A Fundraising Letter from "Multnomah University"

A Fundraising Letter from "Multnomah University"
Tuesday, April 23, 2024 by Dr. James W. Walraven

A letter from Multnomah University arrived yesterday, a letter requesting a donation. That was the initial impression. At a casual glance, one sees the same old logo, what looks like the same title, “Multnomah University.” The institution continues on as it was. Please give!

If one looks a bit closer, one sees “Campus of Jessup” in a much smaller type font between “Multnomah” and “University”—best if that is mentioned in a way that many readers will miss it (with my limited eyesight, I initially did). Leadership admits that a new season has started—a veiled reference to Ecclesiastes 3:1ff—but the glories of Multnomah’s past continues on unabated. In the body of the letter they are a bit more direct about now being the Multnomah Campus of Jessup University.

Nothing to really see here; please give generously. I believe the letter is clearly aimed at Multnomah alumni who have NOT been following the events of the last few years, and the past 12 months in particular. In brief, Multnomah went DEI, went Woke, and went broke.

Leadership then gave the campus to Jessup University. What the former leaders have said—they are also the “new leaders” of “Jessup North”—is that the recent policies that led to Multnomah’s demise will continue. Current students have nothing to fear about “Jessup North” abandoning their new-found ideology.

It was telling that the letter didn’t actually quote Scripture. If “Jessup North” were to once again start holding to what Scripture states, they couldn’t continue on as they now are. They did include a donation card, and were hoping that I’d give $1,000 to keep Multnomah’s legacy alive (that was the highest donation amount requested).

If you are an alumni from the time when Multnomah’s motto was, “If you want Bible, you want Multnomah,” those days are long gone. As mentioned, I think the letter is an attempt to fool old long-standing alumni into giving, but giving to an institution that in reality no longer exists. While not an outright lie, as the letter admits that Multnomah is now part of Jessup University, to me, the letter is composed in such a way as to be deliberately misleading.

In the past year, we’ve seen leadership try to cover over what happened, underplay and even lie about events that transpired. What leadership has not admitted is that their very actions in abandoning the biblical gospel caused Multnomah’s demise. Instead, they solider on, and the subterfuge has continued.

Sadly, Revelation 21:8 comes to mind: “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (NAU). The ongoing lack of honesty from Multnomah is telling. What is especially heartbreaking is that what they now celebrate will end dreadfully. We truly are free to believe and live whatever and however we want. But, that will have zero impact on what God has declared to be true. God warns us over and over to not be deceived.

Please don’t be hoodwinked by their new fundraising letter into giving to Multnomah. What was once a wonderful solidly biblical institution is no more. Please don’t support an organization that now rejects the biblical Christian faith.

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