrate theology, philosophy, and apologetics to build a complete and systematic Christian worldview.

For more information on SES, visit its website at www.ses.edu or its Facebook page, follow the SES Twitter feed, @sesapologetics, or call (704) 847-5600.

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