Last week I took my eldest to Bethel University in St. Paul (well Arden Hills) where moving in was truly an experience. The President of the University and his wife, Jay and Barb Barnes, greeted each and every new student as they drove into the campus (the same conversation some 500-600 times or so). Cars were unloaded in less than 2 minutes each - as the students were checked into the dorms.
Bethel is a Christian college, loosely denominational - about 11% of the incoming class is from the denomination (BGC or Converge Worldwide), about 25% are Baptists of some sort, while the other 75% come from a whole range of other denominations. This is a beautiful campus and a thriving school. Under the leadership and vision of a number of individuals including the last three presidents (Carl Lundquist ('54-'82), George Brushaber ('82-'08), and now Jay Barnes) the school has expanded offerings and built an excellent academic reputation. Among the sciences, which of course peak my interest, the Chemistry department is ACS accredited and the Physics department was featured in Physics Today as a thriving program. Math and Biology are also doing well. These departments have sent students to medical school and to top graduate schools from coast to coast - UC Berkeley to MIT.
As I was sitting listening to speeches and experiencing the welcome I started to ponder a few questions I would like to pose today.
What important roles do Christian Colleges and Universities play in our church today? Does education in a Christian environment promote or inhibit the growth of a mature faith?
What makes a Christian college effective?
I have a few ideas here - and would like to get your input as well. It seems to me that an effective Christian college will have several key traits.
It will have an outreach within its community.
It will encourage its students to participate in kingdom activities.
It will be focused on shaping the future not placating the parents (or pastors).
It will educate not indoctrinate. It will be broadly Christian not dogmatically narrow. The purpose is not to teach the right answers or a narrow doctrinal position, but to equip students to grow in mature faith.
It will send its students out to participate in the mission of God.
It will equip students to be a witness in all levels of our society. This means high standards and quality programs.
What would you add to (or subtract from) the list? How can or should a Christian college participate in shaping the future as they equip 18-25 year olds? Do you have any examples of particularly effective approaches?
If you wish to contact me directly you may do so at rjs4mail [at] att.net.
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I think we just differ in what the Church is and does...
If the Church is God's method for equipping and training for ministry, and the proper context for calling and sending (as I believe Scripture, and personal experience warrants) then seminaries are redundant at best and a serious problem at worst.
I would level the same critiques at Churches who fail to be the Church as you do, however, that is simply a symptom of the very problem I am describing. A failure of Christians to understand just what the Church is and does; para-church organizations sapping the strength of the local church, and Christians seeing the Church as a place to be fed...
RJS,
When I said I'd get the 'stink face' or the 'one of them' comment it was because Bethel students have done some damage in the past within community. In 1999, they handed out tracks/bible books to the community businesses, without any follow up.
It has left a bad taste in mouths.
Marie,
Isn't the reason we get a reaction in any setting often because of true failures of Christians in the past (even in the present)?
I know of no group anywhere who has lived out Christian ideals in perfection...but this alone isn't a reason for cynicism or distance.
I really appreciate you including discussion of Christian colleges within your series on Campus Ministry. I've found it helpful to recognize the two fields of study involved: The institution itself might fit under the field of Christian Higher Education, while the specific spiritual development these schools purposely offer (especially through the Spiritual Life department) is very much a part of the field of Collegiate Ministry. Obviously, there is overlap there.
As I've explored college ministry, I've made a point to talk to Christian college chaplains around the U.S. Just like in the rest of college ministry, their ministries show a wide range of purposefulness, longevity, funding, concern for students' local church involvement, "missionality," and everything else. There are plenty of shining stars out there that have apparently modeled quality student impact for years, and there are others who don't present a strong approach to ministry to students. It's interesting to see which ones fall into each category - it's not always what we would expect.
The comments on this post have been really instructive and balanced. Honestly, I'm surprised that more people haven't come out swinging against OR exclusively for Christian colleges - I know there are plenty in both of those camps. Hooray for Jesus Creed readers.
The only other thing I have to add is the series I blogged this summer, looking at Christin college advantages (and some disadvantages) from a college minister's perspective. It was posted in response to another college ministry blogger, who was taking a hard stance against Christian colleges. It starts at http://exploringcollegeministry.com/2009/06/01/christian-colleges-and-my-counterpoint-to-criticism/
True. And I'm not trying to portray that I'm cynical or bitter towards Bethel. They have an incredible program and do wonderful things. However, in my experience in the community surrounding Bethel...it was very difficult to find who appreciated Bethel and what they were doing. Bethel AND the broader Christian community have hurt a lot of people.
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