Campbell University

Does anyone here have an opinion of Campbell University? Their Divinity School?

Several years ago when I was first considering going to seminary I had a meeting with the Dean of Campbell's Divinity (Dr. Cogdill). He was a nice gentleman but there was just something about the program/school that made me uncomfortable. I did start the application process (etc) for Campbell Divinity School. My pastor, at that time, recommended Southeastern Seminary in Raleigh (NC) and he even drove me and one other guy to Southeastern for a visit. We got a personal tour of the campus from a guy in admissions and even got to visit Dr Paige Patterson's office. I was very impressed with Southeastern Seminary and never finished applying at Campbell. I enjoyed my time at Southeastern but I had to change to Liberty's distance learning program because of my job and other situations. The other guy my pastor took to Southeastern that day had just graduated from Campbell with a BA degree and also had a meeting with the Dean of the Divinity School at Campbell. On the day we drove to Southeastern with with our pastor we both talked about how there was something that made us uncomfortable about Campbell. My brother started his BS degree at Campbell but transfered after the first semester. He hated Campbell with a passion.

I also compare Campbell's campus to Liberty's campus. At Liberty there is a different "feel" to the campus than at Campbell. I'm not sure what it is but there is something about Campbell University that just does not sit well with me.

Campbell University

Campbell Divinity School

 

==Around these parts Campbell is well liked. I think over half of my high school class went to Campbell University. In fact when I first started looking into Seminaries it was my first choice. So I don't think it was a matter of Campbell being bashed by conservatives. At that time I knew nothing of those issues with Campbell (though I do now). The main reason my pastor wanted me to attend Southeastern was because he earned his MDiv and DMin from Southeastern (this is my old pastor; not my current pastor who graduated from Covington). He never said anything bad about Campbell and was more than happy to fill out the needed paper work for me to attend Campbell. Also the meeting with Dr. Cogdill occured several days before I had my first "offical" meeting with my pastor on the issue. So I don't think that was the issue.

As for God's call, well, you may be right. I do wonder though why at least one other person had the same concern that I did. I suppose it could have just been that we were on the same page? I don't know.

==The day I talked with Dr. Cogdill I got a tour of the Divinity School but nothing beyond that. The campus is in a very rural area and it looks nice. However several years later when I was helping my brother move into his dorm I got a close-up look at some structural issues that caused me some concern. The dorms were very old and in somewhat bad shape. I think they have fixed that problem since then though. Overall it is a very nice campus. The school puts a lot of focus on its graduate programs (pharmacy, law, business, divinity, etc). It is not like Liberty which spends most of its time promoting the undergraduate programs.

O, yes, Dr. Cogdill. Like I said he was very nice and very helpful. We sat in his office and talked for nearly an hour. He went out of his way to make me feel welcomed and he gladly answered every question I had.

 

==Yea Wake Forest's Divinity school, in my opinion, is is "out to lunch". I don't think Campbell goes that far though. I know back in the 90s the rock group the Gin Blossoms performed at Campbell. It caused plenty of controversy and that is pretty amazing considering that the Gin Blossoms are hardly ACDC (if you get my drift). Also my brother told me that they do not allow students to go barefoot on campus and they do have other rules such as that. So Campbell seems to be more conservative than Wake Forest. My current concern with their Divinity school is that it seems very, how do I put this, "mushy". Do you get what I mean by that? It seems like they may focus on ministry so much that they lose their focus on proper doctrine. I have this concern based on a dvd I got from the school last year. Of course back when I was first going to seminary I knew nothing of that so this is a more recent concern.

 

Nothing other than the campus has a real Christian atmosphere about it. Campbell University does not, in my opinion, have that.

 

==Right, sorry for the confusion.