CCU closure a time to reflect: What can we do better to encourage young Christian men and women to pursue ministry

By John Herndon It’s been over a month since my family’s world was suddenly turned upside down.

It was Monday, October 28. 

I’d just gotten home when my Facebook timeline delivered the news: Cincinnati Christian University would enter a “historic partnership” with Central Christian College of the Bible. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the school where my daughter had enrolled less than three months earlier would be shutting down at the end of her first semester.

And I realized the diploma, hanging just above the computer delivering the announcement, had been issued by a school that would soon become a memory. 

Since CCU’s recent financial and accreditation struggles were widely known, the announcement wasn’t a shock but did come with much sadness. But even with the closure, a 95-year legacy from the school on Price Hill will live on for years to come. 

More than 30 years ago, I drove in to Cincinnati one day a week to earn a Master of Arts in Theological Studies. That arrangement meant my campus life was mostly limited the grad school rooms, then located below the Edwin Crouch Library.

But like almost everyone who ever set foot on campus, I soon learned the real study area was just up Glenway at the old Skyline Chili. It was there I made acquaintances and friendships with people who had come from many different colleges. We were there to learn from giants of the faith like Jack Cottrell, James North or Joe Ellis.

Even though I have been out of the located ministry for almost 20 years, I still use some of those lessons every day. 

With CCU ceasing academic operations, it’s easy to be angry and point fingers. It’s easy to criticize. It’s easy to term the emphasis on liberal arts over the last 15-20 years as a “loss of focus” while forgetting the impact on the many who would not have been introduced to a Christian worldview otherwise.

It’s easy to criticize the recent emphasis on sports -- as a sportswriter, I strongly questioned the addition of football for financial reasons -- but a CCU staff member shared with me that many young men were brought to Christ because of being a part of Eagle athletics. And it was easy to turn to the local media which was ready to pounce on a very difficult situation. 

A personal note: While I can’t speak for any other families, my daughter, my wife and I have found the remaining staffers -- people who will be losing their jobs by the end of the year -- have done all they can to help soon-to-be displaced students above themselves. In fact, when I was on campus in early November, I talked with two who had already been terminated but were back to assist or support kids.

Granted, CCU’s handling of the announcement through an email and calling the closing a “historic partnership” left much to be desired, but pointing fingers and placing blame accomplishes nothing now. 

We can, however, learn from the mistakes that led to CCU’s downfall and we should all look at ourselves to see how we can better support Christian higher education.

First, do we make ministry or professional Christian service attractive to young people? While it is true that every Christian is a minister and one can serve God in just about any occupation, do we actively encourage young men and women to pursue a career in God’s service?  I don’t have numbers but perceive that we tend to push young men and women toward high-paying careers, such as doctors, lawyers and such but often don’t regard the many forms of ministry with the same esteem.

Along the same line, do we encourage Christian young people who desire to pursue career paths other than ministry to still consider an education from a faithful Christian school?  Do we realize that many fine Christian schools offer business, education or many other degrees grounded in a biblical worldview?  Should that not be more of a factor than the success of a football team or prestige in the world?

That’s not to say a young person should never consider a state university. It’s obviously a personal choice based on many factors, but do we sometimes overlook Christian higher education because we don’t have the facts?

Do we presume a state university is automatically less expensive than an education at a faithful Christian college? Admittedly, I believed that for years, but found in my youngest child’s college search that CCU and some other schools were actually less expensive than some of the state universities in the area. With an aggressive scholarship in place, it was much less expensive. While every individual case is different, Christian colleges are worth a look that many do not pursue because of a false assumption.

But then, how much do churches get behind young people who opt to pursue their education at a Christian college?  My daughter was fortunate that our church offers a small scholarship for attending any college traditionally affiliated with the Restoration Movement. It wasn’t much but did help. Some churches do have wonderful partnership or covenant agreements with certain schools but I have often wondered how many college kids fend for themselves with federal student loans and have little to no financial support from those charged with spreading the gospel into the world.  I have asked these questions for years as many small colleges continuously struggle with financial pressures and declining enrollments. During my time in the newspaper business, I wrote about two college closures and closely followed two more. At least two were larger schools than CCU. It happens, but with a world in such need of the gospel, should it be the case? I don't have a definitive answer but it's worth some soul-searching.

The last month has been hectic and stressful for this CCU alumnus who has a child displaced by the unfortunate chain of events. It’s been extremely frustrating but enlightening as well. 

At one time, the school on the hill was a light to Cincinnati, the surrounding area and the world. It was undoubtedly where some of the most influential leaders of the Christian churches and churches of Christ, as well as all of evangelical Christianity, taught or received their training. It’s closure will be a huge loss, but if we reflect and improve, that closure will not be in vain.