MBBC: History in the Making

a ROTC program.

Hoping to shed more light than heat..

A parent in my old church recently asked me what I thought of two different Christian colleges, and which one might be a better choice for her teenager (a female). One was Maranatha. Another was One Which Shall Not Be Named, an unaccredited Bible College. I put the matter very simply:

What are your daughter’s goals?

  • One Which Shall Not Be Named has no accreditation and focuses almost exclusively on the Bible. It’s focus is almost entirely on training young Christian men for the Pastorate. This is a noble and important goal. However, if you aren’t going to be a preacher, it has little to offer. Course offerings for females consists almost entirely of secretarial and teaching fields. Even at that, the quality and value of its teaching degree is doubtful. Even if you get a teaching degree from One Which Shall Not Be Named, you will likely have trouble finding a job outside a narrow fundamentalist day-school network. I know folks who have struggled with this very real problem.
  • MBBC has accreditation and a wealth of degrees far beyond a mere Bible College, as this article attests, without sacrificing the Biblical core undergirding its entire mission.
  • To put it very bluntly, I told the mother that if her daughter wanted to teach in a Christian day school and find a husband, she would do well at One Which Shall Not Be Named. If she wanted to work in the real world (an unfortunate term, but I couldn’t find a better one; not trying to be rude, but you know what I mean …) and study in a field she enjoys, she should go to MBBC.

I am, of course, a Seminary alumni of MBBC, but I believe anybody would agree they are doing an excellent job. I wish them well into the future.

Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.