The Ohio Independent Baptist, September 1966

f(d . ~ o te - Thi a rti cle i a conden ation of a mes age_ deli\- ered b y Dr. Clifford J ohn– on . Academic D ean of Ceda r\'ille Colle~e a t the recent G. .R.B. Conference held ~ G ra nd Ra1>id , !\1.ichi~an . Thi year· conference theme, "Lengthening the cords and trength– ening the takes,' ' was an excellent choice from the point of view of per– ..,onnel in our approved schools. The progre hown by each one of the approved school in recent years certainly indicates that the ' 'cords have been lengthened!" Over 2600 young people attend these in titutions. Over 160 f acuity members are em– ployed with combined budget of over $3,000,000. Progress can be measured in other ways as well. Graduates of the ap– proved schools have made important contributions on mission fields, in pastorates, in teaching, business, in– dustry and other worthwhile en– deavors. This last Spring the com– bined number of students granted bachelors degrees totaled approxi– n1ately 300. We can thank God for the develop– ment of these six ~chools which each y·ear become larger! better and more thorough 1n their preparation of our young people, truly driving in the '·stakes·' of hrist1an con1mitn1ent and academic respectability. A G reat Cha lle nge Although the Lord has blessed n1ightily, the approved schools face n1any challenges in the coming years. As the individual institutions grow, offer 111ore prograins, become ac– credited, and mature, it see1ns logical to as ur11e that the numbers of young J)eople S\:eking adn1ission to these chool will co11ti11L1c to increa c. The aggres ive yout }1 of our J<cgul ar Bap– t i t 1110 e111er1t will al o contril1t1te to i 11crea i 11g enroll 111ent J)re. stirc. .. acil– it ie n1u1st t,e r>rovided for the~e alJlc you ng people who wi h to obtain a Christ-honor ing college education. If such f aci litie and f act1lty are not made avai lable, these young people have no recou rse bt1t to tt1rn to the tate in titutions where pt1rpo es, goal , and tandards are seldom God– honor ing. A econd chall enge of eqt1al im– portance wit h the rapid increa e, in enrol lment i that of the need to con ider the effects of the mas ive infu io n of federal funds into higher education. T he national average for the federal portion of private college and univer ity budget i 26.5 percent. T he percent age of budgets of state in. tittttion i omewhat le. s dt1e to Dr. Clifford Johnson the higher level of stale support. Althot1gh son1e of the approved schools will not be eligible for federal n1011ey dt1e to their theological char– acter. the impact of uch large a111ount of 111oney on a11 educational bL1dget is obviou . Other approved schoo l~ n1ay be eligible, b11t n1ay de– \ elop policie whereb) they will di a– v O\ federal aid dt1e to the hazard " of J cdcral control anci the de 11 e to be COI1"il\tent Vv1lh Olli' h1\ll)l lCa l pt)- itio11 rcg,1rtl1ng the \Cpara ti()n of cht1rcl1 and state . A parrtllcl J)fObl clll is C\ftucnt \.\ h-.;tl C> 11e C<>nsiller. the fact tl1al cl1t1rcl1 budgeted income for the school ha not kept its relative percentage rela– tion hip with corre ponding percent– age increase in enrollment. If this trend continue and if the approved schools do not receive federal sup– port, will they be able to mea ure up to academic tandard found in other state and private colleges and uni– \.'er itie ? The appropriate conclusion wot1ld eem to be that in the futu re our Regular Bapti t Churche wi ll need to ub, tantially increa e their financial commitment to th ch 1 e s oo , . Inflation a Threat I nflation al o contint1e.. to be a <;eriou threat as the co t of a col– lege education mount to higher and higher level . If the co ts to tudent are rai ed in order to keep pace, the opportunity to gain a Biblical, Bap– ti tic education i lin1ited to tho e who are financially affluent. ufficient cht1rch financial upport allow ot1r in titution to have lower tudent co t tht1 providing an educational oppor– tt1nit y f r ot1r de erving young people Vv ho are le able financially. on1e are unable to ee the ap– proved chool a a part of their cht1rch, n1i ionary outreach. It \Vould sccn1 that our n1i . ionari and pa tors are n10 t appropriately trained at ot1r oVv n chool . If v. e \vi h to pre er\ c ot1r prec1ot1 Bapti t heritage as \\ ell a ot1r e \ angeli ~tic fer\ or and \ ig r, training for leader h1p in the e areas ,vill 0111, be ft1ll) pr videtl at ot1r chO()IS. ]""'c\v n1i ' tOn,11 ie ~1nu p,l ' t rs a1c trained 11 tate anti t)ther scct1lar IO\lllllll011 . Rcgartile," of ,, l1ether a cht11 h con\ tllcr, ,t1ppt11 t tor the hl1L)ls ,t J1,ll t ()1 1t n1l~"1011ary ptl)gra111, it l'– ,c)tllt.:\\ hat lear that the c~tl1l1e1 of the 11,,~~• 11a1 \ 1 relatl:<.1 l t) th' 1l1h~1 (Co nt in ued o n page 9 ) rf /1 e ~i.r (lf)fJl°(JVe(/ \C /1cJo/i,; (l il t/ t/1ei1 /OC(llit)ll ,\ clf f f.l~ f o //(JH'. : Jl ,1/Jli\t /J il,/c .C,e111i11r,,,,, J o/111.\c,11 ii\ , 1 eu, ) t1rk etlr1rville 1 0//ege, e<lr,rvi/J ,, J,io t ,, a,1,/ l?tJ/Jitl~ JlrJJJtist 11i/J/e olleg" r111<l .,Se111i11r11 v, ,rt.111<! l?t11,i ,~ . 1 i< /1iga11 J J\ ) I 11ge/ " ])fl/Jli I 01,1c1/1r1 Jla/Jli\t /Jil>l 1 J J 1 t e 111 JJ r111 ti\ t l Ji/JI TH OHIO It DEP t DEt T BAPTIST rJ/le~e r111rl e111i11a1 , eu /1 t1// , 'o//ege, o,,11/1a, e/11(1\ka Jl/ 1 g" , I· / e1ritn, <.1l i / >111 i 1 SEP I EMBER 1966 PAGE 5