In Christian Higher Education: An Empirical Guide, released late last year, Christian scholar Dr. Perry Glanzer articulates a distinction between “Christian” colleges and “church-related” colleges. Glanzer and his coauthors (Theodore Cockle and Jessica Martin) contend the two terms are open to nuanced definition, but generally, “Christian” institutions embrace and lean into their identity as Christ-centered communities, while “church-related” institutions, though having Christian roots, may or may not be overtly and intentionally faith-based.
At his website, “Glanzer’s Guide to Christian Colleges & Universities,” Glanzer offers “a ranking of the nation’s best Christian colleges and universities,” with these four landing in the top 20:
No. 4 — Dallas Christian College
No. 5 — Great Lakes Christian College
No. 9 — Ozark Christian College
No. 16 — Mid-Atlantic Christian University
“That so many Restoration Movement colleges were ranked so highly ought to encourage parents who are looking for faith-based options for their children,” GLCC President Frank Weller commented.
Glanzer serves as professor of educational foundations at Baylor University (No. 194 in rank) and editor-in-chief of Christian Scholar’s Review.
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News Briefs
Johnson University presented Larry and Debbie Kineman and David and Cathy Wheeler with Distinguished Service Awards last week. The Kinemans and their family served with CMF in England for close to three decades. They are retiring in England and will continue to serve by being a resource to British churches and as a resource to CMF missionaries serving in Europe. David Wheeler retired from Johnson in 2021 after 24 years as a professor of congregational ministry. (We wrote a feature article about David Wheeler on the occasion of his retirement.)
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Odon (Ind.) Christian Church is partnering with RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit, to erase and forgive $4.1 million in debt for people in their Daviess County area. The church gave money from October through December, according to WTHITV.com. Each dollar given erases about $100 in medical debt. Many families with medical debt in their area will receive letters soon telling them the debt has been paid. The church conducted a similar campaign about five years ago, but twice as much money was given during the 2023 campaign. Senior minister Micah Stephen said his father’s illness a year ago gave him a better understanding of the crippling burden of medical debt. “A year ago, my dad got cancer, and so it really rocked me because I wasn’t prepared for it,” Stephen told the TV station. “I don’t know if you’re ever really prepared for that.”
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Earlier this month, Pleasant Hill Christian Church in Gasburg, Va., celebrated the 40th anniversary of the ordination of their senior minister, Greg Hand; he was ordained at Gum Neck (N.C.) Church of Christ. A reception followed the worship service on Feb. 11. Hand has served with PHCC almost 39 years.
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On Feb. 16, the Florida Christian Ministers Association hosted the state ministers at Kissimmee Christian Church. The group was blessed to have Bob Russell address the ministers in attendance.
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Devo Church in Denver launched on Sunday. Nate and Michaela Gay serve as lead planters. The Orchard Groupchurch plant is meeting at Denver North High School.
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Most religious donors (81 percent) gave the same amount of money (or more) to their congregations in 2023 as in 2022, according to an article at The Christian Century. Citing a report called Giving in Faith: Exploring Key Trends in Religious Giving, the magazine reported 81 percent of faith-based givers who donated money in 2023 gave funds to houses of worship, and 60 percent gave $1,000 or more.
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XP Summit 2024 for executive pastors will take place May 13-15 at Flatirons Church in Lafayette, Colo. Learn more and register at www.xpsummit.org.
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What should you do when people leave your church? Ron Edmondson shared his thoughts about that last week in a post at Outreach Magazine.
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