"I do find solace, though, in those who have reached out to me and my family to let us know that...they know Jim Barnette would never have stood for it."

Dear Dr. Taylor,

I have been staring at my laptop screen for the better part of half an hour wondering how best to convey to you both how deeply I care about my alma mater and how deeply disturbed I am by the recent news from the university. I graduated from Samford in 2014. During my time as a student, I represented the university as a Samford Ambassador, served on a committee for University Ministries, attended the Shiloh worship service weekly, participated in Greek life, received one of the inaugural Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership awards, and was one of three students to receive the Pittman Spirit Award at graduation. I say this not to boast of my accomplishments, rather, to emphasize my involvement and commitment to Samford.

Indeed, my connections to this institution run deep. My Samford story does not begin with my freshman year. It began back in 1946 when my granddaddy, Dr. Henlee Barnette, joined the faculty as a professor of sociology under the leadership of Dr. Harwell Goodwin Davis. During this time, Granddaddy was involved with various civil rights groups in Birmingham, such as The Jefferson County Negro Teachers Association. Members of this association began to seek equal pay for Black teachers. In his autobiography, Granddaddy notes that this was “a hot issue in early 1947.” An issue that did not align with Howard College’s mission, vision, or core values at the time. Therefore, he was asked to leave after just one year. In Henlee’s own words, “By the end of my second semester at Howard College, President Davis would no longer speak to me. I had not heeded his warning to lessen my sociological activism in the community. Just a few years later in 1951, he telephoned me and told me, ‘We made a mistake when we let you go.’” Granddaddy goes on to write that “Deeply gratifying to me at the time of this writing (2004) is that my son, Dr. James R. Barnette, is Minister to the University and a teacher in the department of Religion.” He appreciated a good full circle moment.

My dad received his undergraduate degree from Samford and then, much to his delight, served as a faculty member from 1994-2020. His love of Samford and genuine care for his students is undeniable. In addition to serving on faculty, he also served as the teaching pastor at a local Baptist church from 2007 until his untimely death in early 2021. His love for the local church and genuine care for his congregants is, again, undeniable. Those who truly knew my dad knew where he stood when it came to the LGBTQ+ community and the Church. He was affirming. Full stop. He supported gay friends, congregants, and family members. I would go further to say that he embraced them, celebrated them, loved them just as God made them. There is an obvious grieving process in losing a parent. An additional layer of my own lament is that Dad wanted to draft a public letter on his stance regarding the LGBTQ+ community once he retired. Maybe even he saw the writing on the wall and knew the probable repercussions for him and his family should he be so publicly open so soon. I do find solace, though, in those who have reached out to me and my family to let us know that they are sick over Samford’s recent stance because they know Jim Barnette would never have stood for it.

Some may assume that my attending Samford was inevitable since the roots of my Samford story run so deep but that is not the case. I was not convinced until I attended a preview day. I valued the academic rigor, lively discussions, and open debate that I witnessed when sitting in on a class. I saw students who did not approach opposing viewpoints with fear but with curiosity and that was the type of thinking in which I wanted to participate. I was fortunate enough to still encounter this brand of academia as an undergrad and I hoped that future students would have as well. Rev. Gatlin’s decision to uninvite churches to participate in an event because they are affirming seems to be a decision made out of fear and marks an end to that era of thought. Whether it was a decision made in fear of a different way of thinking or in fear of a donor pulling their funding, it’s hard to say. I am sure the argument will be made that the exclusion of certain congregations had to happen in order to align with biblical teachings, which inform the university’s core values. More on biblical teachings in a bit, because what strikes me in this moment is that this decision seems to be in direct contradiction to Samford’s core values. How are LGBTQ+ students to engage with the life and teachings of Jesus, exercise freedom of inquiry, grow spiritually, or appreciate diverse cultures and convictions if they are being denied the opportunity to engage with affirming congregations?

I have been accused more than once of letting my emotions and how I feel about this matter trump biblical teachings. But I do not have to ignore my faith, convictions, or even the Bible to do so. If I am looking for verses I can use to condemn homosexuality, I can find them. If I am looking for verses to uphold the LGBTQ+ community, I can find them. I acknowledge that there are parts of the Bible that can be interpreted to denounce homosexuality, just as there are parts of the Bible that can (and have been) used to uphold slavery and racial discrimination. As my dad would say, I have waded into the “dark corners of my faith” and have found that there is also theology and a biblical understanding of the innate goodness of every human God creates just as they are, including their sexual orientation. How are your LGBTQ+ students to find a faith community that will point them to a God who unconditionally loves them if not for churches who affirm that love?

I believe this is one of those times that Rachel Held Evans speaks of when she says “the most instructive question to bring to the text is not ‘what does it say?,’ but ‘what am I looking for?’ I suspect Jesus knew this when he said, ‘ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened.’” May this be a time that Samford asks itself what it's looking for, seeks to stride in the direction of healing and progress, and admits its mistake. Just maybe, a door would be opened to another full circle moment. God help us if that door is slammed shut.

Respectfully,
Hannah Barnette Asters
Class of 2014