Need for a Graduate School
The graduates of our schools should become qualified to meet life's responsibilities, but at the same time they should keep their faith in God and their hope of heaven. It stands to reason that with a membership of less than 500,000 and with more than 100,000 in regular attendance at our schools, all graduates from our colleges may not be able to find work in strictly denominational lines. Some may follow a profession, such as medicine, dentistry, teaching, or the practice of law. These vocations are all open to our young men and women, affording opportunity for earning a livelihood, living the truth, and being self-supporting missionaries in the finishing of thework.
Of course, other schools than our own can teach science, law, medicine, dentistry, the art of teaching, etc. But they have an unfortunate effect on the faith and morals of our young people. We have already provided a medical school, and we surely ought, in the course of time, to provide for graduate work in other lines.
Absolute Necessity for Giving Our Own Theological Training
It is absolutely impossible for our young men and women to get advanced training in the Bible and in methods of preaching our message by attending outside schools. Our Bible students who desire to become Bible teachers or ministers must be provided the opportunity for advanced work within the denomination. Our preachers should be trained within our own ranks. No worldly school can suitably train a man to preach the advent message. No other denominational seminary can prepare preachers to unfold the Bible prophecies as we believe them. The Methodists train men to preach their doctrines; the Baptist seminaries take the young men graduated from their colleges and train them to preach Baptist doctrines; and Seventh-day Adventists should train their young men to preach by sending them to a Seventh-day Adventist seminary.
Professors must believe what they teach. A seminary whose professors are not of our faith, and who do not teach and interpret the Bible as our denomination believes, disqualifies itself as a seminary for our young men. Because of this, it is not to be expected that our young men can receive training in some denominational seminary not of our faith, and yet preach with power the doctrines we hold as a people. If a student graduates from an outside seminary, and keeps his faith in the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, he does well; but he cannot accept what he is currently taught, and yet continue to believe in the Sabbath truth, the unconscious state of the dead, immortality only through faith in Christ, the destruction of the wicked, the second advent, the cleansing of the sanctuary, the investigative judgment, and the Spirit of prophecy as we teach and believe these doctrines.
Our young people who desire to enter the ministry after being graduated from one of our schools, but who desire further study in certain fields, must either enter the ministry without this education, or they must enter it hoping to gain this knowledge in future years when it will require much more diligent research than it would at the time of graduation.
Many of our leaders believe that our denomination should have a seminary where a group of young college graduates could be brought together, and given one or two years of advanced Bible and allied studies, thus qualifying them for a better, fuller ministry than could ever be hoped for without this advanced work.
Beginnings of Graduate Work in Bible and Religious History
At the Autumn Council in 1933, the following resolution was adopted:
"Whereas, There exists a recognized need for advanced Bible study, that our younger college and academy Bible teachers, together with prospective ones, may be better prepared for their work ; and,
"Whereas, for financial reasons it seems inadvisable to attempt at the present time to establish the school of theology proposed by the Autumn Council of 1932; therefore,
"Be it resolved, 1. That we reaffirm our conviction of the need for this school and pledge our best endeavors toward its establishment.
"2. That as a means of meeting the need until the proposal of the Autumn Council can be made effective, we recommend that successive summer schools of twelve weeks' duration be operated at designated colleges under the auspices of the General Conference, the first session of the same to be opened June 6, 1934, at Pacific Union College.
"3. That scholastic credits for work done be given and recorded by the college conducting the summer school.
"4. That we invite local and union conferences to make it possible for their Bible teachers in the academies and colleges and schools of nursing to attend.
"5. That the support and transportation of those who are sent be provided by the sending organization.
"6. That a matriculation and library fee of $5 be charged each student. That the rate of tuition be $3 for each semester hour of credit, and that tuition be free to those sent by organizations.
"7. That in addition to special lecturers provided by the General Conference, a faculty equivalent to four full-time instructors be employed, two of these to be secured from colleges other than the one conducting the summer school and to be selected by the Executive Committee of the General Conference.
"8. That institutions invited to provide instructors for the summer school be responsible for one half of the salary of one person, the General Conference being responsible for all additional salaries, together with transportation and other expenses of such instructors.
"9. That the General Conference contribute toward the support of the 1934 summer school faculty not more than $1,500 in addition to the time and expense of the lecturers which the General Conference may provide from its staff.
10. That the officers of the General Conference, the secretaries of the General Conference Educational Department, and the president of the college where the school is held, in counsel with the presidents of other senior colleges, make provision for all matters pertaining to the organization and administration of the school,"
To make a start in this Advanced Bible School, a summer school of twelve weeks was conducted in 1934 by the General Conference, at Pacific Union College, using the accommodations kindly offered by the board. Prof. M. E. Kern was asked to head this school and to recommend competent teachers to assist in the teaching. The very first term confirmed the usefulness of the school, and was greatly appreciated by about forty students.
At the Autumn Council in 1934, the following was adopted:
"Whereas, The initial session of the Advanced Bible School held last summer, under provisions made by the 1933 Autumn Council, has proved gratifyingly successful as the first in a designated three-year plan ; therefore,
"Resolved, 1. That we herewith register our hearty approval of this first year's endeavor, and pledge our active support for its continuance in harmony with the authorizing action. And further,
"We recommend, 2. That additional courses in history and education be offered by the Advanced Bible School, suited to the needs of our history teachers, academy and intermediate-school principals ; and that they also be urged to attend.
"3. That editors and ministers who desire additional work in theology, history, and education, be likewise heartily invited to take work in the Advanced Bible School, ,
In the summer of 1935, another twelve weeks of the Advanced Bible School was conducted with an increased attendance, registering fifty-nine. Again the same high appreciation of the work of the school was expressed by teachers and students, and it was universally expressed that the school was a great success.
(To be continued)
