BBC&S becomes Summit University of Pennsylvania
My wife and I visited the campus back in the 70’s when we were newlyweds. Very remote. Map of location
Not to trash the place, but it never looked like a going concern to me.
As an aside .. we visited Florida two years ago. Here’s a weird town: Ava Maria, FL. Map. History
He was the pastor of North Park Street Chapel (later Metropolitan Tabernacle). Notice the word “baptist” is missing from the title. Is anyonw here going to accuse Spurgeon of not being a real baptist?
Agreed completely with those who point out that regrettably, Baptist institutions are getting rid of that name because too many have smeared that name by their actions. I remember that from my childhood, really, and I only became a Baptist as an adult. Love Baptist distinctives, love true fundamentalism, but I can get that at an Evangelical Free church, too. Just sayin’.
And along those lines, hopefully Summit U. is doing this with a view as to why the name Baptist has become a liability, and correct that. Getting rid of “Baptist” is really a superficial, temporary fix to a very big problem.
Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.
RE:
… perhaps we should drop the name “Church” altogether?
- I like the word “church”. Of course it has its own connotations of “the building” instead of “the people gathered”
- I never got Baptist “Tabernacle” but if you Google it it is frequent. Is there an Ark in there? Behind the Holiest?!
- “Chapel” seems to be used in rural areas. Seems to connote small and quaint. For me it brings to mind a song from the ‘60’s
- “Fellowship” is also used by some
- Probably what goes on on the inside is the more important thing
As I understand the situation, chapel is (as in New Park Street Chapel) used in England as the word “church” is (or was) legally reserved for the CoE and the RCC. So, Dissenting and Non-Conformist assemblies use “chapel” to designate their buildings.
Hoping to shed more light than heat..
http://setwatchman.com/2011/06/29/funny-and-strange-church-names/
Here is a list of very unusual church names. My favorite is “Go and Tell Ahab that Elijah is Here”
I can recall Baptist mission boards being reluctant to accept young people from Baptist churches for summer mission teams because their home church, while distinctly and doctrinally Baptist did not have Baptist in their church’s name.
BTW, Jim Peet, those Baptist Tabernacles do have altars in them.
"Some things are of that nature as to make one's fancy chuckle, while his heart doth ache." John Bunyan
BBC was a Bible college. Is that what they still are, or are they offering more necessitating a name change from a name that identifies them as a Bible college?
[Jonathan Charles]BBC was a Bible college. Is that what they still are, or are they offering more necessitating a name change from a name that identifies them as a Bible college?
Undergraduate programs:
http://www.bbc.edu/college/academics/programs.asp
Graduate programs:
http://www.bbc.edu/graduate/default.asp
Seminary:
http://www.bbc.edu/seminary/default.asp
Online programs:
Names are identifiers, plain and simple. Name changes are changes of identity. Plenty of examples around that illustrate that: Marriage; Jacob becomes Israel; Daniel to Belteshazzar (attempted at least); business name changes, which happen all the time (Kentucky Fried Chicken morphs simply to KFC, for instance); etc.
In a business model it often involves a greater inclusivity that the old name failed to represent (for example: Joe’s Pool Sales becomes Eastside Pool and Patio or similar) . Likely that is the case here.
The question is what is their new identity identifying with/as. I suppose that is yet to be seen.
Lee
Not only do they offer bible and ministry degrees, but they also offer business and education degrees. So that is one of the reasons why they changed their name. One of my staff is an alumni from BBC, and he told me that their enrollment is 4 times less than it was since 2000. Offering additional degrees stemmed the tide from losing the school all together. Bible colleges cannot compete with liberal arts colleges and universities which offer a much more marketable degree in todays economy and social climate.
[Jim]
- Northland Baptist Bible College. Recent history that is well known
What’s going on with Northland? Did I miss something?
/ducks
"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells
[Jim]
- LABC –> The Masters College. Robust, going concern
- Denver (DBBC) –-> folded & merged with Faith (Ankeny)
- Spurgeon (was some place in Central Florida) –> folded and merged into Piedmont
- Grand Rapids: dropped “Baptist”. Robust, going concern
- Cedarville: Never had “Baptist” in its title. Robust, going concern
- Faith Baptist in Ankeny: Robust, going concern
You missed some Jim. Western Baptist Bible College became Corban (whatever that means) University. Northwest Baptist Seminary (my alma mater) was given to Corban which immediately sold the property and promised to establish a graduate school in the Seattle area with the money. A year later they reneged and formed a partnership with Mars Hill (which will probably die). Corban has proven to be ethically challenged in the whole affair.
Cedarville was organized as Cedarville Baptist College and there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth when they dropped the name Baptist. As a compromise they became Cedarville College, A Baptist College of Arts and Sciences. When they became a university the dropped the pretense.
Donn R Arms
[Donn R Arms]You missed some Jim. Western Baptist Bible College became Corban (whatever that means) University. Northwest Baptist Seminary (my alma mater) was given to Corban which immediately sold the property and promised to establish a graduate school in the Seattle area with the money. A year later they reneged and formed a partnership with Mars Hill (which will probably die). Corban has proven to be ethically challenged in the whole affair.
Every time I see that name (Corban Unversity), I’m reminded of Jesus’ admonition:
But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God) —then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
It’s probably meant to indicate that the university is ‘given to God’, but what I remember is the invalidation of the Word of God by tradition.
"Our task today is to tell people — who no longer know what sin is...no longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories — that Christ died for sins of which they do not think they’re guilty." - David Wells
Discussion