A new survey from Christian Standard showed that college presidents aligned with Christian Churches and Churches of Christ believe the Bible is “inerrant.”
Other words the 16 presidents in the survey used to describe the Bible included “infallible,” “inspired,” or “God-breathed.”
“We stand for the Divine Inspiration and Supreme Authority of the Holy Scriptures and are committed to a Christian Theistic worldview that seeks to glorify God, recognizing and affirming Christ as King in every aspect of the created order and every sphere of human endeavor” said Kevin Ingram, of Manhattan Christian College.
Specifically, the presidents described their support for a biblical view of human sexuality, saying homosexual activity is a sin, and so is the transgender movement.
“From what I know of our schools and leaders of our schools . . . we’re hanging true to who we are,” said Kevin Ingram, president of Manhattan Christian College.
The survey also looked at colleges’ views on women in ministry, with some saying the pastor and elder leadership roles are reserved strictly for men and others saying local churches needed to make that decision.
“Even churches that are very conservative have a variety of views on women engaging in ministry. Some do not typically have females up front during services in any capacity. Some are comfortable with females leading in worship capacities or presenting and offering meditations. Some are comfortable with females sharing biblical comments, making communion meditations, or even preaching,” said Terry Allcorn of Kentucky Christian University. “I’ll leave the defense of each position to those who wish to advocate for a particular view.”
Meanwhile, seven college presidents declined to participate in the Christian Standard survey. Instead, many signed a joint statement that signaled only their unity.
“As a fellowship of college presidents in the independent Christian Churches, we are grateful for the Christian Standard and questions about our work. We are accountable to the Lord, our Boards, and our constituents. For many years, we have published our confessional convictions for all to read,” the statement said.
“We do not want to bend to pressure from secular or traditional religious cultural expectations,” it added. “We want to trust good intentions, focus on issues of ‘first importance.’”
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Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
