REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PINEBROOK JUNIOR COLLEGE
to the 104th Annual Conference
of the Bible Fellowship Church
The Board of Directors of Pinebrook Junior College held four regular business meetings during the year. The Executive Committee of the Board also met periodically to transact business between the scheduled Board meetings.
The Board of Directors also conducted a Board workshop designed to assist the Board members become more effective in serving the College.
The Board organized for the year as follows: Raymond R. Dotts, Chairman; John H. Herb, Secretary; and Jay Fasnacht, Treasurer.
The Board membership is divided into five standing committees: Faculty & Instruction, Student Life, Development, Finance and Admissions and Marketing. Each committee seeks to assist by providing general oversight and evaluation in their respective area so that the college functions as effectively as possible.
The Board has been working for the past two years on a revision of its by laws. This revision is necessitated by the growth and expanding needs of the college and the desire of the Board to upgrade the bylaws and to bring them into parity with those of similar institutions. The goal of the Board is to complete this revision within this academic year.
During the year, David A. Thomann resigned from the Board due to other responsibilities and Kenneth F. Barber was elected to fill the unexpired term.
Elaine Phillips was appointed as the Academic Dean after having served as Acting Academic Dean.
The accomplishments of this past year give abundant evidence of God’s gracious provisions and continued blessing on the college.
The renovations on Linden Hall, the house on the adjoining property purchased last year, were completed. Linden Hall served as a men’s residence and significantly improved the ability of the college to meet the housing needs of the enlarged student body.
The college has recently purchased another adjoining property on the other side of campus. This property located at 428 South Main St., Coopersburg was purchased for $155,000. It includes a house on approximately 1.6 acres of land. This property acquisition will be a great asset in the immediate and long term development of the college facilities.
This purchase was made possible partially through a $15,000 grant from the Harry C. Trexler Trust. The college received an additional $5,000 grant from the Trust Fund for library purchases. This is the first time that the college has received a grant from the Trexler Trust. Some changes were made in the College Charter to assure to Trexler Trust the return of capital gifts which it may make to the college in the event that the college would relocate outside Lehigh County or should the college close.
The college has hired the firm of Spillman-Farmer Architects to develop a Campus Master Plan. The four phases of the Campus Master Plan are designed to enable the college to make maximum use of the present facilities and to provide a plan of projections for future development of the college facilities.
The Institutional Plan (1986-1991) has been completed and has been approved by the Board.
The Fellows Program continues to expand and now has 157 members. The income from this program has been a significant factor in the improvement of the financial condition of the college. In the past year, a Board of Fellows has been established and a set of bylaws has been adopted. The Fellows have chosen their own officers.
Contributions to the Annual Fund achieved an all time high of $180,200. The fiscal year ending June 30, 1987 shows a gain of $45,987 in current unrestricted funds for the year. This gain enabled the college to end the year with a current unrestricted funds balance of $33,277. This is the first closing with a positive fund balance since 1978.
The Board has developed and approved a College Compensation Plan which will help us to achieve the goal of providing compensation to our employees with equity within the college community.
Dr. Robert Kirkwood, the Executive Director of the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association has expressed approval for Pinebrook Junior College to reapply for candidate status for Middle States accreditation. The college will make application to the Middle States Association by mid-November and anticipate a response by June of 1988.
Forty-seven students were graduated in May of 1987. Of these, eight received the Associate in Applied Science degree and thirty-nine the Associate in Arts degree. This was the largest graduating class in the history of the college.
The enrollment for the 1987 Fall semester includes 98 new students, 44 returning students and a number of part-time students. This produces a F.T.E. of 142.33 full-time students.
It is the continuing desire of the college to serve a greater number of Bible Fellowship young people. We urge you to pray with us that this desire will become a reality.
We thank the Bible Fellowship Churches for the $48,573 given in financial support to the college this year.
The Board submits the following items for Annual Conference approval:
WHEREAS, Pinebrook Junior College is a co-educational institution with a large percentage of female students, and
WHEREAS, Pinebrook Junior College also has a significant number of women on the faculty and staff, and
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the College believes that the inclusion of women as members of the Board of Directors would strengthen and broaden the perspective of the Board, and
WHEREAS, Pinebrook Junior College is not a church and does not function as a church and therefore such a change of policy would not be contradictory to the teachings of Scripture, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Principles of Order, page 162, 1986 Edition, Board of Directors of Pinebrook Junior College, Election be amended to read:
It shall be composed of the President, five ministers and eleven laymen and/or laywomen. They shall be elected for a term of three years in classes as follows:
Class I: Three ministers and four laymen/laywomen
Class II: One minister and four laymen/laywomen
Class III: One minister and three laymen/laywomen
and further,
RESOLVED, that to implement the above legislation after approval at Second Reading, that a 17th Board member be elected for a term of three years at the 1988 Annual Conference in addition to the regular election, and further,
RESOLVED, that Pinebrook Junior College suggest to the Nominating Committee at least three qualified women for nominees.
REQUEST FOR RENEWED COMMITMENT
In 1968 the 85th Annual Conference committed our churches to support Pinebrook Junior College (then called Berean Bible School) at a level of $25,000 per year. This commitment was helpful in securing the approval to grant degrees from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (then called the Department of Public Instruction). Because the College is now pursuing regional accreditation, renewal of this commitment will be helpful.
WHAT THE CHURCHES PROMISED TO DO IN THE PAST
In 1968 the 85th Annual Conference approved the following (p. 24d of 1968 Yearbook):
WHEREAS, the Department of Public Instruction of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires that an institution of higher education possess an endowment fund of $500,000 or the equivalent in order to be recognized as a degree granting institution and as a College, and,
WHEREAS, it is advisable for our Berean Bible School to seek and to maintain such recognition, and,
WHEREAS, our level of giving to the School in recent years has consistently reached the equivalent of the earnings of such a fund invested at 5% per annum, therefore,
RESOLVED, that the Annual Conference guarantee the annual support of Berean Bible School in the minimum amount of $25,000 to be received from Bible Fellowship Churches and from individuals who indicate that their gifts are to be credited to the Bible Fellowship Church.
WHAT THE CHURCHES DID IN THE PAST
During the years since 1968 contributions have never fallen below $25,000; and they have almost doubled. These contributions have been helpful in our progress.
Because of the length of time since that action was taken, two changes have taken place: first, many pastors, delegates and churches are not aware of the commitment or its importance; second, contributions from the churches have exceeded $25,000 regularly.
The actual giving by Bible Fellowship Churches in the years since Annual Conference, 1981 demonstrates by how much the earlier goal has been exceeded:
1981: $40,050 1984: $41,531
1982: $43,415 1985: $47,138
1983: $43,736 1986: $47,517
1987: $48,573
WHAT WE ARE ASKING THE CHURCHES TO DO NOW
The financial position of the College has stabilized and is being strengthened to the level that we are again pursuing accreditation. The Middle States Association is concerned about the endowment of colleges. A commitment from our churches to sustain the level of contribution would be helpful in demonstrating the equivalent of an increase in endowment.
Therefore, we recommend that the 104th Annual Conference approve the following:
WHEREAS, we have given in 1968 assurance of a certain level of contributions to Pinebrook Junior College in lieu of income from unencumbered endowment; and
WHEREAS, our contributions to the College have increased in the intervening years; and
WHEREAS, evidence of increased support from our churches is valuable in the accreditation process; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Annual Conference reaffirm its guaranty to support Pinebrook Junior College with offerings from our churches totaling at least $45,000 annually, the equivalent of earnings at 5% per annum on $900,000 unencumbered endowment.
Board of Directors: Raymond R. Dotts, Chairman; John H. Herb, Secretary; Jay H. Fasnacht, Treasurer; Carl C. Cassel, President; Kenneth Barber, W. Wayne Batten, Alva C. Cassel, Rodney A. Muthard, Robert C. Newman, Ronald W. Reed, L. James Roberts, Jr., C. Robert Roth, Russell M. Ruch, Thomas P. Shorb, Dana E. Weller, Robert H. Zentz