Clearwater Christian College

I am not a graduate or attender of CCC, though I have visited there several years ago (late 1990s). I personally know a number of the faculty members who are excellent teachers. Dr. George Youstra did a great job of building and promoting the school. However, I have not heard much lately from down there. I understand they do have a pre-law and pre-med program which might interest a Baptist going into those professions.

 

Dr. Dick Stratton (President of CCC) preached at our church Sunday morning. And a former deacon from our church is now in some position down there in PR/admissions I think.

I have heard tons of good things from the current students from our church that are there.

 

From their Website

Clearwater home page

 

The faculty at Clearwater Christian College appear to have established a solid reputation with the fundamental seminaries. I just heard that Clearwater now has over 50 Bible and Pastoral Studies students, and that the majority of the Bible graduates are making their way to these seminaries, and making their way well-prepared. It says something that Dr. Burggraff (Pres. of Calvary Baptist Seminary)has a son enrolled at Clearwater, and that the V.P.'s of both Detroit Baptist Seminary and Central Baptist Seminary have or have had kids recently enrolled. The men from these seminaries are frequent speakers at Clearwater, and Dr. Dave Doran had been flying down each week to teach a class. They are known for their strong liberal arts programs, but the Bible department doesn't seem to have been relegated a back seat.

I am impressed to hear that Clearwater has developed a solid relationship with Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Northland Baptist Bible College, and Faith Baptist of Akeny; and after initiating a China missions trip with their own college family last summer, are now teaming with these four schools for another trip this year.

 

Clearwater can be compared to BJU (you're right, let's leave out PCC)in that it is a liberal arts, non-denominational school. There are, however, several clear differences that have enabled it to secure its own solid niche, and here are a few things that I think enter the minds of prospective students and parents as they make a choice between a place such as Clearwater or BJU.

1. Regional accreditation - A regionally accredited degree (not TRACS) is huge, and whether we agree with them or not, people are becoming more unwilling to put their money toward any other kind of degree, even if it is more expensive. (Clearwater is more expensive than BJU.)

2. Intercollegiate sports - BJU only offers an intramural sports program, and it is lending a frustratingly low level of competition for good athletes. Clearwater has a strong intercollegiate program that is going to be a drawing card for sports-minded students. If you visited Clearwater, you would observe a male population that is overall stronger and more athletic-looking. BJU maintains a strong attraction with those who are more inclined toward the arts.

3. Atmosphere - Some might prefer the more casual, family-like atmosphere that Clearwater offers. It has fewer rules and offers more freedom than BJU. For example, the guys wear colored shirts to class, but not ties...the girls wear skirts to class, but pants everywhere else except church. If you walk into their dining facility, you'll see the faculty eating at the same tables with the students. If you walk into the gym, you'll see the administrators playing ball with the kids. This is all very different from BJU.

4. Size - Unlike BJU, Clearwater is too small to have its own "culture" per se, and this is a difference I have noticed in all the smaller fundamental colleges. They aren't large enough to function autonomously. They are less likely to suffer from inbreeding, and therefore their perspectives are forced to expand beyond their own nose. An example of this "cultural" point would be how the top leadership position changes were recently announced in chapel at BJU. The news was as shocking to the other administrators as it was to the faculty and the students, who all learned of the changes at the same time. This is the pervasive management style at BJU, a style that is only accepted without resistance because it exists at a place that has formulated its own culture. There are going to be people who are concerned that gaining an education within an autonomous culture like BJU makes it too difficult to function outside of that culture.

5. Focus - Clearwater isn't focused on any personality, family name, or reputation that has been secured in the fundmaentlist community. Not everyone is going to be impressed with a family legacy, or the "we are unmatched" rhetoric that BJU chooses to employ.


I hope this helps answer your question, Dr. Bob. I like both schools, so my intention is not to promote one over the other, but to just lend some feeble perspective!

 

You are welcome, and I would have nothing but good things things to say about MBBC, too.

In regard to my former post...that would be "collared" shirts, not "colored!"

 

The cost was intimidating to many of my young people when I took a group back in 2001. But what threw most of them for a loop was seeing that couples were allowed to hold hands! After visiting PCC and BJU on the same trip, it was quite a shock to the system!

Are the Delnays still teaching at Clearwater? My wife worked with Mrs. Delnay at Faith our first year there (and the Delnay's last, unfortunately for Faith).

 

McCune's recently published book PROMISE UNFULFILLED has a review on the back from Dr. Robert Delnay, "Bible Professor and former Department Chairman at Clearwater Christian College."