Baptist Bible College (Springfield, Mo.) has changed its name

[Jerome]

The shrunken Fundamentalist school is rebranding itself as 'Mission University':

January 25, 2024 • Baptist Bible College changes name to Mission University

"The new name has been "quietly in place since Jan. 2", but was "made public" on Thursday.

New signage "will likely cost $100,000 or more".

According to the school's president Mark Milioni, "the original name of the college could be off-putting...to certain families". "This is really opening the door for a lot of people to find their way to us".

 

[Jerome]

Who are these families that find the terms "Baptist" or/or "Bible" oh so off-putting?!

 

[John of Japan]

So, their student body is decreasing, and they decide to change the school's name and spend 100,000 on signage instead of finding out why. And then they decide they are a university instead of just a college? Apparently the examples in recent fundamentalist history of this road leading to nowhere doesn't phase them.

Tennessee Temple was forced to close its doors years ago after turning SBC. Unfortunately, they failed to stop and think that when they did that, their old, out of date, poorly conceived campus could not compete with the SBC schools. And, oh yeah, they complete forgot what the alumni (me included) might think.

Northland's leadership decided to seek partnership with new evangelical organizations, allow CCM, etc., without consulting the alumni (many friends of mine).

Pillsbury compromised and disappointed their alumni. They closed their doors.

Other examples could be given. Oh, did I point out that all of these schools pretty much ignored their alumni? And by the way, BJU is rapidly shrinking because--wait for it--they are ignoring their alumni and lowering standards.

 

[TheOldJudge]

Absolutely, Sir. I concur with every word of your post.

Maranatha seems to have made the transition in name well enough...but only because they have hewn very closely to what would not upset their alumni to the point of desertion.

Milioni is shrewd, I must admit. Completely unmooring the college from its fundamentalist heritage and opening it to partner with ecumenicalism will cause it to continue to grow numerically in the vein of Summit University or (to a much smaller degree) Cedarville and Liberty.

 

[xlsdraw]

The shrunken Fundamentalist school is rebranding itself as 'Mission University':

January 25, 2024 • Baptist Bible College changes name to Mission University

"The new name has been "quietly in place since Jan. 2", but was "made public" on Thursday.

New signage "will likely cost $100,000 or more".

According to the school's president Mark Milioni, "the original name of the college could be off-putting...to certain families". "This is really opening the door for a lot of people to find their way to us".

Boooooo!

 

[Marooncat79]

I’m confused here so please help me out

so am I understanding that it is an all or nothing w these schools?

what are they “compromising” so badly that it infuriates their own people?

are they denying Gospel essentials like the Trinity, VB or Resurrection?

Is it beards on men or men having to wear long sleeve shirts?

women only wearing dresses only?

women and head coverings?

mid is a non essential I would think to hang in as long as it’s a nonessential?

how do they infuriate?

thanks in advance

 

[John of Japan]

I’m confused here so please help me out

so am I understanding that it is an all or nothing w these schools?

what are they “compromising” so badly that it infuriates their own people?

are they denying Gospel essentials like the Trinity, VB or Resurrection?

Is it beards on men or men having to wear long sleeve shirts?

women only wearing dresses only?

women and head coverings?

mid is a non essential I would think to hang in as long as it’s a nonessential?

how do they infuriate?

thanks in advance

My whole point was that a college or university, Christian or secular, must know who they are trying to reach for students. And the key to that is the alumni. So when Tennessee Temple U. (TTU) decided to join the SBC (because they were shrinking), they abandoned their base of graduates, and that is who they needed to please in order to get new students.

So the main issue with the schools mentioned above is not beards on men, pants on women, and the like. It is: what do the graduates want?

Harvard and Columbia are learning right now what I've been saying. By the extreme woke positions and the anti-Israel and anti-semitism stance they have allowed, they are alienating a good number of grads. One Jewish billionaire has already withdrawn millions in support from Columbia.

If Southeastern decided to rebrand themselves as broadly evangelical, calling itself "Southeastern Evangelical Seminary," do you think their grads, and the SBC in general, would say, "Yeah, sure, go for it"?

 

[robt.k.fall]

IIRC, MBBC changed to MBU because some countries had a different view of college vs. university.

 

[John of Japan]

IIRC, MBBC changed to MBU because some countries had a different view of college vs. university.

This is correct. For example, Japanese uses the same word for both (daigaku, 大学), and there is no distinction in Japanese culture.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Pillsbury shifted some away from its shrinking roots and Minnesota churches (most also shrinking) until 1996 when instead of just closing, they started a 10-year program to return. Sadly, too little, too late. Damage done and loyalties shifted. Closed 2010 and graciously Maranatha Baptist University volunteered to take all records/transcript files, so PBBC's alumni can get help.

(I am not a disinterested party. I attended Pillsbury BBC 1966-1968 and returned as a professor 1996-2000 in the "lean" years and turn around back to its roots)