Bob Jones University President Josh Crockett Announces Possible Role Change
Crockett has been president of BJU for less than a year.
This article was updated on 4/8/2025 to reflect comments delivered by President Josh Crockett during the BJU chapel service.
In the continued saga of leadership changes at Bob Jones University (BJU) in Greenville, South Carolina, current President Josh Crockett has announced he may be changing roles if he is called to pastor Morningside Baptist Church in Greenville.
Josh Crocket addressing BJU in fall 2024 / Video screenshot
According to BJU’s Public Relations Director Courtney Montgomery, Crockett informed faculty and staff on April 7 that he is a candidate for senior pastor at Morningside, a position he held for nine years before taking the helm of BJU in May 2024.
The congregation will vote on the pastoral call on April 27.
Should Crockett be called as Morningside’s senior pastor, he will shift responsibilities at BJU to one of primarily preaching, leading chapel, and interacting with and shepherding students.
“Dr. Crockett remains dedicated to the mission and vision of BJU, and his ongoing leadership will continue to support the University’s commitment to academic excellence and spiritual growth,” the BJU statement reads.
“The BJU Board of Trustees is confident that with the planned transition and the appointment of a new CEO, the University will continue to thrive in its mission to serve students, faculty, and staff.”
During a BJU chapel service on April 8, Crockett told the students of his plans. He explained that he had recommended to the board that the leadership of the university be bifurcated into president and chief executive officer. The president will be primarily overseeing the spiritual well-being of students while the CEO will handle the business side of higher education, Crockett said. This is a model that has been adopted by Maranatha Baptist University, a sister school in Wisconsin.
The board of trustees has agreed to begin the search for a CEO. Crockett plans to remain in the position of president and CEO until the search is completed, at which time he will hand off 27 of his current duties.
“The university is not going to close, and I have not resigned,” Crockett told the students in an effort to quell spreading rumors.
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Crockett was named the sixth BJU president in May 2024. Steve Pettit served as president of BJU from 2014 to 2023, resigning amid a “dysfunctional” and “irreparably broken” relationship between Pettit and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees John Lewis.
After Pettit’s departure, Alan Benson was named acting CEO of the university. In an interview with the school’s newspaper, Benson said he planned to apply for the position of president but was not chosen.
BJU has faced financial and enrollment challenges over the last several years. According to the National Center for Education Statistics profile of the college, enrollment was only 2,893 in the fall semester of 2023. In 2009, enrollment was 4,998.
In his address to alumni in the fall, Crockett reported significant staffing cuts of at least 10 percent. He also said BJU Press has been subsidizing the university financially. Over the past five years, it provided $100 million in gross revenue to the university, he said.
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