Christian Education Must Press On

Reference, Opinion, The Christian Chronicle, February 2008, “Christian education must press on.”

I am a long time supporter of Christian education. Our son graduated, David Lipscomb University , then Georgia Tech. Our grandchildren attend Greater Atlanta Christian Schools. At a very simple level I am aware of some of the issues Christian education institutions face. I am convinced we, churches of Christ , are among the enemies of Christian education.

For Christian institutions to survive churches of Christ and individuals must support them. Even while they may be doing things the individuals and congregations do not agree with. Christian schools are not churches. I have had members of the church tell me they would prefer their children attend the University of Tennessee instead of David Lipscomb University . They are concerned DLU will lead their children astray as if UT will not. The same year (1989) we took our son to DLU a friend told me how it bothered him to take his daughter to Ohio State University and leave her in a dormitory, one of two, nicknamed by the students, Sodom and Gomorrah .

Support requires that congregations of churches of Christ as well as individual Christians provide money, students, qualified teachers, administrators, board members, coaches, maintenance personal, custodians and on. Failing this, the institutions must look elsewhere.

Christians withhold their financial as well as moral support at the slightest suggestion the institution does something the individual does not agree with. It is not reasonable to expect a president of a university to keep students, members of the faculty, boards of directors, alumni, congregations, individual Christians happy, all at the same time.

I hope Christians will wakeup before all Christian schools have disappeared, which with the current mindset of the church is inevitable. Considering various sources report that from the time they begin the 7th grade until they graduate from college, somewhere between 60% and 90% of our children are leaving the church. Sad.

We must press on, there is no option.