Education - By Christians Or By Infidels?
When a congregation wants a preacher it seldom asks where he went to school. The brethren are more concerned about his stand for the truth, his ability to tell it, and his manner of life. If he measures up in these respects, then nothing else matters. But the very fact most of our preachers attended a Christian school shows that these are the type of preachers most in demand.
Investigate and see where most of our teachers and our best church workers attended school. You will find that more and more of these have likely received a part of their education where the Bible is taught daily. If we want more good preachers, more good elders, more good teachers, and more good workers in the church, we must do something about it. No one seriously contends that all of our best preachers, all of our best elders and teachers attended a Christian school. No one argues that it is absolutely necessary. But all of us know, if we stop to think at all, that the percentage who have done so far outweighs the percentage who have not.
More people are now attending college than attended high school a third of a century ago. We have now reached the point that practically all of us expect our children to go to college. The facts show that about 95 per cent of all who go to a Christian school four years not only continue faithful in the service of the Lord, but become useful workers in the church. On the contrary, only about 20 per cent who go four years to a state school remain loyal to the church. Any thoughtful person knows that we cannot afford to take a four-to-one risk on anything—and certainly not on the ultimate salvation of our children.
The chief complaints against our schools are:
1. There is too much worldliness in them. This may be true, but certainly there is not as much worldliness in any of them as in the state schools. Furthermore, all of us can help the schools among us to keep out worldliness by discouraging the same at home, in the church, and especially with our own children.
2. Some of the teachers in our schools are soft, and even occupy questionable positions. This complaint may have some merit in it. We can help the schools, however, where we believe this to be true, by going to the heads, or the directors, and pointing out the ones we believe to be soft, and stating exactly why we believe them to be. But suppose we do have some teachers who are soft. Even these are better than infidel teachers. I had much rather my children would sit at the feet of men who believe in God, who believe in his word, in his church, and who know the meaning of prayer, than to sit at the feet of teachers who scoff at the Bible, make fun of the church, who belittle prayer, and cast a reproach on everything that is sacred and holy.
3. Some of our schools have become too dictatorial, and have tried to take over the work of the church. This may be true in some instances. If so, such schools are it error and should be put in their places. No school has the right to dictate to the church, or to undertake to do its work. The schools have no right to foist themselves upon the church, or to depend upon the church for their support. This has been pretty well threshed out recently. I doubt if all the support which all of our schools have ever obtained from the churches would amount to very much. Nevertheless, I am glad that all of us have been made conscious of the fact once more that the church and the school should be kept completely separated at all times, and that the schools should not ask for nor accept support from the churches. This policy has been followed from the very beginning at Central Christian College and will continue to be.
The Need Before Us
It is not enough, however, for us to agree on how not to support Christian schools. We can never build up anything on negatives. What we need now is the support of every individual in the establishment of another school. The schools we now have are all running over, even though the young people who are now attending them were born when the birth rate was very low—during the depression of the early '30's. By 1960 the number of young people who will be ready for college will be more than twice what it is now. The birth rate from 1941 to 1945 more than doubled the preceding decade. If we do not get some more schools ready before 1960, our children will have to attend colleges where their chances an four to one against their continued faithfulness to the church. Surely we are not going to sit idly by and allow this to happen.
A great many of us are still woefully blind to our needs and our opportunities, or else have become totally indifferent because of our bickerings. For example: some young people are now writing and asking Central Christian College to provide work for them to do, so they may attend school next year, yet the older people—parents of some of these, and elders where they attend church-refuse to do anything to help us in making this school possible. They don't even want us to go before their people and ask for their individual contributions to this work. This is not said by way of censure or criticism. I am sure if these brethren could look at matters from the same viewpoint that I am forced to do, they would take a different attitude.
Central Christian College will not be perfect by any means; but we do believe we can do more for young people than the state schools, with all their worldliness and infidelity. We believe we can preserve the faith of all who attend this school, and return them to their homes and to the churches where they worship, stronger in the faith, more useful in the church, and better prepared to face the problems of life than the state schools can possibly do. This is why I am going all out to raise the necessary funds for the establishment of this school. I am glad that many are responding to our efforts, and our prospects for success now look bright. But I would like to ask all who believe in this work to pitch in and help all you can. We appreciate your good wishes and your prayers; but we must have your financial support when we let contracts for buildings where our young people may meet, eat, and sleep.
To erect these building alone we need two hundred thousand dollars before the end of this year. Enough people—with the money—will read this page to supply these needs. For the sake of the many young people who want to come here to school, I am asking you, wont you please do it. Sit down right now and send all you can spare, together with a monthly promise of further help.