Seattle Pacific University Students Protest University’s Traditional Views on Human Sexuality

Students at Seattle Pacific University (SPU) have continued a three-week-long sit-in to protest the institution’s traditional views on human sexuality and its policy against hiring full-time faculty who violate those views, including those who engage in homosexual behavior. The protest, organized by the student group “Associated Students of Seattle Pacific,” has drawn attention to the university’s stance on biblical teachings regarding marriage and sexuality.

On May 23, the SPU board of trustees issued a statement reaffirming its decision to retain the current employee lifestyle expectations regarding sexual conduct. The board emphasized that this decision reflects a traditional view of biblical marriage and sexuality, as an expression of long-held church teaching and biblical interpretation. The university’s director of public information, Tracy Norlen, confirmed that the sit-in, which began on May 24, is continuing in its third week in front of the president’s office.

Norlen noted that the sit-in has not impacted the university’s ability to operate. She stated that the President’s Office and all offices and classrooms in Demaray Hall remain open, and summer classes are in session. Faculty, staff, fellow students, alumni, and others have provided supplies for the students at the sit-in, indicating ongoing support for the protest.

A Twitter account named “Engaygetheculture” has claimed that “select members of the SPU Board of Trustees are holding our campus hostage with homophobic policies” and that the protests will not end “any time soon.” The account serves as a platform for updates and statements from the protest group.

SPU’s decision to maintain its current views on human sexuality is tied to its affiliation with the Free Methodist Church USA. The university stated that remaining in communion with its founding denomination is a core part of its historical identity as a Christian institution. Founded in 1891 by Free Methodists, SPU is one of several colleges affiliated with the Free Methodist Church, which has about 828 congregations in the United States.

SPU’s statement of faith, adopted in 2004, emphasizes its historically orthodox, clearly evangelical, distinctively Wesleyan, and genuinely ecumenical characteristics. In 2005, the university also adopted a statement on human sexuality that affirms traditional biblical teachings on marriage and sexual conduct. This aligns with the broader Wesleyan-Holiness tradition, which emphasizes holiness, moral purity, and adherence to scriptural principles.

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