Clarks Summit University (IFB) Now On Life Support

[illinoisguy]

For those wondering what will be the next IFB college to go under, Clarks Summit College (formerly GARBC-approved Baptist Bible College) appears to be a good candidate for possible closing.

Announcement - Clarks Summit Universtiy

www.clarkssummitu.edu

Clarks Summit University temporarily furloughs all employees

Amid financial and accreditation struggles, Clarks Summit University is furloughing all of its employees.Clarks Summit University President James Lytle announce

fox56.com

Clarks Summit University Furloughs Employees | SHARPER IRON

“While progress is being made, a significant financial gap remains. To cover the gap, we’re following legal advice to put us in the best place moving forward…. this recommended action mandates furlough for CSU employees while the process takes place.” - CSU

sharperiron.org

Comment from Sharper Iron forum: "My concern is that they will not be able to identify a sufficient distinctive for themselves in order to draw in the students to overcome this in the long-term. At the risk of starting something here, they are fiercely classical dispensational."

For those interested in enrollment stats, U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard reports an enrollment of 376 at Clarks Summit University.

 

[subllibrm]

My daughter has her bachelor degree from there.

 

[illinoisguy]

And . . . they are gone. Clarks Summit University and Baptist Bible Seminary are closing - no classes this fall. One less IFB college in America.

Closure Announcement

www.clarkssummitu.edu

 

[Ransom]

Never even heard of this one before now.

 

[qwerty]

Robert Summer graduated from there. Very nice campus it appears.

 

[Baptist Renegade]

Just found out that my pastor got his Dmin from here and taught at the seminary when he was pastoring in New York.

 

[AverageJoe]

Never even heard of this one before now.

Most hadn't. It was a hardline IFB college. I had friends who went there years ago.

 

[TheOldJudge]

Most hadn't. It was a hardline IFB college. I had friends who went there years ago.

The operative word here is was. Clarks Summit had been deliberately shedding its fundamentalist heritage since the 1990s and considered themselves a proud conservative evangelical school for at least the past decade.

 

[Baptist Renegade]

The operative word here is was. Clarks Summit had been deliberately shedding its fundamentalist heritage since the 1990s and considered themselves a proud conservative evangelical school for at least the past decade.

I'm certain my pastor would not have had any affiliation with this school if was so "hardline IFB" at the time. He was truly saddened at its demise and made a few blog posts about it. We were just talking about this last night as well as the decline of many other colleges and seminaries.

 

[sword]

For those wondering what will be the next IFB college to go under, Clarks Summit College (formerly GARBC-approved Baptist Bible College) appears to be a good candidate for possible closing.

Announcement - Clarks Summit Universtiy

www.clarkssummitu.edu

Clarks Summit University temporarily furloughs all employees

Amid financial and accreditation struggles, Clarks Summit University is furloughing all of its employees.Clarks Summit University President James Lytle announce

fox56.com

Clarks Summit University Furloughs Employees | SHARPER IRON

“While progress is being made, a significant financial gap remains. To cover the gap, we’re following legal advice to put us in the best place moving forward…. this recommended action mandates furlough for CSU employees while the process takes place.” - CSU

sharperiron.org

Comment from Sharper Iron forum: "My concern is that they will not be able to identify a sufficient distinctive for themselves in order to draw in the students to overcome this in the long-term. At the risk of starting something here, they are fiercely classical dispensational."

For those interested in enrollment stats, U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard reports an enrollment of 376 at Clarks Summit University.

I've have heard it said it take at least 500 students to be viable from an operational and financil standpoint. This does not mean you can not provide a good education and a good program but you will clearly need financial support outside the school. With a min of a thousand, operationally everything gets easier.

 

[sword]

Is this not the remanants on the Bible Baptist College of J Frank Norris Fame, G.B. Vick and later Jerry Fallwell fame?

What about Mission University, Springfield, Missouri. They claim to be of BBC orgins?

 

[4everfsu]

Is this not the remanants on the Bible Baptist College of J Frank Norris Fame, G.B. Vick and later Jerry Fallwell fame?

What about Mission University, Springfield, Missouri. They claim to be of BBC orgins?

I think BBC in Springfield Mo was where Jerry Falwell went

 

[illinoisguy]

Is this not the remanants on the Bible Baptist College of J Frank Norris Fame, G.B. Vick and later Jerry Fallwell fame?

Clarks Summit University was a remnant of the old GARBC approval system (now discontinued). There was no connection between them and BBC in Springfield, Missouri, in spite of the similar name, nor any connection with J. Frank Norris who was basically an enemy of the GARBC movement and its founder Robert Ketcham.

"During the 1930s and '40s, Ketcham was dogged by repeated attacks from J. Frank Norris, an influential fundamentalist from Texas with a reputation for making vicious personal assaults. Norris was miffed that he had not been allowed to join the GARBC, which Ketcham and other leaders thought he might try to manipulate for the benefit of his own programs and eccentric personality. In the pages of his Fundamentalist, Norris even attacked Ketcham's daughter, Lois Moffat, for having left the mission field, although she had arrived in the United States near death and remained hospitalized and gravely ill for months. Eventually Ketcham's Waterloo church offered to put all its resources at his disposal so that he could sue Norris for libel and slander. Ketcham replied, 'I cannot take a man into court whom I have been taking to the court of high Heaven now for several years.'"

Robert T. Ketcham - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

As you noted, Baptist Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, which is the remnant of J. Frank Norris and his Baptist Bible Fellowship movement, has changed its name to Mission University. They seemed to think that having Baptist in the name might be hurting their appeal and recruitment.

"'It sets us up for the future,' Milioni said in an interview with Springfield Business Journal after the announcement, noting the new name reflects a desire to attract a broader Christian audience. 'Our name kept our pool of potential students to kind of a small group. It’s an opportunity for us to open the door to a lot more people.' The 75-year-old Christian school that partners with the Baptist Bible Fellowship International currently has 360 students. That’s down from 371 in the fall, but Milioni said the numbers are encouraging."

Baptist Bible College makes way for Mission University - Springfield Business Journal

The north-side Springfield school unveils a new name and campus renovation plans.

sbj.net