NADVentist—On Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, the Oakwood University Board of Trustees announced that Leslie N. Pollard, Ph.D., D.Min., has accepted a new position with the North America Division.
In a statement, Oakwood University shared that Pollard has accepted a new opportunity to join the North American Division (NAD) as assistant to the president for pastoral continuing education and mission. He will assume this role on July 1, 2025, continuing to serve as president of Oakwood University through the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year.
In this new role, Pollard will supervise and coordinate the division’s engagement with continuing education for clergy and second-career ministerial professionals. The position itself is new to the NAD, and part of a collaboration with the General Conference, which will provide funding for three years. The position is geared toward helping to foster a comprehensive alignment with theological training and continued learning.
Observations
Alexander Bryant and Leslie Pollard appear to be ideologically aligned on issues of Femventism (WO), wokeness, CRT, and other far left motivations. There is strong LGBTQ support in certain quarters of the Division, and there has been no meaningful effort by SDA leaders to correct the problem.
Pollard came under heavy pressure to resign as Oakwood (wokewood) University over the last twelve months.
Claims of a lack of transparency and accountability on Oakwood University’s campus have members of an alumni-led group calling for the University’s President, Dr. Leslie Pollard, to resign or be removed by the board of trustees.
Concerned Oakwoodites – a group composed of 1,700 university alumni, former faculty and staff – held a news conference back on October 16, 2023, to air these concerns. That same day, representatives from the University’s board requested a meeting with a few of its members.
Since that meeting, Concerned Oakwoodites say they’ve seen little to no movement when it comes to corrective action.
“We can work through this, or we can work at it, but the arrogance of not even talking to us… said Concerned Oakwoodites Leadership Team Member Joe Booth.
The NAD created this new position for Pollard out of thin air. It probably means very little, because both NAD ministerial and our colleges will do as they please on these issues. They are agents of a new morality.
As noted in this article, there is a growing trend among SDA leaders to not be accountable to the laity.
SDA leadership could repair a growing divide between perceived elites and common folk by humbling themselves, admitting wrong decisions, and seeking reconciliation. Whether it happens or not, it certainly should happen.
Also needed is a gift of the Holy Spirit and a return to the Word of God.
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