The 1987–88 academic year began on Thursday, September 3, with Convocation festivities in Orange City, Iowa. The Convocation speaker, Rev. Robert Grossmann, addressed gathered students, families and friends on “The Calvinist Ground of True Evangelism.” On the evening of that same day, the Rev. J. Mark Beach, minister of the Word at the First CRC of Hospers, Iowa, spoke on “The Great Ecclesiastical Divide.”
Each year the Seminary begins its activities with a “Seminary Festival.” People come to it from California, Washington, Colorado, Michigan, Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta. A Board Meeting is held at this time in order to give our Board members who also come from all over the U.S. and Canada a taste of the Seminary’s academic and social life.
For this academic year, Mid-America has welcomed three returning students, one transfer student, and six new students:
They have come from Calvin College, Calvin Seminary, Reformed Bible College and Dordt College. One comes from the Reformed Church of the U.S. (formerly Eureka Classis) and another from the Orthodox Christian Reformed Church. Five of the students come from Canada, which limits employment opportunities for them and their wives.
This increase in the student body strains our modest resources for student financial aid. Our tuition is a minimal $600 per semester—the largest burden of seminary expense pertains to living expenses, not tuition and books. Seminary policy requires that students first approach the appropriate assembly in their denomination (Classis or even Consistory) for student aid, so that the Seminary’s financial aid does not preempt or replace the church’s responsibility for supporting her ministerial students.
We are grateful that several (CRC) Classes have been willing to support men who have studied or are studying at Mid-America; these include Alberta North, Alberta South, Florida, Minnesota North, Minnesota South, and Orange City.
Unfortunately, several (CRC) Classes fail to understand that when they support a student within their boundaries, they are not thereby supporting a seminary with financial gifts. The result is that because of the dislike on the part of some ministers for Mid–America, students who have grown up within congregations of a given Classis are denied financial assistance for essential family needs while in seminary. Some Classes are unaware that when a student studies at Mid–America, their student aid goes to aid the student, not to Mid-America!
This failure does, however, present an opportunity to readers of Outlook: perhaps you can gather some friends or members of your congregation, to sponsor a student who is studying at Mid–America—one from your area of the country, from your congregation. This financial sponsorship would permit personal acquaintance with and meaningful participation in the seminary education of future ministers in Christ’s church.
Mid-America’s students continue to be well received by congregations where they exhort and serve during the summer months. An intensive evaluation is completed when the students return from their summer assignments, and areas of weakness and strength are discussed and monitored.
While recognizing the Lord’s faithfulness in the continued, adequate financial support of the Seminary, we are interested in maintaining regular, systematic giving so that we can avoid seasonal fluctuations in receipts. Canadian supporters will want to know that progress is being made in obtaining tax exempt status with the Canadian government.
The Seminary invites inquiries about its programs and services (tapes, study materials, brochures, books). Please request to be put on our regular mailing list, to receive our monthly newsletter and announcements of Seminary publications and events.
Write: Mid-America Reformed Seminary
P.O.Box 163
Orange City, Iowa 51041
U.S.A.