Anyone heard of the Baptist College of Ministry?

I had not heard of it, but located their website with a Google search:

http://www.bcmedu.org/

 

I hear basically good reports. I know a few students in the Irish extension of it.

 

If you:

1. Think BJU, Clearwater, Piedmont, Northland, Maranatha, etc. have all adopted standards for student behavior that are way too loose and carnal for you . . .

2. Grow spiritually when almost every sermon preached by some of those in leadership ultimately leads back to the perils of low standards in music, dress and movies . . .

3. Want these beliefs to be reinforced in your own mind . . .


. . . then BCoM is probably a place you'll want to consider.

In no way am I suggesting that the standards this ministry advocates are somehow wrong or arrogant. I am suggesting that it would be wise for someone considering attending this school to carefully consider whether its philosophy of ministry is biblically balanced.

 

Yep, pretty close to the mark. ITs fine, if that is what you really want.

Just like almost any school. If it is what you want, you will be happy there.

Just be well educated on what it really is before you pull the trigger. Not sure that there is anything wrong with the philosophy or theology, but perhaps a little scrutiny would be wise. I would definitely not view it as Biblically balanced. Possibly even go so far as to say extra-Biblical, having heard several of the Van Geldren's preach the messages described above. I was unaware of how damaging it was that I allowed others to see my unsightly legs. I had to go to several people for forgiveness after absorbing the truths of scripture on the evils of shorts.

 

Superdave,
You may be hyper-sensitive. Why don't you give us a picture of your legs and let us be the judge? I am sure we will be fair and sensitive to your feelings.

 

I cannot speak for the current standard

In the early 90's I heard a message using a passage about Abraham not baring his thigh used to support the position that men should not wear shorts. And women, well, don't even think about it. It was a person who is now on the faculty in Menominee falls.

I was going to ask how that applied to shorts that don't bare the thigh, but that of course would have just disrespectful, plus I was stunned that someone actually believed that. Never mind that the context has nothing at all to do with dress.

 

As a student at Falls Baptist Academy for 5 years with several classmates currently attending BCoM, I would likewise warn anyone considering the Baptist College of Ministry to reckon just how "Baptist" they are.

I would say the predominant view of the Falls establishment is an almost uber-Baptist one. Standards are very, VERY strict. I attend Maranatha Baptist Bible College, which is not at all liberal but looked down on by some at Falls. Why? Partly becase Maranatha students are allowed to date (with chaperones). Shocking, I know. Nothing but courting for BCoM students.

Many Falls families do not own a television. While the smut that pervades much of network tv may lead others to consider this option, Falls people do not stop there. A former Falls principal told us once in a chapel that he does not even get the newspaper. I doubt he listened to radio either--so how exactly did he get his news? To the Falls mind, it is apparently better to be uninformed than to risk infinitesimal exposure to the world.

Forgive my rambling rant. I thought you might appreciate the views of someone who's been there and is glad to be out.

 

I have no knowledge of it myself and this is my first post so I will start off with a bang. A mild one though.

Who interprets a doctrine (that of wearing shorts) based off of one verse in THE TIME OF ABRAHAM? Unbelievable.

 

No one would claim wearing of shorts is a doctrine - it is simply a standard. It is not based on any Abrahimic verse, but the whole concept of modesty.

While I may disagree with their standard, I wish we could see more Christians taking a stand for modest apparal.

Welcome to the BB, KJ.

 

KJ, it is not as uncommon as you think. I have seen it many times. BTW, welcome to the board neighbor, I work with several people who cross the bridge every morning to go to work over here in the Great state of Michigan. I live about an hour north of the Bridge and Tunnel. Driven through Windsor a few times on my way East.

I have no problem with standards of modesty, but pants on women, or shorts on men, have very little to do with modesty, they have much more to do with spiritual control over the laity, IMHO. If you want to say that shorts are immodest, or innapropriate given the culture you are in that is one thing, and I would never impugne someone for that personal preference, and I would attempt to not offend. But to use a verse out of context that is referring to a specific cultural practice of oath-making and say it speaks to the modesty issue is bad exegesis, not to mention that is demonstrates how weak the case is on principle as well if you have to stretch that far. In that case, this rather cynical 2nd generation IFB would probably go out of my way to attend services in shorts and see how many copies of the Bridge Tract I get handed. The only problem is I am a know entity in that church, especially once they learn my last name.

I also attended MBBC Heather, and I know exactly what you are talking about, there are several churches like falls that look down on MBBC for their "lack of standards" primarily in the areas of dress and courtship.

MBBC leaves the dating/courtship issue up to the parents, where it belongs. As well as several other issues that really the school has no place or reason to address. All extra-Biblical stuff.

Sorry for the rant, I am a very militant fundamentalist

 

I guess thats what I meant, I "dated" my wife while we were both students within the bounds of the handbook (most of the time) and also in my parents home since they lived about 25 min from the school at the time. We spent most weekends with them. Engagements were only officially recognized with the approval of the parents, and within 6 months of the date of the wedding. Engaged couple status was a coveted thing, since it allowed much less stringent rules for chaperone requirements and times for passes, etc.

An Anecdote I remember is from my dad who attended MBBC in the early Cedarholm years. He had a job cleaning at night in Old Main, and happened to pass a girl on the stairway, and said hello, and got turned in since it was past dating hours. Probably not his only demerits for the year since his usual partner in crime was Dr. Bob. Now there are some great stories there. Maybe they will tell them once their children are all over 30.

 

Was this in Afghanistan under the Taliban?

 

What else would you have to complain about right?

No, you must be mistaken, the Taliban wouldn't even let the girls go to college
The rules in public grade schools were stricter when my dad went to college than Maranatha's are now. And I really don't consider him to be that old. Its amazing how much changes.