Here is Al Mohler's statement on the Northland deal:
http://news.sbts.edu/2015/04/24/statement-by-r-albert-mohler-jr-on-northland-matter/
http://news.sbts.edu/2015/04/24/statement-by-r-albert-mohler-jr-on-northland-matter/
-
Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
SBTS-North
- Thread starter Jerome
- Start date
Interesting
Not unexpected. SBC counted the cost and the whole concept was ludicrous (expensive and without support) and if happened would take a long time to make truly workable.
Trust that Northland will revert back to being a summer camp. It was always "second tier" in academic programs as a "college", but had GREAT HEART, mission-minded, love for God among faculty and students.
It was never needed as a college in the Midwest, started as a rump reaction to neighboring fundamental Baptist colleges they saw as rivals, and trended downward. BUT as a CAMP? Fantastic facilities and programs in the north woods of Wisconsin and vision of Bro Patz (whom I knew personally) can keep on in that ministry.
Trust that Northland will revert back to being a summer camp. It was always "second tier" in academic programs as a "college", but had GREAT HEART, mission-minded, love for God among faculty and students.
It was never needed as a college in the Midwest, started as a rump reaction to neighboring fundamental Baptist colleges they saw as rivals, and trended downward. BUT as a CAMP? Fantastic facilities and programs in the north woods of Wisconsin and vision of Bro Patz (whom I knew personally) can keep on in that ministry.
Somewhere on the Northland website Pres. Patz was asking people to pray for $600,000 to come in. So I can picture the deal: "Here's a free college campus for you--oh and by the way, you need $600,000 just to stay out of the poor house."
Well said.
Much more than $600K is needed to make it even somewhat solvent IMO
Last edited by a moderator:
Tennessee Temple is closing its doors, merging with Piedmont. 17,000 alumni got a letter asking for money and only one per cent answered. Northland is now learning the unpleasant truth that Temple learned: the alumni don't like it when you stiff them by taking the school in a direction they are not headed. The difference is that Northland has gone that direction much more quickly.
In case anyone is interested, I've blogged on the subject on my son's theological blog at: http://paroikosmissionarykid.blogspot.com/
I heard another major issue was the poor state of recordkeeping with respect to alumni. I know an alumnus or two, and they (and several others) never received any letters. It turned out that much of the info they had on file, apparently, was seriously out of date. You can't send alumni letters if you don't have their addresses!
That doesn't surprise me at all. If you don't have an active alumni association, you obviously can't keep up with them!
Patz has announced that Northland is closing: http://www.ni.edu/news-events/grad-undergrad-schools-closing-camp-scaling-back/
My understanding is that it is doubtful that Northland will make it under any banner of christian ministry.
Maybe I am wrong?
Maybe I am wrong?
Time will tell. It's a beautiful facility for their camp. The question is, has the college debacle caused them the loss of support for even their camp? There are are other great Baptist camps in WI: Camp Joy, etc.
We just had dinner with friends, and they have a son who was in the final graduating class, so we got the latest news from them.
1. There were about 30 seniors graduating, but about 50 of the sophomores and juniors got associate degrees also.
2. Daniel Patz gave the two parting messages himself.
3. The institution is $1.2 million in debt.
4. There will be only two weeks of camp this summer.
According to our source, the camp starting offending their support base before the college did. Some years ago, the music and theme at the camp was all Hollywood stuff--Star Wars, etc. This is not what the ind. Baptist support base wanted at all--not that most would oppose Hollywood categorically, but it just didn't seem appropriate for a Baptist camp.
1. There were about 30 seniors graduating, but about 50 of the sophomores and juniors got associate degrees also.
2. Daniel Patz gave the two parting messages himself.
3. The institution is $1.2 million in debt.
4. There will be only two weeks of camp this summer.
According to our source, the camp starting offending their support base before the college did. Some years ago, the music and theme at the camp was all Hollywood stuff--Star Wars, etc. This is not what the ind. Baptist support base wanted at all--not that most would oppose Hollywood categorically, but it just didn't seem appropriate for a Baptist camp.
Two years later, they seem to have gone back into the education biz:
"Northland Institute" 2017 brochure (pdf)
The new Bible institute program
Oh, so you've heard how the Patz fortune was made...
I heard about that. Thanks for the link.