Report of the
Board of Higher Education
During the 2003 calendar year, the Board of Higher Education (BHE) has met four times, for a total of thirty-three 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 2006: Gary E. Karch, Robert C. Newman
Term expiring in 2005: Stephen C. Cassel, Jessica Sterner
Term expiring in 2004: Raymond R. Dotts, Jay H. Fasnacht
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 had in place 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 previous reports, 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 good job under these circumstances, but we have had no success in solving this problem. We appreciate Ed’s enthusiasm and willing spirit. For the fall term of 2003, with a total enrollment of about 320, Biblical has four 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
In spite of the hard work of our BHE member Dr. Claude Gates, the second BHE-sponsored College Fair (held at Calvary BFC in Coopersburg October 3-4) was a serious disappointment due to low turnout both of college-bound students and their parents and of participating Christian colleges. As a result, the board has voted not to try another College Fair at least for the year 2004.
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. This year, the BHE has asked the PEF to consider setting up a fund to help pastors (especially in smaller BF churches) attend seminars, workshops, audit courses, or get continuing education credits. We have regularly heard reports from board members John Studenroth on the work of Collegiate outreach and Bob Newman on the Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute.
This year has been a rather discouraging one for the BHE, as none of our projects has prospered. We thank the Lord that He has provided funding for the PEF, and that they are now beginning to award a significant number of scholarships.
Brothers, we thank you again for praying for us this past year. Pray that we will desire God’s 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 Raymond R. Dotts and Jay H. Fasnacht for terms to end in 2007.
Board of Higher Education: Robert C. Newman, Chairman; Raymond R. Dotts, Vice-Chairman; John C. Studenroth, Secretary; Stephen C. Cassel, G. Wayne Clapier, Alan H. Russell.