Pensacola Christian College

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Pensacola Christian College


Motto	Strength Truth Beauty
Established	1974
Type	Private unaccredited
President	Arlin Horton
Staff	1,500
Undergraduates	4,712^[1]
Location	Pensacola, Florida, USA
Mascot	Eagle
Website	www.pcci.edu

Pensacola Christian College (PCC) is an unaccredited, Independent Baptist^[2]^[3] college in Pensacola, Florida, founded in 1974 by Arlin Horton.

1 History
2 Politics, Taxation and Religion
3 Campus Church
4 Academics
- 4.1 Accreditation
- 4.2 King-James-Only
5 Regimen
- 5.1 Rules and regulations
- 5.2 Demerits
6 Publishing
- 6.1 A Beka Book
- 6.2 The Student Voice
7 Notable alumni
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

[edit] History

Horton founded the gated college to provide higher education with a religious viewpoint. After about thirty years, the school's population had grown to about 4,500 students, representing every state in the Union and over sixty foreign countries. Pensacola Theological Seminary was created in 1998.

The school is also an active proponent of Christian education; their in-house publisher, A Beka Book (named after Horton's wife, Beka), provides K-12 curriculum that is widely used by Christian schools and homeschooling families.

In 2005 more than 3,500 delegates attended practical clinics and seminars sponsored by the college. The Principal's Clinic provides administrators and teachers with materials, methods, and principles for starting and building a fundamentalist Christian school. They also hold a Summer Seminar that provides faculty and administrators with an in-depth orientation into the operations of a Christian school.

[edit] Politics, Taxation and Religion

The school has an active Anti-"Tax Rebel" stand and will report anyone who they feel is breaking the tax laws of the country. They will also prevent any student from associating with anyone they feel has an anti-taxation stance.^{[citation needed]}

Senior vice president Rebekah Horton feels that it is her duty to report anyone she feels is breaking tax law. In the mid 1990s, after she learned of Kent Hovind's anti-tax stand said "'We know the Scriptures do not promote (tax evasion),'" during testimony against Hovind during his 2006 trial, "'It's against Scripture teaching'.... Horton believed it was the college's duty to report the misleading doctrine. 'I didn't want to see innocent people get led astray,' she said. Pensacola Christian College then decided its students no longer were permitted to work with Creation Science Evangelism".^[4]

[edit] Campus Church

In addition to Pensacola Christian College, there is also a local church on the campus called the Campus Church (which all dormitory students are required to attend), Christian radio network Rejoice Radio, and the weekly television broadcast Rejoice in the Lord from the Campus Church.

On December 10, 2006, Horton announced that Neal Jackson would be the pastor of the Campus Church.^[5] Jackson received his Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree from PCC. He also has a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Luther Rice Seminary.^[6] In addition, Lloyd Streeter has accepted the position of co-Pastor. This position had been held previously by Dr. Jim Schettler who left in May 2006.

[edit] Academics

Pensacola Christian College's statement of purpose is: Pensacola Christian College was founded with the purpose of training young men and women for a life of service to Jesus Christ.

PCC offers over sixty undergraduate programs of study. Post-graduate degrees are offered in Education, Music, Art, Divinity, Ministry, Nursing, and Business Administration. A history major is available, but does not offer any coursework related to the Pre-Columbian Americas or to any other civilization whose existence would contradict the college's beliefs concerning the age of the earth.

[edit] Accreditation

PCC is not accredited so pursuing a graduate degree, or getting employment where an accredited degree is required, may be difficult for PCC graduates.^[7]. All students at PCC are required to sign a statement that they understand that "Pensacola Christian College has never made application for regional accreditation because the College believes it could jeopardize the College's philosophical distinctives. It is the practice of Pensacola Christian College, and other colleges and universities, to accept or reject credits based on their own institutional criteria regardless of whether or not that particular school transferring credit is accredited. "^{[citation needed]}

The nursing program is certified by the Florida State Board of Nursing.^[8]

Pensacola Christian College is not accredited by any accreditation body recognized by its country. As such, its degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions. [1] The Chronicle of Higher Education reported:^[9]

“

Pensacola, however, has shown no interest in outside approval of any kind. Nor does it advertise its unaccredited status. A search of the Web site turns up no mention of accreditation. It is not mentioned in the college's viewbook either, which dedicates four pages to sports activities and two to campus facilities. It is mentioned, in small print, on the inside flap of the course catalog: "Pensacola Christian College has never made application for regional accreditation as the College believes it would jeopardize the College's philosophical distinctives." The catalog goes on to say that getting other colleges to accept Pensacola's credits "has seldom been an insurmountable problem."

”

Former PCC students interviewed by The Chronicle report mixed results:

“

[Abel Harding] applied to the University of Florida and was told that none of his credits would transfer. "I had to start over," he says. So, after three years at Pensacola, he enrolled as a freshman at nearby Santa Fe Community College

”

“

[Amy Brown] graduated from Pensacola in 2003 with a degree in early-childhood education. But because the college is not accredited, she cannot teach in public schools

”

“

>Many Christian colleges do accept Pensacola's credits, as do some secular institutions. Several former students say they have had no difficulty transferring credits or applying for jobs. But others have. And as more states crack down on degrees from unaccredited colleges, it may get even tougher for Pensacola graduates.

”

It should be noted that some other Christian colleges are accredited, and there are at least three accreditation bodies recognized by the United States who accredit some religious colleges. It is also worth noting that the college does try to help graduates who are seeking further education in graduate school but have been denied admission based on PCC's unaccredited status. Graduates are encouraged to contact the school for assistance if they are having difficulty gaining admittance into other schools.

[edit] King-James-Only

Pensacola Christian College supports the exclusive use of the King James Version of the Bible, a tenet of the King-James-Only Movement. However, PCC simply considers the Greek Textus Receptus that forms the basis of the King James New Testament to be superior to other available New Testament texts; it does not espouse the "advanced revelation" or "re-inspiration" views of some KJV-only groups (such as those of fellow Pensacolan Peter Ruckman).

In 1996, Dell Johnson, then the dean of Pensacola Theological Seminary, gave two chapel messages advocating the exclusive use of the King James Bible and the Received Greek text. In 1997, the school released a video featuring Johnson, Dr. Michael Bates, and the late Dr. Theodore P. Letis entitled "The Text Is The Issue." The following year, Letis and Johnson presented a history of textual criticism in American Bible seminaries, blaming Benjamin B. Warfield and his followers including A.T. Robertson in the Southern Baptist Convention, Lewis Sperry Chafer at Dallas Theological Seminary, and Charles Brokenshire at Bob Jones University for what they considered undesirable changes.

At the end of the video, Johnson attempted to steer clear of being lumped with certain King James Only advocates such as Jack Hyles, Peter Ruckman, and William Grady, who hold a stricter view on which versions are acceptable.

[edit] Regimen

PCC's Articles of Faith reject the teachings of Calvinism and the modern day Charismatic Movement, specifically stating that charismatic students will not be permitted to participate in or promote speaking in tongues, and would be better served attending elsewhere.

[edit] Rules and regulations

Rules at PCC are similar to those of other fundamentalist Christian colleges; the college maintains that "Attendance at PCC is a privilege not a right." The college has four levels of punishment; students can be socialed, campused, shadowed, or expelled. Students who have been socialed are not permitted to speak or interact with members of the opposite sex for a period ranging from one day to two weeks, depending on the severity of the offense. Campused students are not permitted to leave the campus grounds or speak with any other student being disciplined for two weeks. Individuals who are shadowed are assigned to a floor leader (a fellow student who is paid by PCC to enforce campus discipline) and must attend that person's classes, sleep in their room, and cannot speak with anyone else for the duration. The final form of punishment is expulsion from the college. Shadowing is often used in conjunction with expulsion, while a student is awaiting arrangements for him to leave campus. In certain circumstances, students have been made to leave campus within the 24 hour period after expulsion without arrangements being made.

Regulations govern all aspects of student life, including clothing, hairstyles, dorm room cleanliness, types of outside employment, borrowing, magazines, and music. PCC only permits students to listen to classical music or traditional Christian music. Mixed-gender interaction has the strictest rules. Stairwells and elevators are segregated by gender, members of the opposite sex are not permitted to touch in any way (even shaking hands is against the rules), mixed-gender meetings (including off-campus) are forbidden unless a PCC chaperon is present, and staring into the eyes of a member of the opposite sex, called by students "eye kissing", "optical intercourse", or "making eye babies", is discouraged by the administration.^[9]

[edit] Demerits

Demerits are given for breaking the rules. Students are campused for two weeks when they accumulate 75 demerits in a semester, with two more weeks of restriction for each additional 25 demerits. If a student receives 150 demerits in a semester, they are automatically expelled. However, the administration reserves the right to make any changes in the discipline procedures as the situation warrants. Violations can include the use of language considered profane or foul by the college, being in another dorm room after a certain time, the use of tobacco products, and the possession or use of pornography. Students are not allowed to meet with other mixed groups off-campus without written permission. Additionally, being in a dorm room belonging to a member of the opposite sex, the use of alcohol, gambling, engaging in actions considered by the college to be immoral, and engaging in social activities as a group away from the campus with members of the opposite sex can result in immediate dismissal. Pre-marital or extra-marital sex is grounds for expulsion. Many of these rules apply to the lives of students both on and away from campus while enrolled at the college.^[10]

In a practice often referred to as "blacklisting," some students who have quit the college or been expelled are often told they cannot return to the campus for various reasons. If seen on campus, security escorts them off college property. The security office keeps pictures and information on all banned from the campus. Alumni who criticize the college are removed from the college mailing list and are put on the blacklist.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2006, the college banned several alumni from returning to campus because they criticized the college on the popular website MySpace. Students are eligible for expulsion if their MySpace profiles contain material the college considers inappropriate, such as unapproved music or pictures. College staff members surf the MySpace and Student Voice websites to see what current and former students are saying about the college.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Publishing

[edit] A Beka Book

A Beka Book is a publisher of K-12 curriculum that is used by fundamentalist Christian schools and homeschooling families around the world. It is affiliated with Pensacola Christian College and is named after college president Arlin Horton's wife, Rebekah Horton. A Beka Book, along with BJU Press, are considered the two major publishers of Christian-based educational materials in America.

A Beka Book is criticized for publishing misinformation regarding evolution while the publisher portrays creationism as based on science. The University of California and National Center for Science Education has criticized A Beka as selling works that contain false information regarding origins of life. The University of California has deemed books by A Beka and Bob Jones University Press as "inconsistent with the viewpoints and knowledge generally accepted in the scientific community."^[11]

For a short period A Beka had tax exempt status, but in January 2005 the IRS ruled that the college's publishing arm was liable for taxes as a profit-making entity.^[12] The decision found that it was liable for 60% for the college's income. PCC paid the initial federal tab, estimated at $44.5 million, and A Beka paid another $ 3.5 million dollars.

[edit] The Student Voice

Two PCC alumni started an electronic newsletter in 1996 entitled The Student Voice. This newsletter voiced opposition to various rules and policies of the college. Horton responded to the newspaper's first issue with a speech in the campus chapel, calling the newspaper "an attack from Satan",^{[citation needed]} reminding students that they agreed to follow the rules when they came, that they were not forced to attend the school, and that anyone involved with the newspaper was subject to expulsion. The following semester PCC banned all devices which would allow an individual to connect their personal computer to the internet. Later, The Student Voice was moved to PensacolaChristianCollege.com. The Student Voice released new issues regularly for two years and continued to release their newsletter irregularly through their website until 2003. As of 2006, their website still keeps an archive of the issues of The Student Voice, but it has not been updated since 2003.

Claims by former alumni from the year in question also mention a ring of student and internet pornography that was intercepted as well.^{[citation needed]} It is possible that The Student Voice was not the sole reason for loss of internet access at PCC. During the Summer of 2004, a new, heavily filtered, wireless internet became available to students on campus.