Letters of Concern to Jessup Board
Both Dr. Ray Lubeck and Dr. Karl Kutz made positive statements when Jessup took over Multnomah.
That was not their final word. About ten faculty and staff wrote letters of concern about what Jessup was doing once they directed the campus. The letters of Ray, Karl and Becky Josberger were indicative of how toxic the relationship with Jessup became. We have permission to share those three letters.
A fourth letter sent to the Jessup Board is also included. A leader from Multnomah under Jessup has given their permission to add their detailed letter to the board, but wants to be anonymous. It was titled, "Subject: Formal Statement Regarding Ethical Mismanagement, Deceptive Practices, and Institutional Misuse of the Multnomah Campus."
Jessup made no response to them, but you might.
Dr. Ray Lubeck
“I do not trust Dr. Jackson. He has defrauded people by raising hopes, elevating expectations, making promises, and giving assurances that proved to be false. To give him the benefit of the doubt, he may have simply been sincerely mistaken about all those things he said to Multnomah employees. If so, he was at best unwise at handling the responsibility. Leaders make mistakes. But excellent leaders acknowledge those mistakes as such and admit regrets, especially to those whom they have deeply hurt. Conversely, he may have been deceitful all along by deliberate calculation to cash in on “the assets” for the money. I do not know his real motives. But in neither case has he earned the reputation of trustworthiness.“
Dr. Karl Kutz
“I feel some latitude to share since I have retired. I not only have no vested interest in Jessup, I have only disdain and contempt and grieve daily for what I see happening to my colleagues. What they go through with inept leadership is infuriating. I try to keep my distance so that I do not get worked up over and over with the grief and loss of what they have destroyed in so little time. I have also wrestled for decades with the crappy leadership I see in the Church and their leadership together with their mission ‘In partnership with the Church …’ has done nothing but leave me disdainful of anything labeled Christian.”
Dr. Rebekah Josberger
“…apparently Dr. Jackson’s shenanigans know no bounds. My experience with Jessup and its leadership since the merger has been characterized by disrespect, unacknowledged misogyny, the dismantling of seminary programs, and the repeated lack of follow through on anything Dr. Jackson commits to doing for Multnomah. After two years of advocating for the Seminary and for myself to no avail, I have decided the Jessup organization is not one that I can work for, thus I will not be renewing my contract.1 Yet the offense continues to escalate.”
Multnomah Leader
A leader from Multnomah under Jessup has given permission to add their detailed letter to the board, but wants to be anonymous. It was titled, "Subject: Formal Statement Regarding Ethical Mismanagement, Deceptive Practices, and Institutional Misuse of the Multnomah Campus"
“From the outset of the July 1, 2024 acquisition, employees and students at the Multnomah campus were given assurances that Jessup had a long-term vision for the Multnomah campus revitalization. This messaging directly influenced employee retention and student enrollment decisions. However, what followed revealed a clear disconnect between the communicated vision and the internal strategic trajectory. No operational plan, financial model, or viable growth strategy was presented to campus leadership. Following a public-facing acquisition celebration that projected stability, optimism, and long-term commitment to the Multnomah campus, senior leadership, specifically Dr. John Jackson dramatically shifted the narrative within the first 30-60 days. At that time, he began communicating generalized concerns about institutional financial instability, but offered no financial statements, strategic plans, or measurable data to substantiate the claims. This abrupt pivot from public celebration to internal crisis messaging created deep confusion and revealed a troubling pattern of deception.”
Read the Open Letter to Christian
Community
Multnomah University was not able to continue. Jessup University agreed to continue a Christian university on the campus if Multnomah would gift all their assets and campus to them. Multnomah agreed. Eighteen months later, Jessup closed the college and put the campus up for sale.
We see two moral issues that require justice.
Want the Whole Story?
Jessup’s failure to honor its agreement raises serious concerns—and, we believe, disqualifies them from selling the Multnomah campus and claiming proceeds built over 85 years by Multnomah’s community.
Explore the interactive timeline to see the full story, with direct links to supporting documents that provide the evidence behind these concerns.