Next

Next


It was forty two years ago that I graduated from Baptist Bible College. They have since changed their name to Clark Summit University and a couple of weeks ago they announced that they will be closing the school.  It is somewhat of a strange feeling for me as such an important part of my life will no longer be.  BBC played a huge role in shaping my life and ministry.  The time I spent there was a time to grow up, become independent, making my belief’s my own, and deciding the course of my future.  I can still clearly remember some of my experiences there.  If you have hung around me long enough I am sure that you have heard a college story or two.  I learned a lot but I also had a great time.
One story that I remember was being in a speech class.  One of the students, who was extremely shy and awkward, got up to give his speech.  After faltering, he asked to restart and faltered again.  He was so embarrassed that he simply sat down.  From the back, our Bible college professor, always stern but fair, simply said, “Next”. At the time, I thought it was pretty cold, but looking back, I think it was probably the best thing to do.  Any other comments would have called too much attention to his embarrassment.  
It is weird, for me, that this is one of the stories that has stuck out in my mind as I process the closure of my alma mater.  I have read many articles of other alumni who are dealing with the closure by trying to figure out what went wrong.  Yet, in my mind, it just seems that God’s use of the school was ended.  To try to place blame or to try and figure out circumstances that led to the closure is to, in some way, deny that BBC or CSU was always a work of God.  He chose to start it in 1932 and he chose to end it in 2024.  During those 92 years, God used the school in millions of ways that brought him glory.  The school always remained faithful to him and to his Word. They did not compromise their beliefs and I know that those who worked at the school were godly men and women who gave their all in service for the King.  They have done all they could to keep the school open but God had other plans.  God simply decided that it was time to use others to accomplish his purposes.  We may be sad that part of our lives is gone but God’s kingdom marches on.
I know that this does not effect those who read this blog and I will be surprised to hear if anyone made it this far into it but I just thought I should write something.  God often closes parts of our lives and moves us on from one ministry opportunity to the next.  He moves people in and out of our lives and while we are sad, we recognize that his ways are always what is best and for his glory. So we say, without coldness or cruelty, “Next”.  What is the next chapter in our lives.  Who is God raising up for us to minister to now?  Who is God calling me to serve next.  We do so, not forgetting the past, but looking forward to what God is doing in the future. Looking for the next institution who will train and raise up servants for the kingdom does not deny or forget the amazing work that God allowed BBC to accomplish.  What it does is recognize who really accomplished that work and fixes our eyes on his continued work. Ending does not always mean failure.  It often is just an opportunity for what is next.