The ACU 2009 Opening Chapel

This is a post for interested Abilene Christian University alumni and supporters. (Although I think many readers outside of the ACU community will also find this of interest.)

ACU has an opening chapel that starts our school year. One of the wonderful traditions at opening chapel is the parade of flags where student representatives carry a flag from each US state or nation attending ACU that year. It's quite a display of color.

For many years, after the parade, a devotional and a speaker the chapel ended with a patriotic segment. The Big Purple Band would play the Battle Hymn of the Republic and a very large American flag would drop from the rafters. We would all then say the Pledge of Allegiance. The assembly would then conclude.

For as long as I've worked at ACU both faculty and students have objected to this concluding segment. They felt, and I agree, that the mixture of God and Country was inappropriate for a religious worship service. Further, the symbolism of the American flag drop was also a source of objection. Specifically, for many years the large American flag would drop in front of all the state and nation flags, dramatically blocking them from sight. Many felt this sent the wrong signal to students from other nations, that it signaled American triumphalism and exceptionalism.

Opening chapel planners have tried to address some of these concerns. In recent years the American flag dropped behind the national and state flags. And our President took pains to rhetorically separate the devotional period from the concluding patriotic display. But this year the changes were bigger. This year the planners replaced the patriotic display and kept the object of worship and allegiance centered fully on God.

Unfortunately, from what I'm hearing, our President is coming under criticism for this choice. Many are objecting to a full focus on God during a worship service.

Our tradition, the Churches of Christ, has a strong and long standing tradition of keeping faith and nation separate. Unfortunately, in recent years many Churches of Christ have been turning away from this tradition and are starting to look like many evangelical churches. So I feel that our President, for sound biblical and theological reasons, simply turned us back toward our rich Restoration roots. God and Country, for us, have always been two separate things. Flags and the Pledge of Allegiance have never been a part of our worship assemblies. This change was a good one. The Opening Chapel was not reflecting our history or doctrine.

If you agree with our change this year it would be nice for you to let us know. Please voice your support for the decision by contacting our President, Royce Money. If you know any members of the ACU Board of Trustees please also let them know that you agree with this change.

You can mail letters to:

Dr. Royce Money
Abilene Christian University
Abilene, Texas 79699

Or contact or call our alumni association:

Toll free: 800-373-4220
Fax: 325-674-6679
E-mail: jae08a@acu.edu