Northwestern Bible School - Scroll Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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t Declic zti M i ! To those “choice vessels” contending- for the faith in regions beyond, who have passed through the halls of Northwestern, we prayerfully dedicate this Scroll.

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7a Sad It is a long way back to 1902 when seven students came to Dr. Ri¬ ley, their young pastor then, hungry for further knowledge of the Book of books. Granted one hour a day, they thirsted for more, saying that others would join if additional time could be given. I have often heard Dr. Riley say, “I never planned to found a school, but before I knew it, I had not seven, but fifty students, and a school was born!” Why in his busy life did he give his time to this endeavor? Because with the rising tide of modernism and evolutionary teaching, he de¬ termined under God to train young men and women in the knowledge of God’s word to combat the atheistic teaching of their day, that they might become pastors, teachers, and citizens true to the Word. And so the call went out to Christian young people everywhere who were called of God to consecrate their lives to home and foreign service. It is sig¬ nificant that the first graduate went as a missionary to India. Compulsory education wasn’t as general in those clays as now. From every walk of life they came to study to “show themselves approved,” then to go out as colporteurs, evangelists, pastors, and teachers of the Word. As the educational standards advanced, God led in the establish¬ ment of a seminary to further train recruits for larger fields of service. As the years went by the founder ' s heart was saddened by the mul¬ titude of young men and women who, in the urge for higher education in keeping with the demands of the day, found that their simple faith in God was being wrecked by atheistic teachers in modern colleges and universities. Again and again young people sobbed out their souls, that in this modern trend they had lost their Anchor; they had drifted from the Rock that had been their hope. Universities and colleges once true to God’s word had left the faith of their fathers, and spiritually their students were left to grope in the dark. What solution? After nights of prayer, God led in adding a College of Liberal Arts so that Christian young people could have high scholastic training, and yet retain, even more, increase their Christian testimony. The purpose of all three schools throughout the years has been to train—under consecrated Christian leadership—young men and women that their faith in God might be strengthened and that they might have a “story to tell to the nations.” That has been our purpose, and the purpose has not changed. As the founder passed the torch to a man of God’s choice, our motto has become “Knowledge on Fire”—a knowl¬ edge of God’s word implanted in the hearts of zealous young men and women who would lead those who sit in darkness “that they might see a great light.” That is our purpose, and God helping us, we’ll remain true to that purpose. Mrs. W. B. Riley 10 MW-