Our Educational Program

Our Educational Program
OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.
BY J. U. YARBROUGH In every field of man's endeavor, it is essential that he have some plan of action. One of the most fundamental differences between man and the lower animals is his ability to formulate plans and to work with a purpose, ever holding before him a definite goal. Wherever we find a problem solved we find back of it a mind which set for itself a cer­tain goal and planned and worked carefully and diligently to that certain end. Our great problems are not solved by chance or accident, but by the most persistent efforts directed by skill and discernment. The great problems of educating our young will be solved in the same way. We need not delude ourselves by thinking that it will work itself out. It commands the best of our talent and energy for solution. The supreme question of our day is, whether the church founded by our Lord, Jesus Christ possesses the spiritual energy and sense of duty to measure up to its educational task. There are many signs that the church is beginning to experience a mighty reawak­ening with reference to Christian education. A recent writer says: "There is no greater problem before us as a people than the question: how can our educational system do more for the moral and spiritual needs of the young?" Another writes: "Right-thinking people know there was never greater need for true (Christian) education than now, and we are glad to think there was never a greater demand for it. Shall not schools be built and maintained which furnish the facilities for such education?" The day has come, the opportunity is at hand for the church of Christ to place itself in the leadership of educa­tion. She is to be no mere hand-maiden of the public schools, trying in a half-hearted way to supply what the State dare not do, by doling out a little, religious informa­tion for half an hour each Sunday. Her hand is upon the switchboard which shall unite the currents and release the power which vitalizes all culture and learning. The church must direct the education of our young toward the noblest ideals by correlating the influences of the home, the schools, and our colleges. This difficult but glorious task must in­evitably fall upon the young preachers and teachers of our churches. And they must in an open-hearted and broad­minded way take up their enlarged duties for the new Chris­tian Education. This idea of educational duties of the young preacher was forcefully presented to us yesterday by Dean Speck.

It is my task at this hour to present to you a program which will unify our efforts, bring our activities from the level of random movement up to the realm of rational, pur­posive conduct; a program that will enable us to set for ourselves a distinct goal. Thus, working by formulated plans and forgetting the little and petty things of the day, we can push forward with a hope of reaching the coveted goal. Such a program will call upon the church to use all its educational agencies. These agencies —the home, elemen­tary public schools, our junior colleges, and colleges are at the services of the church and should be used by the church. We shall take these agencies up in their order and show their possible service in Christian Education.

I am fully aware that rational people differ in their methods of procedure, and will, therefore, not be disap­pointed if, when I have completed this presentation, I find that you have an entirely different opinion. I will rather appreciate an expression of your viewpoint, that by our dif­fering, we may both be better prepared to do our part for the cause of Christian Education.

All education has its beginning in the home. Some one has called the home "God's first and holiest school." The Old Testament sets forth a divine injunction for the parents to instruct and train the young. Unless the home lays the foundation there can be no super structure, and both church and civilized society will ultimately crumble into ruin. The lessons of the home are honesty, cleanliness, loyalty, love, consideration for others, truthfulness, and justice. It is the birthplace of reverence and piety. The intensity and the rush of modern times permit the parents but little time for instruction in these fundamentals, and tend to destroy that sweet relationship between mother and child, between father and son. We find, therefore, many children today who did sacred things. The responsibility for this home training is being shifted to our public schools. No one questions this, but had you ever thought of the fact that the public schools are poorly prepared to assume such a grave responsibility? Their own problem was great enough without having a new one thrust upon them. We question, therefore, their ability to carry forth this two-fold responsibility —home-training and pri­mary education. The Catholics realize this condition, and have hundreds of schools throughout our states for the purpose of giving their young an elementary education. We do not want such church schools, but our program should call for a more co­operative effort in elementary education by the church and state. Our great national peril is found at this point in our educational program. The church is saying, education is no longer in its hands; the state is saying, we teach no religious doctrine, and the result is astounding ignorance of the Bible with all its principles of life. An investigation in the year of 1904 revealed the fact that in 818 out of 1,098 cities of over four thousand inhabi­tants, the Bible was read to the pupils. In 162 cities all religious exercises were strictly prohibited. In 915 of these schools sacred songs were sung by the pupils. In 162 neither songs nor prayer were permitted. In most of these cities where the Bible is read and prayer is made and sacred songs are sung, the teacher is not permitted to comment on the Scripture read. Statistics show that about one-half of the children of public school age in our states are ignorant of the Bible, while only a few of the remaining half are really familiar with it.

We need Christian teachers in our public schools. The public schools could and should be teaching those large Chris­tian principles concerning which all the religious people are agreed. These principles of Christian living can be taught by putting a greater number of Christian men and women in Our schools; by more sacred hymns in their services; by a co-operation of church and state for the success of the great problem upon which the destiny of them both equally rests.

Higher education in the church has grown up in a chaotic way, hence that the various institutions are entirely lacking in correlation of purpose. Colleges have been established without any relation whatever to others about them. Con­fusion, competition, duplication, and consequent waste have been the result. The time has now come in the history of education for a clear-cut classification and for a careful dis­crimination of the functions of our Christian institutions of learning. The junior college, college and university must have their status defined. Realization of this has been forced upon us: the recent struggle for state certificate priv­ileges is a case in point. We had to measure up to definite standards in order to secure this privilege. And we shall have to meet other equally definite standards in order to achieve any real standing in the educational world. The location and equipment of such institutions of learn­ing are becoming more and more difficult. Small colleges should necessarily be few in number and placed in the most strategic centers. They should not be rivals of public schools, but should serve a specific function, exceedingly important for the community and church which supports them. This special work calls for special equipment and prepared teachers, and the church is permitting harm to be done to it when it tolerates the poorly equipped and unpre­pared.

Small, compact colleges wisely distributed over the country, with a few well-manned departments within the resources at command, and a professional staff of ripe, scholarly, thoroughly qualified teachers of unselfish, Chris­tian spirit, is the duty and should be the policy of the church. The small college must be in our educational pro­gram, for it offers peculiar advantages to our church popu­lation. It is a fact that it offers the best advantages to the many, for it is best adopted to their needs. It is truly an expression of American civilization —purely democratic. And again it makes a certain amount of education possible for those of small means. The Junior College must be able to give an account of itself. Every institution which aims to be permanently suc­cessful must have some distinctive purpose and function which it fulfills for the benefit of the people. The excuse for its existence and the hope for its success will depend upon its ability to create for itself a place in society. The Junior College should be a part of our educational program because it does have a distinctive place in society, and it does have a peculiar service to render to its people. It is here that most of our preachers receive their early training. The church today demands and deserves a trained minister. Statistics show that our educated ministers received their early education in Christian colleges. The age calls for great preachers, well trained. The ministers of the past, though largely untrained did their work heroically. The preachers of the future must possess all the eloquence and evangelistic fervor of their predecessors, and to this they must add the learning, the social interest, the sympathy, and the teaching power which comes through college training. The small college must train for the church Christian laymen; men who live above narrow prejudices and pettiness of spirit. Another great need of the church today is a large number of trained laymen. The largest hearts full of pure human sympathy and guided by trained intellects and cool judgment, should be mixed with our fundamental church doctrine if we hope to prove ourselves the light of the world. Men should know that God has a mighty program to be real­ized, and that " Thy will be done" is a challenge to the best that there is in them. The small school must give the preliminary training for our social workers among the poor (for is there not a piti­able scarcity of trained workers of this kind among us?): the preliminary training for our lawyers, teachers, and doctors so that in all these professions may be found the principles of Christianity. There will come from these schools our trained missionaries, (for the church has learned by hazardous experience that it takes certain special train­ing to do missionary work successfully). But the small college can give only the elementary training for this large group of workers. They need a few more years of training —training that will prepare them for their particular work in life. If we want more lawyers, doctors, professors, and statesmen of religious conviction, we must prepare our boys and girls for these professions. We are proud of our Christian men who stand in the front ranks of their profession holding aloft the principles of Christianity. It is when we see these men of courage and leadership that our faith is strengthened and our hope in the church as the real salt of the earth is increased. How far can the church lag behind and still retain the title of candle-bearer? When the church is actively doing its full duty, we will find both men and women stepping forward from its ranks, with the light of religion in their souls, to lead and direct the destinies of their fellow men. Another great need of the church today is leadership, and before it can ever have this leader­ship, it must bear the expense of producing its leaders. The church must go with its students through their entire prep­aration if they are to give it the glory in the end. And to the extent the church holds her influence through these final years of preparation students will hold forth the light of Christianity during the remainder of their lives. The church has at present no means of following these students through their last few years of preparation, and those who are ambitious, those who are the possible material for the leaders in the church, must go alone if they secure additional training. At this dangerous point, the church is often left behind, and loses its best material. Not that a large number are lost here, for not many reach this point, but those few who are lost are excellent material. It will be a large and new task for the church to undertake the preparation of these ambitious young men and women. But it should be both pleasant and profitable —pleasant because of the innate nature of the problem, and profitable because it will save for the church this exceptional material, and at the same time act as an incentive for others to join their ranks. To carry out a program such as has been presented, we must bring system out of confusion and secure a united effort of all the educational forces of the church. Every school must become a unit in the educational program of the church. Every congregation and as nearly as possible every member of the church should know that the church has an educational program and that he has a part in it. No school superintendent can build a school better than his patrons want, no government can surpass the governed, and no man or group of men can build and maintain a Christian college above the wishes of the members of the church. To carry out this program every active member of the church must feel the need for such an institution, and with common pur­pose and united effort do his bit for its, realization. When the church undertakes this new task in the higher education of its young, it must establish and maintain a col­lege or university of the first class. But before taking hold of such a tremendous task it will be wise to examine and recount our physical means. "For which of you, in­tending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest hap­pily, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, this man began to build, and was not able to finish." In count­ing our physical means can the wealth of all the churches of our state be used as a basis? Or the wealth of only certain portions of the state? The present need is not great enough, and besides the task is too large for the church to undertake to build and maintain more than one such college in our State. Now, when Paul was intrusted with the dissemina­tion of the truth, he sought the centers of learning and the leaders of men. Likewise we, who claim to be the light bearers of the truth today should select for this, our highest institution, the most strategic point of our civilization. A light-house is never placed behind a cliff, but out in the open where it can give light to all the country round about. The first step in building such a college is to raise a large endowment fund. For higher institutions of learning are far more costly to equip and maintain than many of us seem to think. Buildings are an important item of expense, but with them erected the continued expense begins. Equipment and laboratories for all the sciences are necessary; books must be bought for the library; a larger and better prepared and better paid faculty must be secured; scholarships, muse­ums, printing establishments, and many other features must be provided. A Christian college cannot afford to fall be­hind the best in these respects. The fact that it is a Chris­tian college is no excuse for its asking a worthy and self- sacrificing staff of instruction to teach for underpay. No faculty, however, consecrated, can render the best service when the institution in which they labor faces a deficit year after year. For an institution to sound its trumpet before men and profess to be doing a standard of work far beyond its physical means, brings shame to the church and eventu­ally dishonor to itself.

It is impossible to maintain a first-class college by the fees of the students, unless, of course, the fees are beyond reason. In this case, the very purpose of the Christian col­lege is defeated, for only the wealthy few could attend. Of all colleges the Christian college should receive and instruct, regardless of class or funds, all students who knock at its doors. Consequently, it is absolutely essential that the" Christian college be endowed if it is to survive and be of service to its people. And again it is to the best interest of the members of the church and to the success of the college that this endow­ment be raised, for it establishes a vital relation between the institution and the individual members. The Christian col­lege exists for all classes of society, and it should, there­fore, be vitally dependent upon the people. From the people must come the raw material, and the college in turn should send back to the people young lives enriched and equipped for service. For these important reasons I insist that the raising of a large endowment is the first, step in building a college or university. But before an endowment can be secured we must as a church make some arrangements for its proper supervision. No member is going to give freely of his means until he fully understands the purpose for which it is to be used. And no man of business sense will give of his means until he is convinced that plans have been worked out carefully, and that the movement is properly manned. When the members of the church are convinced that their money will not be misused and wasted, they will come forward with sufficient funds to build a college second to none in the land. But until they are convinced they will give a bit here and there with a hope that they will live to see the day when the church will be able to receive and economically use their real and substantial gifts to Christian education.

I am reminded just here of a situation that developed in the early church. The number of disciples was multi - plied, and there arose complaint that some of the poor widows were being neglected. When this matter was brought to the attention of the twelve, they called the multitude of disciples unto them, and asked that they look among them­selves and select seven good, well prepared men "whom we may appoint over this business." This was a matter of business, and as the record shows it was handled in a busi­nesslike way.

Since we are followers of the early church in many other ways, may I suggest that we take its lead in handling mat­ters of business? In this problem of education, which is one great problem of the church and one upon which the vitality of the church depends, could not those most vitally interested in Christian education call "the multitude of disciples" to­gether to agree upon some plan of action? When the plan of selecting the seven was made known, it "pleased the whole multitude." Should not the selection of a number of well- prepared members from among us to attend to our educa­tional business be pleasing to our entire membership? Surely there can be found in the church not one friend of education who would object. We would all not only be glad but would rejoice to see business handled in such a business-like way.

We should, then, at some early date have a general mass meeting where our different educational problems could be presented. Every factor that we have that is making for Christian education should be present, and feel free to ex­press its views. Each representative should come remembering that he is representing that good, wholesome Chris­tian influence which is so common in his community. At the close of such a meeting, permeated with Christian love, would be an ideal time to select from our number those members whose duty it shall be to attend to our business of education.

These men appointed would be able in a short time to formulate plans for our educational program, and in due time could correlate all our efforts into one united power for the purpose of driving the curse of ignorance from among us. They would give stability and permanence to our educa­tional efforts, and therefore, make possible a large endow­ment, an essential factor in the success of any Christian col­lege. They could in the light of the wishes of all the mem­bers lift the educational activities from the realm of con­fusion and random movement up to the level of rational, purposive conduct. Their program should be so planned as to assist the church in reaching the goal set for it by our L,ord and Savior, namely the real salt of the earth, the light of the world. Since our Father is unlimited in power and leadership; should not his sons be capable of leading the races of men into the light? If Christians are bearing the light for the world, they should place their light in the most advantageous position. A light must be at the front in the hands of the leader, if it is to keep men from stumbling and falling. The light that falls too far behind becomes a mockery. We are in danger when mankind is pushing forward in the march of life with the light far in the rear. The world will be safe when its leaders are guided by the principles of Christianity; when the church realizes its duty and gives to the world trained Christian leaders, who stand in the front ranks of their professions with the light of Christianity expelling the darkness and making plain the path of human progress. Then, and not until then, will the church of Christ render its real service to mankind by making the world a safe place in which to live.