Report of the
Board of Higher Education
Since the 113th Annual Conference, the Board of Higher Education (BHE) has met three times, for a total of ten times since its inception in the fall of 1994. It has continued to take action to oversee the work of the Pinebrook Educational Foundation (PEF), and to establish a cordial working relationship with Biblical Theological Seminary (BTS) on several fronts.
The Pinebrook Educational Foundation
The Board of Directors of the PEF for the past year has consisted of the following members:
Term expiring in 1999: Olivia Barnes, Stephen C. Cassel
Term expiring in 1998: Raymond R. Dotts, Jay H. Fasnacht
Term expiring in 1997: Keith W. Johnson, Robert C. Newman
In September 1996, Valeria S. Boyer resigned from the Foundation Board because of her health. Since the PEF legislation does not address Foundation Board vacancies, the PEF adopted at its December 5th meeting the same policy authorized for the BHE, as found in Article II, Section 3. Then, at that same meeting, they selected Olivia Barnes to fill the vacancy until the next Annual Conference. Subsequently the BHE elected, subject to ratification by the 114th Annual Conference, Keith W. Johnson and Robert C. Newman for terms expiring in 2000, and Olivia Barnes to complete the term of Valeria Boyer in 1999.
The report of the Pinebrook Educational Foundation is appended to the report of the Board of Higher Education.
Denominational Involvement in Biblical Theological Seminary
The Board completed work on two of its three activities that will create a closer affiliation with BTS:
1. The newly designed course, THS-560 “Bible Fellowship Church Polity”, was scheduled for two hours of credit during the 1997 spring semester at 11:30 to 1:20 on Tuesdays. The Ministerial Candidate Committee had selected Richard E. Taylor and Calvin Reed as both instructors and syllabus writers. Unfortunately the course had to be cancelled due to low enrollment. The BHE intends to try again in the Spring semester of 1998, offering the same course in the evening and seeking to develop better promotion in advance of the course offering.
2. Final copy of the “Pastoral Intern Partnership” brochure was approved, and many of these brochures were later distributed. The first official intern under this new program, Peter Gunderson, has been accepted and approved to begin his work under the supervision of Carl T. Martin.
3. The Board has remained in contact with William W. Mull as its chief candidate to be the BFC Chaplain at the Seminary. The slow recovery of Bill, and of Addy in particular, has necessarily delayed the onset of this endeavor. In the meanwhile, both Newton Conant, former chaplain at BTS, and Al Oldham who was instrumental in bringing him to the Seminary, have contributed many valuable ideas for a job description for this position.
Further Work
The Lord’s blessed call to glory of our dearly beloved and sorely missed brother, George K. Monroe, Jr., on Friday, August 23rd, was a great loss to this Board. Efforts have been made to find suitable and willing candidates to replace him, and these names have been submitted to the Committee on Nominations. Meanwhile, John Studenroth was elected to serve as secretary of the BHE in George’s place. Since George was a faithful and charter member of the BHE, the PEF has urged all members of the BHE to make gifts in his memory for the Foundation’s Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund. The BHE in turn would like to extend the same invitation to all the friends and members of this 114th Annual Conference.
Under the direction of the PEF, efforts continue to transfer endowment and scholarship funds remaining from both Berean Bible School and Pinebrook Junior College in order to promote higher education within the BFC and offer financial aid to its members. The Board has also solicited participation of the particular churches in these efforts. Partially due to the unresolved matters related to the sale of former PJC properties, sufficient funds are not yet available to support applications for financial aid.
The BHE has been actively discussing ways in which we can promote Christian higher education in the Bible Fellowship Church. Opinions from others on this subject are always welcome.
RESOLVED; that the Annual Conference ratify the election to the Pinebrook Educational Foundation of Keith W. Johnson, Robert C. Newman, and Olivia Barnes, for terms expiring in 2000, 2000, and 1999, respectively.
The Board of Higher Education: Robert C. Newman, Chairman; Raymond R. Dotts, Vice-Chairman; John C. Studenroth, Secretary; David J. Watkins; Stephen C. Cassel; and Carl T. Martin.