BATTLE CREEK COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL REPORT

For the Two Years Ending March, 1901.

OBJECT

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Battle Creek College is a training school for Christian workers. As the teachers in the schools of the prophets educated missionaries for all nations; as Paul, in the school of Tyrannus, in Ephesus of Asia Minor, prepared workers to carry the gospel to the world; as Luther, in the University of Wittenberg, broke the strength of the papacy, so Battle Creek College has as its sole object the training of missionaries who, imbued with the spirit of the Master, shall carry to all the world the message of a soon-coming Saviour.GCB April 2, 1901, page 15.12

CHANGES

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The spiritual health of the church depends upon its adherence to true educational principles, as surely as national prosperity lies in the hands of the nation’s schools. Surrounded by colleges and universities whose aim is to prepare men and women to become law-abiding citizens, Battle Creek College has been obliged to separate from the methods of these institutions, and to substitute for their long courses of worldly studies, a simple line of work fitted to prepare workers for the kingdom of God. This has led to lines of work which meet the needs of these various classes of individuals, and instead of the classical and scientific courses of the institutions of the world, Battle Creek College offers studies which prepare students to become ministers, canvassers, Bible workers, teachers, medical missionaries, Christian business men, and all-round gospel workers. It is an interesting fact that a greater number of our students have entered the work during the past four years than at any other period of equal length in the history of the college.GCB April 2, 1901, page 15.13

MINISTERIAL WORK

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The call for an educated ministry has been urgent. Forty years ago the denomination was proud of its strong workers, its pioneer ministers, rooted and grounded in the doctrines of the church, but the youth have grown up with a most defective knowledge of vital truths, owing to the lack of proper home training and the absence of Christian schools. The cause is suffering, and nothing can remedy the condition except a thorough course in the neglected subjects. In order to make the work of the most practical nature, much of the instruction for ministers in Battle Creek College during the past two years has been given by our ministering brethren, whose experience in the field enabled them to teach those things which are most needed by the pastor and the evangelist.GCB April 2, 1901, page 15.14

The Lord has said that in the canvassing work the young ministers may get their first and most valuable training. Special classes in canvassing have been conducted by Brother Boggs, and during the summer months those students who are preparing for the ministry are organized into canvassing and colporteur companies.GCB April 2, 1901, page 16.1

CHRISTIAN TEACHERS

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If in the beginning of the third angel’s message, the children had been properly taught, and we had been loyal to the principles of Christian education, the world’s history would have ended long before this. For the educational system which is to take the child from the home to his entrance upon a missionary career,—the church school, the industrial school, and the training-school,—the truest, best teachers in the world are needed; and to prepare these, Battle Creek College has made a special effort. During the entire school year there is offered a course of instruction arranged for that purpose, pedagogy, the sciences, mathematics, and English being taught, with the Bible as the foundation of each. Besides this, there is held a special summer school of ten weeks’ duration, for instruction of teachers in the principles of Christian education, as well as in all necessary branches in which they may be defective.GCB April 2, 1901, page 16.2

TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE

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In July, 1900, there was held in Battle Creek the first Conference of Seventh-day Adventist church-school teachers. For three weeks these teachers met in council and for instruction with some of our leading workers. The “Teachers’ Conference Bulletin,” a two-hundred-and-thirty-page pamphlet containing the proceedings of the Conference, was a result of the Institute. This has been read with interest by many, and is doubtless one of the best single contributions to the literature on Christian education which has yet been placed in the hands of the people.GCB April 2, 1901, page 16.3