Ken Malmin
Posted on September 27th, 2005 by catalyst into the Pastoral Staff categoryDuring my seven or eight years at City Bible, I have heard probably three sermons that actually stuck with me, and two of them were by Ken Malmin. (The other sermon was given by an Irish gentleman, whose name I forget.)
So when I was checking the pastoral speaking list today, and saw Ken Malmin’s name listed as the speaker for September 18. I downloaded that baby onto my ipod and listened while walking to work.
He didn’t dissapoint.
Ken was taking over for Pastor Frank who was speaking at a conference in England. (Sharing the good new of "how to charge for parking" I imagine). In the wake of Katrina and in the shadow’s of 9/11, it was Ken’s job to explain why bad things happen. His answer: sin. Ken didn’t elaborate on what type of sin, other than to say that sin is what separates us from God and that is what makes our world a difficult place to live.
However, he then begins to explain how we as Christians are supposed to behave in turbulent troubled times. His advice: Trust God and Help Others.
And this is why I appreciate Ken. He gets it. Its not a show with him. He’s not trying to impress the audience with his knowledge of theology or his new car or where he gets his coffee. He simply shares from his heart, and so when a hardened ex-City Bible member is listening to the sermon, he actually hears an excellent message and not just something to mock.
RSS feed for posts
September 27th, 2005 at 4:39 pm
I always found Ken Malmin to have such a sensible yet human approach to our relationship with our Creator. If anyone could impress with their knowledge of theology it would be him. But only someone with so much information could know that the truth is actually quite simple. We’re not here to impress the world with knowledge or righteousness. We’re here to love people and show them our scars the way that Jesus did. How did it all become so difficult and convoluted? No wonder people think Christians are ridiculous.
And just a sidenote - are they really charging for parking at CBC? It wouldn’t surprise me, just curious.
September 28th, 2005 at 12:04 pm
What was that?!? That post wasn’t even vaguely humorous! You’ve jumped the shark, catalyst…
September 28th, 2005 at 6:05 pm
Yeah, but has he ever invited you over for dinner?
September 29th, 2005 at 11:55 am
I have always admired Ken Malmin as a person and as a leader, and the one class I had with him at PBC was only bested by my classes with Lanny Hubbard.
But over the years, I have grown to have mixed feelings about Ken. I know he is a great teacher, and he is one of those rare people that can put a positive, yet non-cheesey, spin on any situation and have it make sense. The recent firings at PBC and the lackluster reputation of the school over the years makes me wonder who is really in charge and how much he really cares about the future of the school. I know that’s a cheap shot, but from my perspective, I can’t see him working to make things truly better.
I can remember when the rumors were flying that he was next in line to replace Iverson, especially when it was made clear that Wendell Smith was no longer the favorite (and later started his own very successful church in Seattle - a good move IMHO). I now wonder if his lack of ambition and vision held him back, and it’s that same attitude that prevents him from making the kind of decisions to push PBC forward into the 21st Century. To be fair, I know that the school is forever connected to the umbilical of CBC’s tithing and PF’s iron fist. But if he had moved towards accredidation (sp?) instead of allowing (or even ordering?) his best teachers to be fired, this could be a different story.
I love Ken, I just wish he would find a way to do the right thing. Makes me wonder if he’s just decided to ride this out to his retirement and leave it up to someone else.
September 29th, 2005 at 1:19 pm
Pastor Frank is in charge. Isn’t that a given?
I ran into somebody from PBC today who told me that Pastor Fank now has an office at PBC as well. And where is it at? I was told his office is now where ken ross’ and larry taylor’s used to be. Found that to be a bit interesting…
September 29th, 2005 at 2:51 pm
It’s tough to do the right thing when it would probably cost you your job. Anybody (Ken included) who crosses the boss up there gets their walking papers in short order, and several of them over much smaller things than that. I have nothing but good things to say about Ken Malmin because he was always top notch in all my experiences with him. I think he’s between a rock and a hard place as PBC dean and that’s a shame.
Don’t be silly FICM. PBC will never get accredited merely because Hank’s favorite teachers would all get fired or be forced to get their Master’s at a real school.
September 30th, 2005 at 7:57 am
So I’m silly for saying that PBC should have accredited teachers? Silly me!
I know it sounds scandalous to question Ken’s integrity, and I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have all the details on how it all went down. But your argument about Ken allowing the sacrifice of his fellow teachers to keep his job is a weak one. Ken has been there FOREVER, but I’m sure he could find another teaching job elsewhere, perhaps even become an accredited teacher himself! (There’s a thought!) Passing blame to PF is weak argument as Ken is the DEAN OF THE SCHOOL. He’s just as responsible for the fate of PBC as anyone else.
The reason why I find these situations so deplorable is because really good people get stuck in positions of ministry where the only job & life they have is wrapped up in a church so deeply that they feel that they have no recourse but to stay and cope with something they don’t agree with or that is limiting their lives, careers, and ministry. That’s my gripe here, and I’m not saying Ken is a bad person, but it is my opinion that people like Ken are responsible for either the prevention or perpetuity of the vicious cycle that prevents places like PBC from being a real success.
One of the best decisions I ever made was to leave PBC and pursue a secular career. I have had more success in ministry than I ever would have being trapped in the PBC/CBC machine. Two wrenches in that machine were recently removed under the mistaken belief that they were caught in the gears rather than recognizing them for trying to repair it! Singing Ken’s praises because he’s a really great guy does not absolve him from this situation in my mind. You guys talk about holding church leaders “accountable” - so are you giving Ken a bye on this one? I won’t…
September 30th, 2005 at 9:45 am
FICM,
I think Fezzik’s comment on your silliness was meant sarcastically…I strongly suspect that you and he actually agree on that point.
Accreditation (and the process necessary to get there) is only important to educational institutions that are authentically educational in their goals. PBC doesn’t exist to educate. It exists to indoctrinate, and that is true now more than ever. Real education broadens, it doesn’t hem people in — it makes them open and vulnerable (for better and worse) to that which is, was, and could be. The institution and people that founded (and continue) PBC are not interested in this kind of education. They are interested in raising up people who think like them.
It’s sick, really…particularly since so few of the PBC faculty are even motivated enough to pursue advanced degrees for themselves. Instead, they not only content themselves with their current level of training and their current perspective, but they perpetuate that lack of curiosity by teaching people that their (unexamined) way is THE way.
At the same time, let me say that I realize that accreditation is a set of bureaucratic safeguards at some level, but in PBC’s case, the bureaucracy is actually doing its job: preventing a non-educational institution from calling itself educational.
As for Ken Malmin…well, he both is and is not a victim of his own circumstance. Academic jobs don’t grow on trees, it’s true, and I don’t know what his academic pedigree is (for better or worse, that will mean more to most institutions than however many decades of experience teaching/administration at PBC). That’s a big factor for staying in, I’m sure, but there seems to be another reason that is far more profound.
For the Inner Circle, CBC is all-consuming in all facets of life. KM probably doesn’t have friends outside the congregation, and he probably hasn’t for his whole adult life. Going against the grain doesn’t happen at CBC. There is no paradigm but the dominant paradigm and Frank Damazio is its prophet…and Lord High Executioner. The squeaky wheel gets the axe. You get the picture.
So, objecting to how things are going would mean not only the end of KM’s job, but the end of his social life and support network as he has known it for most of his life. We’re talking about serious emotional distress…of the kind that makes its consideration all but flatly impossible. It could happen, but I’d be really surprised. KM could choose that — everyone has the power to choose — but it would be an almost superhuman act of courage that probably wouldn’t give him or anyone else what they wanted out of it. There’s many carrots for staying in, and almost no carrots for getting out. I’d cut KM some slack.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:38 am
FICM, sorry about the confusion over the silly comment, that was intended for pure sarcasm. I absolutely agree with you about accreditation, but I don’t think it would happen in a million years up there which is why I said silly.
I also don’t think we disagree on Ken and his situation up there. I think he should work against the PF machine up there and try to make PBC a learning institution rather than a indoctrination station, but I was just playing a little devil’s advocate on why it doesn’t appear he’s done much in that direction. Like Jiminy said, it’s easy to talk about doing what’s right when we’re not risking anything to do it. I’m not saying that makes it OK to do nothing and let PF run amok, but I understand why someone would walk that path given what’s at stake.
September 30th, 2005 at 10:59 am
I’m not being antagonistic, but rather trying to remember. The comment was made that the teachers don’t persue ad vanced degrees at PBC.
The Recently fired duo both had Master’s degree’s and were in pursuit of Doctoral honors. I know Lanny is getting his M.Div, Brian Daehne (sp?) has a masters degree, Asplund has his PhD, Frank is doing some teaching and has an M.Div from ORU…so other than Ken & Glenda, who does not have an “advanced degree” that I’m forgetting?
September 30th, 2005 at 1:24 pm
your mom
October 6th, 2005 at 6:41 pm
Jiminy, I complete agree w/your comments about Ken Malmin and the consuming nature of being in the CBC inner-circle, and his likely cost-benefit analysis of leaving telling him that there would be no pay-offs for leaving. I felt that way, and I was nowhere as close to the core as he, or there as many decades as he, so I cannot imagine how strong of a hold that place must have on him…he and his whole family…and if it’s even apparent to him anymore if there’s a part of him that’s separate from that place. Over the years, I heard both Ken and his wife, Glenda, say some pretty scary stuff, which, unfortunately, I can recall much more clearly than anything truly Biblical I heard them say. So, I’m glad to hear that he is urging Christians to trust God and help others in times of crisis. That’s definitely a good word. We need to do and see more of that and less of sitting back and casting blame on those who are hurt by crisis or analyzing how everyone else responds.
October 29th, 2005 at 2:06 pm
Nevada… 47th in the nation… Yikes! We homeschool and have since the 3rd grade (son doing high school now). More info can be found at: home school material
October 29th, 2005 at 5:33 pm
Hi
You have a great blog! Keep up the great work, and I’ll be sure to visit regularly.
I have a interior design degree online related site, check it out if you get some time!
Look forward to reading more of your insightful post!
November 2nd, 2005 at 8:12 pm
Hey, you have a great blog here! I’m definitely going to bookmark you! The information and Internet marketing product evaluations that you provide are great for beginner webmasters.
Now, I have a related business home internet marketing promotion site/blog. It pretty much covers business home internet marketing promotion related stuff. In addition, I supply the secrets that I used to make $12,124 from Google Adsense last month.
Come and check it out if you get time
November 6th, 2005 at 6:16 pm
Free Web Report Reveals How Anyone Can
Become A High-Earning Super Affiliate Fast!
Download Your Copy Now Before It’s Gone:
Free Web Report Reveals How Anyone Can
Become A High-Earning Super Affiliate Fast!
Download Your Copy Now Before It’s Gone:
hgh product
November 6th, 2005 at 11:01 pm
Be prepared for the next hurricane katrina path or find another one that’s similar. As the Boy Scouts say: “Be Prepared”!
November 7th, 2005 at 1:21 am
I was surfing around and found another George Bush site.George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People This place has a ton of funny videos and mp3s.