Eastern Mennonite School - Shenandoah Yearbook (Harrisonburg, VA)

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The Bible School First among the departments o£ Eastern Mennonite College, the Bible School seeks to satisfy a wide range of interests and needs. A minimum of two hours per week of Bible is a requirement in every curricu- lum. For students who do not desire to complete the high school, a practical course of two years is provided consisting of a wide range of courses in book studies, church history and missions, Christian education, English, and music. College Bible curriculums offer two, four, and six years of study, the last two leading to the Bachelor of Religious Education and Bachelor of Theology degrees respectively. These curriculums recognize direct study of the Bible as fundamental to a theological curriculum. Biblical interpretation is an art requiring the highest powers of the intellect, purity of heart and motives, and Floly Spirit illumination. In harmony with historic Mennonitism, theology must be thoroughly Biblical. The study of church history should lead one to appreciate the efforts of former Christians to exemplify the faith and life of the Apostolic Church. Practical theology recognizes that the science of teaching and preaching must become a perfected art. The College It is with no small sense of satisfaction that Eastern Mennonite College launches forward into a new epoch of her history. With state accreditation achieved, there is no room, however, for the feeling that the Col- lege has arrived. Never dare that vicious self-satisfaction gain acceptance. There are larger and worthier goals to which the College should aspire. While we must look to the acquisition of material facilities, such as adequate dormitories, library, laboratories, and gymnasium, of far greater importance is the mainte- nance of high scholastic and spiritual standings. It should never be possible to make unfavorable com- parisons between this and other institutions with reference to quality of instruction and to the intellectual attainments required of students. Of still greater concern is the spiritual as manifested in an evangelical teaching of the Bible, including a vigorous evangelistic emphasis, a vital personal Christian experience, and an unstinting loyalty to Christ and His church. The call for a college education becomes pertinent to a Christian in view of an increasing appreci- ation of the worth to a Christian of knowledge and of the demands upon him for making the strongest possible Christian impact upon the world. We should seek to have every legitimate vocation and profession manned by Christians who are first witnesses of Christ and second the most proficient in their respective callings. The College seeks to aid in the preparation of men and women for some of these worthy callings in life, such as teaching, nursing, medicine, not to speak of others in which a general education is essen- tial. The curriculum is being broadened as rapidly as possible. The chief addition for 1948-49 is the set- ting up of a full department in home economics. It is hoped that before long it will be possible to conduct college courses in philosophy, business, and agriculture as well as to increase the offering in art, music, sociology, economics, and psychology. —Chester K. Lehman.

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Chester K. Lehman Dear Graduates of 1948: Your privilege of standing at the threshold of life has come at last. Perhaps this hour is more sobering than you expected. The realities of the world are grim, if not hostile, and you may wish to escape the inevitable conflict. This feeling may be the effect that the centuries of persecution suffered by Mennonites have had on your personality. Instead of aggressively challenging the world with your faith and convictions you may prefer to hold them to yourself. Rather than to confront neighbors and strangers with the beliefs of Christianity, you avoid clash of ideas and viewpoints. But is this the spirit of Christianity? Was it the spirit of Isaiah and Jeremiah, of Peter and Paul, of Conrad Grebel and Menno Simons, of J. S. Coffman and Daniel Kauffman? No, these worthy men of God conceived it as their mission to engage hostile countrymen in spiritual combat. They blazed the truth of the Gospel, crashed through hatreds and prejudices, and conquered the hearts and affections of their foes. The Gospel first made its way into an enemy world through the apostles’ undaunted courage of conviction begotten bv what they had seen and heard. We trust that your experiences within these walls have begotten similar convictions in you. The Gospel must still destroy the strongholds of Satan, must still win the love of enemies. Will you carry this spiritual battle into the camp of the foe? Will your life make an impact upon the hearts of men to bring them to the foot of the cross? Will you Mennonite youths lead to Christ the agnostic, the atheist, the Hindu, the Moslem, the Buddhist? Your Alma Mater has brought vou to graduation “for such a time as this.” “Where- fore take up the whole armour of God . . . and having done all, to stand.” My prayers follow you in this conflict. Sincerely yours, Chester K. Lehman. [12]

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Chester K. Lehman Bible Menno J. Brunk Bible, New Testament Greek Stanley Shenk Bible, Church History Clarence Fretz Christian Education, Practical Theology Bible and Philosophy In this department Eastern Mennonite College is laying foundations for all of life. Education is incomplete without the training which gives the student a broad outlook on all of life. In philosophy he receives much help in making a logical and safe approach to life's major problems. But basic information he needs. Putting Biblical studies first, the college student is able to approach all other studies with a mind well prepared to discern not only what is true and right, but what is of most value. This department includes the direct study of the Bible by inductive method that un- covers rich stores in this treasury of truth. Help is given in the systematizing of Biblical truth, in buttressing it with external and internal evidences, in applying it to current issues and to personal conduct, and in using it in all forms of Christian work. Church music, missions, and other related subjects further develop Christian perspective and practice. Every student is required to take some subjects in this department. Many specialize in it altogether. A number who are studying liberal arts endeavor to integrate a strong Biblical core into their program of studies. On every hand, we find a truth-seeking student body echoing the convictions of those founders who adopted as the school motto the fundamental verity, [ H] THY WORD IS TRUTH. —Clarence Fretz.