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.
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Cedarville Magazine
