Task Force on Race Update

Dear Moody Family:

As promised in our email on June 15, this is the first of several updates concerning Moody leadership’s response to issues of race. We have now formed an interdepartmental, comprehensive task force on race. This task force is chaired by Dr. Eric Redmond, professor of Bible at the Moody Bible Institute, and Ms. Haley Sadlo, web content manager, Marketing & Strategic Communications. The names of the task force members are listed below, including the involvement of two of our trustees, Dr. Tom Fortson and Dr. Orbelina Eguizabal Escobar. The task force has been charged with the following two major objectives:

1. To carefully examine our history in order to understand our past sins and mistakes with the purpose of determining what impact, if any, this history has had on Moody systemically.
2. To analyze the current ministry of Moody Bible Institute in order to make sure we are reflecting God’s values when it comes to all racial issues.

The task force will seek to accomplish this work within a six-month period of time, with a report to be submitted to the Executive Leadership Team of Moody and the Board of Trustees by the end of February, 2021. To keep our Trustees informed, some initial findings and updates will be shared during the October 2020 Board meeting.

This work will be accomplished through the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, including but not limited to:

• Corporate and departmental surveys
• Interviews with a representative sample of staff, faculty, students, and alumni
• Review of all relevant current policies and practices
• Review of all relevant historical data including board minutes
• Review of current practices being implemented by other Christian colleges and universities

The task force, under the direction of Dr. Eric Redmond as chair, and Ms. Rachel Puente as vice chair, is divided into three major subcomponents:

• A research team chaired by Dr. Gregg Quiggle, D.L. Moody professor of Theology
• A writing team chaired by Attorney Gabrielle Parker-Okojie, assistant general counsel at Moody Bible Institute
• An interviewing team chaired by Dr. Deb Gorton, Gary D. Chapman chair of Marriage, Family Ministry and Counseling

Task Force Members:

• Dr. Eric Redmond – chair
• Haley Sadlo – vice chair

Research Subcommittee

• Dr. Gregg Quiggle (chair) – professor of Theology
• Dr. Ashish Varma – associate professor of Theology
• Kevin Mungons – editorial manager, Marketing & Strategic Communications
• Dr. Mary Cloutier – associate professor of Intercultural Studies
• Dr. Desiree Hassler – associate professor of Music

Interviewing Subcommittee

• Dr. Deb Gorton (chair) – Gary D. Chapman chair of Marriage, Family Ministry and Counseling
• Roy Patterson – community relations director
• Nancy Hastings – executive director, Moody Alumni Association
• Tammy Easter – associate director of Financial Aid
• Mary Chapman Deas – director of Program & Event Management, Marketing & Strategic Communications
• Vecia Ricks – director of Employment Services, Human Resources
• T.K Khumalo – web content specialist

Writing Committee

• Gabrielle Parker-Okojie (chair) – assistant general counsel
• Dr. Brian Tucker – interim executive director MTS Michigan and professor of New Testament
• Ed Santiago – treasurer
• Haley Sadlo – web content manager, Marketing & Strategic Communications
• Karen Waddles – executive assistant, Moody Publishers

Board Trustees

• Dr. Orbelina Eguizabal Escobar
• Dr. Tom Fortson

I am very grateful to the Lord for these men and women. Please be in prayer for them as they lead us over the next several months in this very crucial effort to move toward, by God’s grace, a Moody community that reflects the call in I Peter 3:8-12, to be marked by unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, tenderness and humility.

Humbly,

Dr. Mark Jobe
President

Dr. Dwight Perry
Provost

Updated June 14, 2021