Opening Chapel

The opening chapel service for the Fall Semester at Heritage Baptist College was held on Wednesday, August 31, 2016.

Dr. Tommy Trammel brought a special message encouraging the young people to "Build a Solid Life With the Right Nails." Dr. Trammel (Cincinnati, OH), is the editor of the Alumni Herald, and the first moderator of the Heritage Baptist Bible Fellowship

What a wonderful start to the new semester!

Please Don't Credit the Greeks

Athens is often presented as a model for American democracy, especially by those who would refute the "Work of God" in the establishing of our country. The contribution of the ancient Greeks is undeniable, but their tragedy reads more of a cautionary tale for later nations. Once established, the Greeks allowed imposed slavery, variant sexual pleasure, and violent birth control. Their great spokesman Aristotle in his work, Politics wrote: "As to the exposure and rearing of children, let there be a law that no deformed child shall live, ..but when couples have children in excess, let abortion be procured before sense and life have begun;"

In time, the classic Greeks reduced their population through lack of births, depending on undependable mercenaries to fight their battles, until they were eventually absorbed by the Romans. (Goldman, David. How Civilizations Die. Washington DC: Regnery Publishing, 2011 p. 119-130).

How to Grow a Bible College

The country had been racked by unrest, and WWII was just over the horizon. As the group of Baptist ministers gathered in 1930 at Chefoo for the North China Mission's annual conference, they were much discouraged. Reports showed that at least 70 churches had "died." One Chinese evangelist spoke with despair believing that many Chinese were being won to Christianity, but not to Christ. The veteran American missionaries wondered how long their works could remain open with the start of the Great Depression. One of the biggest concerns was that the enrollment at the North China Baptist Theological Seminary had fallen to only four students.

In the midst of this trial, Christians began to repent of their sins and seek the Lord. The revival among Christians soon spread among the lost, and the Holy Spirit showered down his blessings for the next several years, in what later became known as the Shantung Revival. Thousands were saved, churches were filled, and that part of China saw a special work of the Lord. C.L. Culpepper, who lived through that era, became the President of that Bible College which had been reduced to four students. Five years later, 150 young men were enrolled and training for the ministry.

Dr. Culpepper was a Baptist preacher that worked with the Chinese people for another 35 years. In his book, The Shantung Revival, Dr. Culpepper closed with this epilog written in 1968.

That is also my prayer for America. In the midst of riots, protests, and all the dissatisfaction produced by our complex society, my heart often returns to Shantung. My soul is renewed as I recapture the aura of spiritual ecstasy which epitomized that era in my life. Then the reflective glow fades away, and I find myself in the midst of a land, my land, which needs a second touch for its impotent churches hobbled with their lack of spiritual power.

Unless a great spiritual awakening overtakes our churches, there is little hope for our nation. Such a renewal need not take the exact form of the Shantung Revival. But all the revivals recorded in Holy Writ followed a general pattern. First there was a degeneration of spiritual power among God's people. Then came the realization of desperate need. Deep conviction of sin and agonizing prayer always followed. A final action required turning away from all wickedness and worldliness. (Culpepper, C.L. The Shantung Revival. Dallas: Crescendo Press. First published in 1971, The book can be read online at http://www.gospeltruth.net/shantung.htm )

We have watched over the last decade as many of our great Bible Colleges and Universities have dwindled in enrollment, and a number of them have even closed. Theories are brought forward for the reasons, but we understand that although the need for preachers and missionaries is greater than ever before, the submission of young people for service to the Lord has greatly slackened.

A True Revival in America would change all that!