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N E W S & E V E N T S
EVENTS Choral Camp 2010: July 5–9; July 12–16 NEWS Rosedale Bible College Asks Big Questions March 13, 2006
Held at Shiloh Mennonite Church in Resaca, Ohio, RBC’s Vision Retreat was the culmination of six months of research and prayer. Members and spouses of RBC’s board, faculty and staff discussed the college’s identity and calling, and wrestled with questions about how to reach today’s students without compromising the school’s core values. Participants analyzed two approaches to the future. The first, presented by faculty member Eric Kouns, advocated developing RBC as a center for the advancement of an evangelical-Anabaptist worldview. President Dan Ziegler presented the second model, recommending that the school become a center for evangelical-Anabaptist ministry training. These approaches were presented not in opposition to each other but as potentially complimentary. “The challenge for any institution which has existed for half a century is to remain sensitive to the changing needs of its constituency without forsaking its original purpose and vision,” said Kouns. He argued that “no school is better positioned, both doctrinally and historically, to serve as a ‘rallying point’ for evangelical Anabaptism than Rosedale Bible College.” From its start, he said, RBC’s “primary focus has been to offer Christian students, both men and women alike, an educational experience based on the Anabaptist distinctives of biblical truth and practical discipleship.” Kouns went on to suggest that RBC’s “future growth and vitality” depends upon tapping into a broader constituency, one whose members are interested in evangelical orthodoxy and “the worthy tenets of historical Anabaptism.”
The best way to achieve these ends, Kouns said, is “to pour all of our energies into doing what we do far better than we have ever done it before.” He proposed increasing liberal arts and general education courses and emphasizing “Anabaptist distinctives for those students who transfer to evangelical colleges, and evangelical orthodoxy for those who will complete their degrees in other Mennonite schools.” Before presenting the second model, President Ziegler shared an overview of the work that led up to the vision retreat. Ziegler came to Rosedale last fall with a mandate to lead the RBC community in a process of vision renewal. The school is the teaching arm of the Conservative Mennonite Conference (CMC), and he began the vision-crafting process by connecting with CMC church leadership. He has traveled to 16 states and met with 98 pastors (primarily from CMC), asking them what they want from Rosedale. The pastors’ answers formed the basis for a CMC profile, which Ziegler shared with faculty, staff, and the Board of Trustees prior to the retreat. The school also gathered data on why students choose Rosedale and how CMC young adults perceive RBC. Ziegler processed these findings with faculty and staff, and met with men and women from Rosedale Mennonite Missions, Choice Books, and other church agencies, seeking their input. Citing this research, changing congregational demographics, and “the core motives behind CMC congregational ministry,” Ziegler proposed a move to include “more experiential and hands-on ministry opportunities in the Rosedale experience,” making RBC a center for evangelical-Anabaptist ministry training. CMC youth, said Ziegler, are a part of what George Barna calls the “Mosaic” generation (those born after 1984), and many of them attend churches whose “prime driver” is outreach. Rosedale Bible College needs to address their needs and learning styles. Ziegler quoted Barna’s conclusions on Mosaics: “Experiences rule their lives….Those who wish to see true spiritual and personal transformation occur in the lives of young people cannot afford to ignore the implications of the experience-driven lifestyle.” “Why should we expect that the young adults of CMC are not interested in these types of experiences as well?” asked Ziegler. He added that the “desire for more hands-on ministry experience and practical engagement” is the “clearest directive that has emerged from the pastoral input we have received during this vision process.”
After Kouns and Ziegler spoke, faculty members Ken Miller and Reuben Sairs led SWOT analyses (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) of the proposed models. The group spent several hours comparing and contrasting the two visions, and discussed the feasibility of synthesizing the models. In the end, Ziegler concluded that “consensus seemed to lean primarily toward the vision of becoming a center for the advancement of an evangelical-Anabaptist worldview, with subordinate development of experiential/hands-on curricula that would provide applied ministry opportunities from an integrated evangelical-Anabaptist perspective.” The Board of Trustees formed a committee to draft a vision statement, which was slightly revised and then adopted at the February 13 board meeting. Commenting on the process, Ziegler said, “Excitement is growing as the vision is beginning to be clarified. Task forces are being formed to flesh out the details through proposed programs and initiatives…and RBC plans to unveil its vision of advancing an engaged Anabaptism this summer. Stay tuned!" (An edited version of this article ran in the February 27, 2006 issue of the Mennonite Weekly Review.)
For more information about these articles or other news at Rosedale Bible College,
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