Report of the
Board of Higher Education
During the 2002 calendar year, the Board of Higher Education (BHE) has met four times, for a total of twenty-nine times since its inception in the Fall of 1994. The BHE continues to oversee the work of the Pinebrook Educational Foundation (PEF), to develop working relationships with Biblical Theological Seminary (Biblical), and to consider how else it might foster higher education in the BFC.
The Pinebrook Educational Foundation
The Board of Directors of the PEF for the past year was as follows:
Term expiring in 2005: Stephen C. Cassel, Jessica Sterner
Term expiring in 2004: Raymond R. Dotts, Jay H. Fasnacht
Term expiring in 2003: Gary E. Karch, Robert C. Newman
The report of the PEF is appended to the report of the BHE.
Working Relationships with Biblical Theological Seminary
In the past year, the BHE has been working on two projects involving Biblical: (1) a BFC chaplain who would visit Biblical regularly to counsel students and encourage some of them to consider service with the BFC; and (2) an internship program in which BF churches would take pastoral interns from Biblical.
1. Since 1999, retired BFC missionary Ed Moyer has served (under BHE auspices) as BFC chaplain to students at Biblical Seminary. As noted in our previous report, changed demographics at Biblical—commuting, part-time students and block-scheduling—have made it impossible to have access to most of the students with occasional visits to the school. Ed has been doing a fine job under these circumstances, but we have not had much success in solving this problem. We appreciate Ed’s enthusiasm and willing spirit. For the spring term of 2003, with a total enrollment of about 300, Biblical has six students from BF churches.
2. The pastoral internship machinery for BF churches at Biblical Seminary is up and running and can be used by interested churches at any time. Currently, no BF churches are availing themselves of this opportunity.
BFC College Fair
Thanks especially to the hard work of our BHE member Dr. Claude Gates, the BHE was able to sponsor a college fair connecting BFC college-bound students and their parents with various Christian colleges. The fair was held at Cedar Crest BFC on October 4-5. Some 240 parents and their children attended, representing 28 churches (21 BF churches), 2 Christian schools, and 4 home schools. Sixteen Christian colleges were represented (of about 30 contacted). The colleges had tables with representatives and their displays. A couple of other organizations were also represented. Presentations on financing a college education were given by financial aid officers from two of the schools, and on handling the intellectual challenges at both secular and Christian colleges by Mark Potter of Green Tree Ministries. A concert was provided by musical groups from a couple of the schools. The BHE felt the fair went quite well, given it was a first try, and we are planning to have another Oct 3-4, 2003 at Calvary BFC in Coopersburg.
Other Ways of Promoting Higher Education in the BFC
The BHE has often taken time at the end of our meetings for wide-ranging discussions on promoting higher education in the BFC. These discussions have included a number of topics: (1) how to get the BHE and PEF better known in the BFC; (2) how to encourage talented Christian young people in our churches to seek higher education so as to serve the Lord more effectively in whatever vocation He has called them to; (3) how to help Christian students at secular colleges not only survive but thrive as Christians in such an environment; (4) how to encourage BF pastors to get advanced education to strengthen their ministry; (5) how to reach out to students and faculty at colleges and universities that are in the vicinity of our BF churches; and (6) how to reach out to foreign students in these schools who will return to their own countries, so that they may be even more effective missionaries than those who must learn a foreign culture.
Our main progress this year has been in (2) with the first of our (hopefully annual) college fairs, in (5) encouraging the work of John Studenroth in his Collegiate Outreach ministry, and in (3) having Mark Potter speak at our College Fair.
Brothers, we thank you again for praying for us this past year. The Lord is moving among us. Pray that we will desire His agenda, not ours, and that He may use us to strengthen the BFC in understanding our times and in reaching the lost.
Resolved, that the Annual Conference ratify the election to the Pinebrook Educational Foundation of Gary E. Karch and Robert C. Newman for terms to end in 2006.
Board of Higher Education: Robert C. Newman, Chairman; Raymond R. Dotts, Vice-Chairman; John C. Studenroth, Secretary; Stephen C. Cassel; G. Wayne Clapier; Claude L. Gates; Alan H. Russell.
Pinebrook Educational Foundation
2002 Annual Report to the Board of Higher Education
The Board of Directors of the Pinebrook Educational Foundation met three times in 2002.
The Foundation received payment of the previously-reported bequest of $71,988.72 from the Charles D. Weaver Estate. The Board established the Charles D. Weaver Memorial Scholarship Fund in the amount of $60,000 as a board-designated endowment. The remainder of the bequest, $11,988.72, remains in the undesignated operating funds primarily to pay for legal expenses relating to the bequest and revisions to denominational legislation relating to the Foundation.
The Foundation also received other gifts which totaled $6,255.11, including a final unrestricted payment of $2,655.11 from the Charles D. Weaver Estate which has tentatively been classified as undesignated operating funds.
Other significant Board actions are described below:
1. Approved payment of legal bills relating to the Weaver bequest and revisions to legislation, not to exceed $12,000. Payment will take place in 2003.
2. Added a $1,000 unrestricted gift received from Royal and Charlotte Kramer to the Charles D. Weaver Memorial Scholarship Fund. Charlotte Kramer is the daughter of Charles D. Weaver.
3. Classified the Granda bequest of $4,070.90 received in 2001 as funds board-designated for general scholarships.
4. Reclassified the loan fund as undesignated operating funds.
5. Granted scholarships as follows:
a. $500 to Timothy Bertolet from the Rev. and Mrs. R. C. Reichenbach Scholarship Fund. Timothy attends Westminster Theological Seminary.
b. $500 to Nathan Shorb from the Berean Bible School Scholarship Endowment Fund. Nathan attends Taylor University.
c. $500 to Timothy Zuck from the temporarily-restricted General Scholarship Fund. Timothy attends Lancaster Bible College.
d. $500 to Luke Brush from the temporarily-restricted General Scholarship Fund. Luke attends Liberty University.
e. $500 to Peter Morrison from the board-designated General Scholarship Fund. Peter attends Asbury College.
f. $500 to Davin Orlowski from the board-designated General Scholarship Fund. Davin attends Philadelphia Biblical University.
6. Approved payment of $250 to cover the costs of the College Fair sponsored by the Board of Higher Education on October 4 and 5, 2002.
Respectfully submitted,
Jay H. Fasnacht, Secretary