Torch, Spring 1987: Centennial Issue

• ·s1on Last October those of us who are baseball fans were basking in seven games of World Series excitement as the Boston Red Sox and the New York Mets went head to head. The Mets were the winners, but the Red Sox took the Series right down to the last inning. One word characterizes the determination of these championship teams: commitment! Commitment is the key to success in athletics, in business, in education, and certainly in marriage. It is significant to maturing, fruitful Christian living. The believer understands commitment as a solid New Testament concept. Consider how the Apostle Paul describes his dedication to his Lord: "Paul , a servant of Jesus Christ. ..separated unto the gospel of God" (Romans I: I); "For this cause I Paul, the prisoner ofJesus Christ for you Gentiles" (Ephesians 3: I). Commitment has to do with dedication to a task - a goal - a mission. Commitment has little meaning if there is no clearly defined mission . Christ came to this earth with a mission to glorify God and to seek and to save those who are lost. He could ascend back to the Father saying, "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished· the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). The Apostle Paul stated his mission: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil. I:21) . Every Christian should know his or her mission in life and must have a plan as to how to fulfill that mission. The same is true for every church and every Christian institution. Cedarville College is an institution of higher education with a commitment to mission. There is an identity crisis today in colleges and universities throughout America. Secretary of Education William J. Bennett recently spoke at Harvard University on the occasion of its 350th anniversary. Speaking of colleges and universities, Bennett said: "They are admittedly very good at getting funds from a Congress seemingly enraptured by the pieties, pontifications, and poor– mouthing of American higher education. But very few words like purpose, quality, curriculum, moral authority and responsibility of universities are heard." Bennett's words are sad but true. The face of American higher education has changed. Except for the University of Pennsylvania founded by Benjamin Franklin, the first 21 colleges in the United States were religious in nature. They were also private. Not many years ago 80% of all students were enrolled in independent colleges and universities. Today that figure is 20%, with 80% enrolled in public colleges and universities . For most private colleges and universities, the watchword is now "survival." Many schools which once had a Christ-centered mission now differ little in purpose from the state institutions. It would be far better for Cedarville to cease to exist than for it to fail in fulfilling its mission. We have a mission, and it is clearly defined in our purpose and seven-fold stated objectives. The purpose of Cedarville College is to offer our students an education consistent with biblical truth . It is through the objectives that we strive to accomplish our purpose. We keep our goals and objectives before_ us. The plaque pictured on the opposite page hangs in the reception area of Founders Hall; a similar plaque hangs in the office of each administrator. Notice the holistic nature of the objectives . The emphasis is on the intellectual, the spiritual , the social, and the physical. The intent of undergirding the student in the fundamentals of the faith is foundational. Notice the interrelationship and clear interdependence within all the objectives. At Cedarville we emphasize mission during the hiring process and the signing of annual contracts by administrators and faculty . While we stress the purpose and objectives in chapel at the beginning of each college year, this year we will devote an entire week to reviewing them. Mission. It has been central to Cedarville for 100 years. With God's enablement, we shall continue our commitment to our mission during our second century in Christian higher education. Dr. Frank A. Jurkat Dr. Frank Jurkat was the only professor to serve on both the Presbyterian and Baptist facul– ties of Cedarville College. Openly expressing his joy over the fact that the Baptists stood for the very principles for which Cedar– ville College had come into exis– tence, he stated that he could "sign without reservation" the doctrinal statement of the college under the new administration. Dr. Jurkat literally invested his life in Cedarville College. He joined the faculty in the second year of the institution's existence and remained at his postfor 58 years. Nicknamed "The Walk– ing University," he was adept at teaching German, history, Heb– rew, Greek, Latin, French, and "just about everything the college offered." He filled a multitude of roles outside the classroom: treasurer, registrar, librarian, dean, and bookstore manager. His students remembered him as one with a delightful sense of humor and the ability to weave into his lectures many items of interest from his vast storehouse of knowledge. In hard times, they remembered his handing out food to students in need. Dr. Frank Jurkat's commitment and contribution to Cedarville College influenced the lives of students for over a half century. " ... reaching forth . .. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. " Phil. 3:13,14 5