Editor’s Note: Both SAFE and the student and alumni petition effort affirm the ARP Church’s Philosophy of Christian Higher Education. It, along with the Erskine College Mission Statement and the ARP Definition of an Evangelical Christian, comprises the institutional standards for Erskine College. It is to those standards that the petition effort made its appeal and those standards that explain the educational philosophy and vision that SAFE and the petition effort were and are committed to.
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Statement of the Philosophy of Christian Higher Education of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
June 8, 1977
Christian higher education for the service of God in church and society finds its roots in Biblical revelation. For over one hundred and forty years, Christian higher education has been an integral part of the mission of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. Truly, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, through its institutions of Christian higher education, has a history of distinguished service. The value of its mission is immeasurable, for this mission has been an influence for good in the lives of thousands of men and women who have attended Erskine College, Erskine Theological Seminary or Bryson College. Through many of these men and women, the Church itself has been blessed with strong Christian leadership and dedicated
The General Synod believes that there is a continuing need for the church to express its objectives, to reaffirm its purpose, and to restate its philosophy of Christian higher education, including goals and purposes of Erskine.
In the following statement, the General Synod desires to preserve and incorporate all of the redeeming elements of the Church’s philosophy that have prevailed at the College and Seminary from their beginning. In this statement the terms “Erskine” and “Erskine College” refer to both the undergraduate school and the Seminary, unless the context indicates otherwise.
I. The Role of the Church in Christian Higher Education
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church should reexamine on a continuing basis its total program in the use of its resources and in all areas of its mission. To this end the Church should ask itself continually what it is doing and what it should be doing in the field of education. It is clear that every Christian denomination should involve itself deeply in Christian education. A parallel question which every Christian denomination should ask is whether it also should be involved in the field of higher education and, if so, at what level and in what way.
We believe in the importance of education, and we believe that education represents a vital part of the mission of the church.
Furthermore, we believe that our denomination has a definite role to play in Christian higher education.
We believe this is so because this area of service offers the Church a unique opportunity to present Christ and the Christian viewpoint and to demonstrate in a tangible way the value of a life which is lived in right relation to God and man. We believe that only such a life can realize its fullest potential in terms of usefulness to society and inner satisfaction to the individual.
We believe that the Church has a responsibility not only to initiate the organizational structure for such participation, but also a responsibility to continue to nurture that organization and to provide theological and philosophical guidance to it. Click to continue »