BJU to change its Sunday morning format: "BJU will eliminate its Sunday morning service on campus"

Tyler, the Bob would disagree with you about this. They would see it as their mission to disciple your children. They believe in “in loco parentis” or “in place of the parents.” If the parent doesn’t believe in that, then they don’t have to send their kids there.

If this is the case, it is indeed sad. I did not grow up as a Christian and am not from a particular camp. I am unfamiliar with the background on a whole host of issues that somebody else may take for granted. I don’t know of many “big important” people, but I’m getting there. John Piper, for instance, is just a guy who writes books to me. BJU is just a name to me. My theological outlook was shaped by military life, the many churches I’ve been in, and common sense. I often feel like a fish out of water on certain issues because I come from such a different perspective than most folks.

The philosophy you attribute to BJU is unfortunate. I don’t agree with it. Distance education is a blessing. More teens of this generation should take advantage of it and set roots down in a local church of their own choosing, rather than sit under the authority of a Bible College which seeks to monitor your every move. I hope they do so.

[Ken Woodard]

The purpose of the Christian college is discipleship not just equipping to get a job.

Jesus tasked the church with discipleship, not the educational system. When the church fails, they outsource it to the schools. This has been such a glaring weakness of fundamentalism. These schools think they know more than the church. These schools have the same disdain for churches that the NEvangelicals had for the fundies. They are just a bunch of hopeless rubes and hicks.

If I was in charge of a trans-denominational Christian University and we were to encourage the students to be involved in local churches, these might be the three criteria we would use to help direct students to area churches.

1. the church in question is approved by the parents of student (when the student is “still at home” when not at school).

2. the church in question is approved by the leadership of the student’s home church (when the student has a home church).

3. the church in question is orthodox in doctrine, believe’s in the Bible„ preaches a clear gospel message and attempts to submit to the Lordship of Christ.

A few thoughts for our friends in Greenville.

Straight Ahead!

jt

ps - if this is too “open” for BJ - perhaps it is time for the university to consider officially identifying a denominational distinctive.

ppss - this note should be read with the knowledge that I am thrilled with the continued direction and alterations that is being made at BJ. To consider in just a few short years BJ has relaxed the dress standard for kids off-campus, they are working hard to be pro-local church, the new intercollegiate athletic program, an openness to “peer review” on a variety of issues, the new dinning facility will be first rate!, regional accreditation, etc…..it simply is not fair to suggest that BJ is unwilling to change or improve themselves.

[Joel Tetreau] 1. the church in question is approved by the parents of student (when the student is “still at home” when not at school).

2. the church in question is approved by the leadership of the student’s home church (when the student has a home church).

Chip - good question - some random thoughts as I try to answer -

In my mind I see a distinction between day to day “loco parentis” issues that might face the student in “college-life” and the issues related to church relationships. To me the issue of church associate membership or significant participation is most healthy when the young adult is guided by parents and his local church (pastor, mentors). While we love BJ - the definition of a healthy church might be slightly different - and that being the case I would want to have a greater amount of impact on that student directing them to a like-minded church than to have the college or university to have a great choice - that is especially true when the institution is not directly tied the authority of a local church.

Chip, while it wouldn’t be my preferred approach, I wouldn’t even mind if BJ would have an approved “list” for students who don’t have documented approval by parents/pastors to attend such-in-such Church in the Greenville area.

So in this world - my son Jeremy could go to BJ, study pre-law, political science, music, etc…..be a member of a Southern Baptist Church or Community Church and because Toni and I have signed off on that and because the elders have signed off on that BJ honors the two institutions in Jeremy’s life -his parents and his pastors (ie - his church). So let’s say Jeremy has a friend who also goes to BJ - this friends parents and his friends church have nothing to say about church attendance. In that case, I’d say allow BJ to set the standard…..until he’s 21 or whatever.

Ultimately I think you should just trust the kids to go to a solid church. I mean if the kids don’t want to go to a solid church…..why in the world are they at BJ? It may be that if a kid decides to go to the First Generic Church of the Inner Spring and Pastor Sarah preaches in tongues every Sunday and is a firm supporter of Evangelical Feminism - maybe that’s a sign the kid shouldn’t be a BJU…..even if you have parents back in Peoria that are willing to pay? I don’t know.

I don’t know this - but it may be that BJ would be hesitant to do this because if you had 3000 kids attending evangelical churches of various “ilks” - those kids bring those sub-cultural “norms” back to the campus. If I know BJ -they still want to retain more of an influence. As a leader of a ministry I can understand that but if you want that kind of real authority I think in the end you are going to have to have more of a real connection with a denomination or an official tie to a group of churches - not just “a board” where there are some pastors who serve. So there is not question that sort of reality brings a tension here to a university that still wants to maintain a certain fundamentalist subcultural “feel” to the school.

Maybe it all changes once the kid get’s 21 - I don’t know and I haven’t thought that deeply here. I do know I like the idea of the parents and the student’s church to have a greater degree of impact on where the student attends church than BJ has. In other words I want Jeremy to care more about what “Father Joel” (wow - that sounds too sacramental) and SVBC thinks of such-in-such church in the Greenville neighborhood than what Stephen or Jim Berg might think (that’s not a shot at either of those men - I’m just trying to be clear here).

Hopefully that made sense at some level - it’s fine if you see it a different way.

Straight Ahead!

jt