When I saw this photo on Facebook of a demolished building, I felt it was symbolic of what happens when you weaken the foundations of your faith. You see, this is where I lived for 3 years. This past week, the men’s dormitory (Restoration Hall) at what used to be Cincinnati Bible College & Seminary was torn down. The school closed a few years ago, but seeing what was once home to so many godly Bible teachers turned into a scrap heap was a heartbreaking and maddening shame. It didn’t have to happen–if only those leading the school had remained faithful to its founders’ intent.
I received an excellent education from wonderful professors at the most solid Christian Church college around (’82-’89). It was biblical & conservative with a legacy that began in 1924 when most colleges had been overtaken by liberal theology. But that legacy was squandered in recent years with its own doctrinal drift & mission drift. And now, the school is gone-prepped for demolition by weakened theology long before the loaders, excavators & tractors moved in.
Southpoint financially supported my alma mater for many years until I began to learn of its tilt away from conservative doctrine. I corresponded with the president, current & former professors, and trustees about my concerns. But to no avail. We pulled our support. The leadership of the school made many bad decisions about the purpose & direction of the school. For example, it grew to focus on other things, like recruiting students to be football players instead of those committed to entering the ministry. Standards were lowered. Poor financial management of limited resources ensued. And to make a long sad story mercifully short, it collapsed. But the theological collapse preceded the financial collapse. CBC&S gave in to the very thing it was founded to fight!
I see it going on in most other colleges as well, and even tried to warn the Christian college in our own state that I saw them heading down the same path-writing to the former president, professors & trustees. But again to no avail. So we stopped supporting them a few years ago too.
Let this be a warning of what happens to individual Christians as well as churches and institutions that depart from biblical teaching & drift from their original purpose. God expects us to be faithful to His calling to believe, live, & teach His Word. 2 Timothy 4:2-3 says, “…Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching…”. We cannot be seduced by the spirit of this age which is leading many Christians to distort, revise, & deconstruct biblical teaching. The warnings from Scripture are just as relevant as ever to hold tight to sound doctrine. Don’t let anything weaken your grip.