Somebody tell me, how does this happen??

Justice1976

Justice1976

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On Saturday I checked my mailbox and found the attached promotional flyer.

According to Google, my mailbox is situated 640 miles from Hyles Anderson College, where I graduated in 1981. I have only visited the campus one time since then, 25 years ago. I have had no communication with anyone from the college or church since. I may have given my contact information to a nice guy, named Marshall in 2001, but I'm not even sure of that. And yet after all of this time and distance, I received this, addressed to me at my current address, even though I have moved several times since 2001.

I'm not complaining. I do recall getting some other promotional flyers in the past, but I couldn't provide details. However, after all of this time, I'm still surprised (and even impressed a little) that they could find me. I'm not sure they would be very proud to call me a graduate but I don't know if I'm proud to call myself an alumnus, so maybe we're even.

I hope they have a good conference. Maybe I should let someone know I won't be coming!

Youth Conf 2026.jpg
 
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My husband loved the college and worked there for many years. He would call the college and talk to different people . Never one time did I receive anything from the college. When Danny died my friend ask if I received anything from the college as a sympathy card NO! But his friends and co workers all sent me cards with checks knowing he had no life insurance because of his health. That use to really bother him I would reassure him God takes care of his own
 
It’s sad to see how something that was supposed to take up just four years of your lives, has instead become the primary focus of the remainder of your lives.
 
Dr. Duck said:
It’s sad to see how something that was supposed to take up just four years of your lives, has instead become the primary focus of the remainder of your lives.
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It's not the primary focus of my life. I write about the history of HAC in hopes that it will help others, but it does not consume me.
 
Dr. Duck said:
It’s sad to see how something that was supposed to take up just four years of your lives, has instead become the primary focus of the remainder of your lives.
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Maybe it's like someone being a fan of a certain sports team, in which they never played for, never had a relative play for, never earned a dollar from, and yet, they wear the team's clothes and put their logos on all sorts of personal items for the rest of their lives. Maybe it's sad that someone would promote them for free, but they can do it.
 
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voicecrying said:
Maybe they are keeping their eye on you so they know if they have to revoke your diploma. :D
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That is a distinct possibility! Which raises a question of whether that school has ever disassociated itself from anyone that it conferred a past academic (or honorary) award? I can think of some candidates!
 
Justice1976 said:
That is a distinct possibility! Which raises a question of whether that school has ever disassociated itself from anyone that it conferred a past academic (or honorary) award? I can think of some candidates!
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A former pastor of mine had a restraining order against him by BJU. They even tried to revoke his ordination. Bob Jr really took the separation thing seriously. Tertiary separation from Billy Graham was the issue.
 
subllibrm said:
A former pastor of mine had a restraining order against him by BJU. They even tried to revoke his ordination. Bob Jr really took the separation thing seriously. Tertiary separation from Billy Graham was the issue.
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that;s really sad that a college or university can even revoke a diploma.. degree.. or ordination.... ...

when i first enrolled at the university of hawaii the chancellor gave a speech during orientation in which he said "no matter what happens to you in life - your education is the one thing nobody can take from you".. ...

which - when i thought above it - i realized was true - as far as the actual things you learn goes... .. but i didn;t realize then he didn;t mean... or didn;t realize himself.. that they couldn;t remove the written certification you ever learned those things...🧐
 
subllibrm said:
A former pastor of mine had a restraining order against him by BJU. They even tried to revoke his ordination. Bob Jr really took the separation thing seriously. Tertiary separation from Billy Graham was the issue.
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Does BJU ordain ministers? As far as I know, that's the responsibility of the church or denomination, not your alma mater.

If they're trying to get someone's ordination revoked by rescinding their degree, that could get them into serious hot water. A diploma is a historical record that the graduate completed certain academic requirements. It's not a perpetual loyalty oath; it can't retroactively be cancelled because you've had a change of religious conviction since graduating. The school's jurisdiction over you ends upon graduation.
 
Ransom said:
Does BJU ordain ministers? As far as I know, that's the responsibility of the church or denomination, not your alma mater.

If they're trying to get someone's ordination revoked by rescinding their degree, that could get them into serious hot water. A diploma is a historical record that the graduate completed certain academic requirements. It's not a perpetual loyalty oath; it can't retroactively be cancelled because you've had a change of religious conviction since graduating. The school's jurisdiction over you ends upon graduation.
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The school ordained him because his home church (American Baptist) wouldn't. Apparently they practiced separation in the opposite direction.

The ordination was tied to his eligibility for the draft in some way. BJU found some loopholes for him and others who were not connected to a church. The details? I have no idea.

His ministry was primarily in GARBC churches plus one SBC congregation where the chairman of the board called him a damned yankee in board meeting.

The issue that led to the restraining order and banishment from all things BJU was because he had a man from Wheaton College speak as pulpit supply while he took his vacation with his family. I don't recall the name of the speaker but he was involved with several ministry programs with Billy Graham through his role at Wheaton. Somehow that was going to harm the reputation of BJU.

Years later after Bob Jr passed, his son Steve went out of his way to mend many of those old wounds. He personally contacted pastor to invite him and his wife to an alumni dinner in Michigan.

This story is one of the metrics that I have used when trying to make sense of the idea that we must protect our reputation from the evil that was Billy Graham (or whichever other devilish camp it may have been) but we have no concern about the possibility that supporting and defending someone like Donald Trump might be seen as a negative.

Charges of TDS are sure to follow. 😏🤷
 
Ransom said:
The school's jurisdiction over you ends upon graduation.
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This is why I have wondered about the wisdom of females in seminary.

The school can be solidly complimentarian regarding the role of women in the church. But once she walks out with her MDiv their name is going to be hung on the wall of the office of the church where she pastors.

Charges of misogyny are sure to follow. 😏🤷
 
Ransom said:
Does BJU ordain ministers?
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And BJU ordained him? That doesn't sound kosher to me. I don't know if I can prove it from Scripture, but it has always been my understanding that only a local church can ordain a minister. I suppose BJU just makes up the rules as they go along. I also suppose that if BJU has the right to ordain someone, and the preacher who is ordained by them is willing to accept that principle, then BJU equally has the right to revoke their ordination and let it be known that this wayward child is no longer invited to play in the BJU sandbox. Sounds like kind of a mess.
 
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