Dr. McIntire Pushes ‘Religious-Political Alliance’
from the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin July 30, 1969

Trenton-(UPI)-Dr. Carl McIntire fighting what he calls his “greatest and most important battle,” is seeking to do more than save his little Shelton College.

Dr. McIntire is trying to prove to the world, at least to those who will pay attention, that he can beat what he sees as an incredible political-religious alliance against him.

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The tall, chunky Dr. McIntire, with a commanding personality also is in a fight against the state, which he says “has laws…with teeth in them strong enough to chew to pieces any college that the state chancellor of high education chooses to destroy.”

At least that’s one of the messages in a full-page advertisement placed in the Trenton Evening Times Monday. The ad was purchased by Dr. McIntire’s organization to drum up support for a march here this week, a protest against state action.

Hearings on a request by Chancellor Ralph A. Dungan that Shelton, in Cape May County, not be allowed to grant degrees are currently in recess.

But during, the initial sessions before the Board of Higher Education, Shelton’s lawyers attempted to belabor their contention that Dungan is in league with Dr. McIntire’s enemies in the church world.

Dungan denies he has any in interest in the preacher’s religious beliefs and contends the matter is purely an educational one. He has outlined 19 areas in which he says the 182-student school is deficient.

‘Doesn’t Want College’

But Dr. McIntire claims Dungan a former John F. Kennedy associate and ambassador to Chile in the Johnson administration, has joined with the National Council of Churches in an attempt to dilute his power.

“the state doesn’t want the college to exist,” Dr. McIntire said after the first-round of hearings. “They want it eliminated because of ideological, religious and political views.”

Thus Dr. McIntire is apparently attempting to strengthen his own “religious-political” alliance.

U. S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, the powerful Southern conservative has spoken seven times at Shelton College, Dr. McIntire said, Thurmond, whom McIntire describes as a “personal friend” along with former Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace, was invited to attend the “Bible believers march” here but couldn’t because of pending Senate action on President Nixon’s antiballistic missile system proposal.

Support of Wallace

Dr. McIntire says he has the support of Wallace’s American Party, and has vowed to “work against the Democrats” in New Jersey’s gubernatorial election campaign this year.

He “refutes every one” of Dungan’s charges, calling them “completely out of bounds.”

For one thing, charges that Shelton doesn’t pay adequate salaries to its teachers are improper he says.

The salaries are none of their ‘business. We’re a religious institution-our professors are working for the Lord,” he said:

Shelton College is associated with Dr. McIntire’s Twentieth Century Reformation movement. His International Council of Christian Churches has long opposed the National Council and World Council of Churches., and Dr. McIntire has been in a struggle with the opposing religious factions for years.

Revolver Nudges Shelton

The Christian Beacon, a, McIntire newspaper which sponsors his Twentieth Century Reformation Hour, carried a backpage story July 17 which said in the first paragraph: “A revolver nudges Shelton College’s forehead. The gun is loaded. Ralph Dungan’s eager finger quivers against the trigger. ‘Surrender,’ gloats the hired assassin. ‘Surrender,’ parrots the liberal Democratic governor, ‘Surrender,’ chants the sinister ecumenical-political coalition, And liberal Ralph, late of the Kennedy klan, is handling the bloodletting himself.”

Dr. McIntire says he shouldn’t have to surrender.

Because, he says, the state shouldn’t have regulations governing such schools as his.

“They have no right to interfere with a Christian college,’ he said.