Cedarville Magazine, Spring 2014

Anchored The faculty and administration worked diligently to gain state approval for the education program. We then spent years working for North Central Accreditation for the entire college. Many of the faculty worked to complete advanced degrees while teaching a full load, coaching, advising classes and organizations, and preparing the seemingly endless number of reports required for accreditation. When accreditation was achieved in 1975, it proved that a school could be faithful to the Word of God and simultaneously achieve academic excellence. In the years that followed, Cedarville experienced phenomenal growth in programs and majors. It moved from a liberal arts college to a comprehensive university. The faculty grew from a handful to 272 members. The growth in buildings and budgets is a testimony to the hand of God. There was stability in spite of change. There remained a strong commitment to the doctrinal statement that was anchored in a firm belief in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Old and New Testaments as the “final authority in faith and life.” This powerful orthodox doctrinal statement has remained a key to God’s blessing as every facultymember must sign it every year for continued employment. Not only is every faculty member born-again, but a personal testimony of salvation is required of each student who applies to the University. It has been the institution’s desire to train young men and women for a life of Christian service and evangelism regardless of their majors. The Bible department lays the biblical foundation, and then the various programs teach students how to integrate that basic biblical knowledge into their disciplines. Daily chapel enhances the process and provides a vital opportunity for spiritual growth. There has always been a strong emphasis on evangelism and missions in the chapel hour. Standing Firm In Closing In the summer of 1965, a faculty contract fromCedarville College landed on my desk. It included a doctrinal statement that thoroughly outlined the foundational biblical beliefs of the college. I joyfully signed it and became a part of the Cedarville family. Arriving that August, I found a campus that consisted of a handful of buildings and a student body of 500. While the facilities were unimpressive, and the faculty small, the privilege of working as part of a Christian faculty, staf f, and administration was exciting. The opportunity to teach born-again young people was a dream come true. 52 | Cedarville Magazine