Here is some REAL information for you...at least, as real as I could find out, though my sources are excellent considering who they are...

The union of CBC, Global or EU would not be voted on by the A/G board, general presbytery or otherwise, because the schools are considered AFFILIATES, and while they are endorsed, they are not sanctioned by headquarters decisions (if there were, i.e. no one would be allowed to shorts on campus and would have to wear nylons all the time).

Furthermore, accredidation is not as big of an issue because credits from CBC that tranfer to Evangel are absolved into the Evangel credit program (i.e. I transferred 50 credits to Evangel from CBC, and once I graduate from Evangel and want to go into a secular Master's program, they would accept me because the credits are seen as EU's, not CBC's).

Joining two schools is much more difficult than some people make it seem, though. It is MUCH bigger than simply annexing a school district. It makes more sense to think of the whole thing as one new school that has more facets and faculty.

Bottomline--I seriously doubt that it will happen unless CBC is in extreme financial trouble and cannot stand on its own.

it's kinda lame to have a site and not indicate who you are. much easier to hide behind a curtain and facade. what's up with that?

I don't think it is wise to be posting a hate site about a school you attend. Besides, you have a choice about what school you go to. I think the wise thing to do is to ask God what His will is at this time. God has placed people such as the administration board, faculty, and our beloved leaders of the Assemblies of God, into that authority position and we should trust God that they are seeking after God in every situation!!! Besides, this is just a school! The real growth comes from our own personal time with God!!!!!!!

Dear Mr. Bill,

 

I don’t know you and I have no desire to offend you in writing any of this. The following is a response to your post and the thoughts contained within. Any comments are written out of a heart for my institution and a dedication to fellowship. Nothing within is meant to belittle you or attack you personally. 

 

Allow me address your first sentence. CUAG, despite its title bar and a brief mention of hating the idea of a combined institution within its member profile, is not a “hate site about a school which [we] attend.” Hate site is clearly a misnomer in this instance. This site has functioned more as an open forum for students to express freely, in an uncensored media, their opinions of a decision that is going to be made without a great deal of input from the student body. I think those posting on this site, for the most part, have handled the freedom quite well. I do not think it is wrong for someone to have started this site and I do not think it is wrong to participate in the discussion as long as it remains respectful.

 

I think as students we have an obligation to the AG and our respective schools to voice our opinions regarding this merger. Although it seems the Big Dogs want this merger to occur, there is still some power within the General Council assembled. One of my greatest appreciations of the AG is its structured accountability. The structure is designed to spread out the power and the voice of the fellowship. As a credentialed minister, I am a part of this system and a part of this voice. Simply leaving this matter to those higher up would neglect my duty as a minister in this fellowship.

 

As for your final remarks… “Besides, this is just a school! The real growth comes from our own personal time with God!!!!!!!”  Yes, growth comes from time with God, but no, this is not “just a school.” It would be nice to say, “We don’t need a school to prepare us for ministry. Real growth comes from personal time with God so we should just ahead and do whatever the Big Dogs think is most economically efficient and then chalk it up as being God’s will.”  I strongly disagree. Even godly leaders make bad calls. Just check the Bible for that one. Not convinced that AG leadership can be equated with the like of biblical characters? Try this one on for size. There were some godly people back at the inception of the AG who really liked the idea of Oneness. Good plan there leaders.

 

I've said it to multiple people at this point, so I'll just go ahead and put it on the site. CBC needs to remain a separate institution for a number of reasons. Of these, the most important being the necessity for students to have different expectations placed on them than those of liberal arts university.

Ministry is a profession that is based primarily out of one's character. The ministry one does is the result of an overflow from his/her personal relationship with God. This relationship is the motivational “fuel” for ministry. Anything less than this is just a manufactured attempt at ministry and is far below the standard God has set for us. CBC is unique in that the entire purpose of the college is to train ministers and missionaries. With that comes a unique environment for shaping character. Whereas a liberal arts college seeks to shape the mind and the knowledge associated with a given profession, a bible college seeks to groom the lifestyle and character of the student in addition to the knowledge necessary to serve the church. This lifestyle is absolutely foundational the success of one's ministry and the furthering of the Kingdom. By combing the institutions the AG will allow a larger university to consume a bible college with a distinct ethos that has taken the last 83 years to develop. If the institutions could be combined with CBC retaining its distinct community standards and daily chapel schedule, then perhaps a merger could exists that favored CBC’s formation of ministers. This in itself, however, would not resolve all issues associated with a merger.

 

There are also numerous complications that would cost CBC a significant portion of its student body. Pentecostals have been characterized traditionally as a people of less fortunate circumstances. In a movement that greatly started out on “the wrong side of the tracks,” the AG is still greatly comprised of micro-churches scattered throughout the country both in urban and rural settings. Ministry is not a profit generating industry. It has been said many times that one would be crazy if he attempted ministry without a call from God. The sacrifices are too great and the money, at times, is non-existent. This being said, combining the institutions would do two disastrous things.

 

First, the ability of CBC to train ministers would be greatly diminished because of financial issues. With the rising cost of tuition, CBC already faces the problem of turning away a number of students who feel called to train for ministry. The tuition of a liberal arts university would only magnify this problem, allowing only the financially enabled to study for the ministry while simultaneously keeping out those who are less fortunate.

 

Second, a portion of the students who attend CBC to train for ministry do not excel in the traditional academic fields. Although they feel called of God to do the work of the ministry, their scores on standardized tests or high school academic records may not be sufficient in light of the higher admissions standards of a liberal arts university. If the institutions are combined, it will only be more difficult for the AG to train ministers in Springfield.

 

The only way I can describe the results of such a merger is by labeling it a tragic mistake. CBC has taken the last 80 years forming itself and developing a rich history in the matter of training ministers and missionaries. For an institution heralded as the cornerstone of ministerial development for the Pentecostal movement to be devoured by a corporate merger of sorts for economic purposes is not only tragic, it is ridiculous.

 

I’m sure I’ll have more to say later.

I am glad to see that you like me so much that you posted my comment on your own xanga! I am not offended by what you said. I just want to straighten some things out that may not have been understandable.

First of all when I said that it wasn't wise to start a blog such as the CUAG hate site, I was saying that most of us have no idea really what is going on behind the scenes. All we hear are rumors. By starting a site that is devoted to an "open forum" we allow these rumors to grow! This causes us to say things that may not be true. Where I am from that is called lying! I know for sure that you have not been in any of these meetings to know first hand what is going on.

Secondly, I go to CBC and have been with the AG all of my life and I know how things are run and I agree with you that the accountibility structure is really good. I also know that CBC is special and needs to stay separated from Evangel. I don't know how in any of my words you thought that I wanted us to merge!!! I was upset at how we (the student body) have immaturely been handling this!!! I might have been wrong in saying that this is just a school, but I meant in a way such as saying that what ever happens we are still called by God and I don't know about you but I am going to pursue that calling until I have accomplished what God has called me to!!! No matter what it takes, if that means going somewhere to study and prepare for ministry than so be it! God has called me to CBC and I love it here and would never want it to lose its ministerial focus!!!

In my opinion I wish they would make it so we could benefit from Evangel as a resource, and vice versa. Evangel could use some more biblical resources and CBC would benefit from a larger library and classes that could allow us to teach anywhere. I know that would benefit missionaries as they might pursue some kind of teaching degree so they can live in the country that they are called to. This doesn't mean being one college though!!! (Please don't read into this!) A wise man once told me, "Get as much education as possible!"

I agree that it would be ridiculous to merge schools, but I know for a fact that our faculty at CBC is sticking with what is best for CBC, and that would be to not merge.

I hope I have cleared some things up. If you have any questions look me up and give me a call. (I live on campus!)

I am finished with this xanga and don't plan on coming back to this site.

I'm with Helms on this one....Let's go TTU!!!!!!!!

In real life, I have no solid information  regarding these issues. Dismiss my remarks as uneducated opinions until I get my hands on a copy of the report.

Hint: This Friday Evangel will be releasing an article in the school paper, The Lance, concerning this issue. I've heard it said that they are getting the inside scoop and will tell the student body.  If you want, you can pick up a copy of it in the Humanities office (barracks building, hallway on the left). I agree that CBC should remain seperate, as a school primarily focused on ministry. I am curious to know how you would feel about such a thing as a wing-school. Like Harvard Law School as opposed to just Harvard. How would you feel about something like Evangel's School of Ministry? A seperate location and program but one that can still draw from EU's resources?

Good plan Renee. Maybe this time we'll really talk about the merger. I mean Benson can only "expire" once. If the school is concerned with rumors, they should educate the student body. I almost find it ridiculous for them to be surprised. Benson, you said it yourself. AG gossip is slightly fast than the speed of light. I'm no math whiz cause I didn't go a real university like you, but tell me how long it takes light to get from Evangel to CBC. When a topic is addressed to the students of Evangel you can't pretend like it doesn't exist at CBC. I'm not sure I appreciate the questioning of our integrity for wanting to know about this merger (granted there are lines to be drawn concerning rumors).  If a question of integrity can be made, let's ask about how "open and honest" we've strived to be. I think it's sad.

And on another note, I think copies of the report should be made available to students prior to Wednesday's chapel. Right now they control the information so whatever questions and concerns we have can be dismissed as uneducated remarks. I'm sure they anticipating some dumb freshman getting up and saying off the wall things so they can dismiss us as not handling the responsibility adequately. If you really want our input, educate us and allow us to synthesize the information and formulate decent comments. That would make sense...but I'm not an administrator...yet.

Here I go again, patching up previous comments. Note to self: don't write comments in the heat of frustration. I have nothing but respect for President Benson. He's in a difficult a position right now. He has to lead a group of students through the proper response despite his own feelings (which have yet to be revealed). My previous response raised the question of integrity. Unfortunately my frustration took over and dominated my response. I do not doubt the personal integrity of our leaders. My frustration is that a week ago I heard about openess and honesty. Now this week I'm hearing that my desire and efforts to understand what's happening with my school is wrong. My intention was not to indict Benson and his personal ethics. I'm only asking that the bar be raised on all levels, both for students and administrators. I think there is a responsibility to handle the rumors with discernment. However, I also think there's a responsibility for leaders to operate honestly with their constituents, starting with the executives and extending all the way to the institutions administrations. Evangel and CBC needed to handle this from the beginning with more a more unified approach. If they're going to merge now is the time to start practicing. Coordination of the announcements would have been ideal, and now, given the student response to the lack information, I think the administration would rethink the decision if given the opportunity. CBC students will remain frustrated until Wednesday when their questions are answered. At CBC concerns are to be addressed to SGA. Yesterday I approached an SGA member and politely asked if it would be possible to see a copy of the report prior to Wednesday's meeting. I was told that that would not be allowed. This is the kind of frustration I'm talking about. Fortunately for us I heard there are some copies of the report that are circulating. I still have not seen the report.

My belief is that if this is such a good idea that the study and the report would have been completed in openess and in the light of day.  Here is what the bible says,

John 3:19, 20 and 21

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. [3] 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

But we do have a promis from God

Luke 12: 1, 2 and 3

In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

  www.junct.com/cbc

Thank you for this and other web sites where we can Proclaim this issue from the housetops.

 

Ken

Check www.xanga.com/markjahnke for the entire report, more articles, etc.