Torch, Spring 1987: Centennial Issue

Enterprise The word "commitment" implies bold involvement and determined steadfastness . At Cedarville College we are committed to free enterprise: we not only agree with the system, we also actively teach and practice the aspects of it. We do so because we believe the free enterprise system provides an excellent economic environment in which Christians can live in obedience to God. Free enterprise encompasses individual effort , individual ownership of property, and the right of the individual to choose what he wants to do in the market place with limited government involvement. We are committed to free enterprise because God deals with us individually. Not only does He create us as individuals, He also saves us individually and holds us accountable for our own actions. Each of us is a design stroke of our Creator. "... for thou hast made him a little lower than the angels , and hast crowned him with glory and honor. " Rather than performing as robots , we are individuals with free moral agency. "Enterprise" is closely aligned with the word "entrepreneur" (lit. one who undertakes) - the dynamic , small business risk-taker in our economic system. The rewards for success and the losses for failure produce motivation to innovate and excel. When one has developed his own project, he champions it- he is excited about it. When he is grouped with others as in government programs, he feels he is one of many; he is not as motivated, not as creative, nor as responsible for his actions . Some corporations are recognizing the importance of allowing people to function as individuals and have developed an "intra" preneurial aspect, i.e, entrepreneurship within the corporation. New terms such as "corporate culture" are being used to define the "combined fingerprint" and impact of individuals within the corporate structure. We are committed to free enterprise because we believe government should have a limited role in business transactions. God established government as a sovereign power to keep society under control but not to dictate who can enter or exit the market place. The tenet of limited government means that government is restricted to setting up the rules of the game in which the entrepreneurs compete. Their labors result in more efficient production of goods and services which the whole society can enjoy. Government should enforce private contracts and prevent individuals from hurting one another through unscrupulous activity. Romans 13 tells us that the individual need not fear government if he is abiding by the established rules. Cedarville College does not accept government funds for capital or operating expenses because with government funding comes government controls . Example: AChristian college sought federal funding for construction of a new gymnasium. When the building was completed, the college was advised that they could not conduct anything of a religious nature in the building. Such practices occur because government has overstepped its proper role . We are committed to free enterprise because we believe the Bible supports the concept of private ownership without which one could not give freely to the Lord 's work. When property is owned individually rather than collectively , there exists a sense of stewardship. On the other hand , one tends to waste, to be careless with , even to steal that which belongs to a corporate group. Cedarville College is committed to provide to society graduates who have been well trained in a curriculum which is grounded in Scripture. It is our prayer that these young people will have a powerful impact on the business community as they put into practice their respect for and their desire to promote the free enterprise system. Roy Linton Roy Linton ('38) reflects that he is unequivocably committed to the free enterprise system and that he is a product of that sys– tem. When he was a child, his par– ents taught him responsibility and the work ethic and provided opportunities to put into practice the tenets of the free enterprise system. Linton states, "They [my parents] also advised [me] that not only could one rise above any situation but that there was always room at the top." When he was a student at Cedarville College in the '30's, he earned his room by doing yard work and chores for his elderly landlady. For his food he oper– ated the boarding club which served meals in the basement of the Carnegie Library. When he served in the military during World War II, he saw how individual initiative often saved lives under battle conditions. As he rose from sales repre– sentative to President and C.E.O. and later Chairman of the Execu– tive Committee of the Board of Directors of The Standard Regis– ter Company, he put into practice all he had learned under the free enterprise system. Mr. Linton observes that God has honored the free enterprise system and has allowed "...ours to become the most powerful nation on earth and the one most able to help meet the needs of less fortunate parts of the world." "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings .... " Prov . 22:29 21