Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 5
September 24, 1953
NUMBER 20, PAGE 6b

Notes From Ibaraki Christian College

Logan J. Fox, President

Summer Vacation

Summer vacation for many of the students and teachers of Ibaraki Christian College is much summer and little vacation. In Japan, as in America, summer is the best time for evangelism and Christians must "be about the Father's business."

As an illustration, the president of the school held five one-week gospel meetings and delivered one series of five Bible lectures during the eight week vacation. The principal of the high school was equally busy, as was the head of the Bible department and Dean of the college. The Japanese business manager also held one meeting and baptized eleven.

Ibaraki Christian College is not a church (an assembly of believers). Rather it is a very human institution made up of many kinds of people. Students come from all kinds of homes with all kinds of backgrounds. A fee is charged for admittance to the school and for attendance at classes. The school is chartered by the state as an educational institution. No, this is not a church; not the church Jesus died to establish.

However, Ibaraki Christian College was founded and built by members of the Lord's church. All of the administrators and most of the teachers are faithful Christians. And a Christian must be a Christian wherever he is. Christians must do what God expects His people to be doing at all times and places as opportunity permits. At Ibaraki Christian College that opportunity is ever-present. The school was founded as a place where Christians may educate young people in the way we believe God wants them to be educated. Ibaraki Christian College is not the church, but the church is working at Ibaraki Christian College.

It is the conviction of the administration of I.C.C. that our school will be a good school to the extent that members of the Lord's Body on our staff are faithful to their obligations as Christians. If our Christian teachers are faithful members of the church and active in its work then our school will be healthy, our students will be well educated, and our institution can be a useful instrument in the hands of the Lord.

Since the school is not the church, every Christian must give his first loyalty to Christ and His Body. Loyalty to a human institution can never come first. Nor can the school be allowed to come between a Christian and the church as some kind of mediator. Just because a man is a good teacher or busy in the school he must not think he has discharged his responsibility to the church. On the Lord's day he should be in his place in the assembly of the saints, and he should be an active, enthusiastic participant in the plans and work of Lord's people.

The church does not need Ibaraki Christian College, or any other human institution, nor can Ibaraki Christian College (as an institution) help the church. But Ibaraki Christian College does provide a splendid opportunity for Christians to do the kind of work Christians ought to be doing, and the fruit of this Christian labor will redound to the glory of the Lord's church. 'Ibaraki Christian College can't help the church, but the Christians who work at Ibaraki Christian College can do a tremendous work for the church.