June 1943
* during the past few years. Without doubt He has put His stamp of ap proval upon the testimony that has been given forth from this place. We face the future with, a calm, yet ,en thusiastic confidence that He"who has led hitherto will continue to establish “the work of our hands.” There will yet be hundreds of His own chosen vessels prepared, equipped, and quali fied spiritually, and academically to meet the challenge of the day—to pre sent Jesus Christ in a c o n v i n c i n g manner to the multitudes who are lost in the darkness of sin. MISSIONARY FERVOR Believing that even in these- dark war .days “there can be no mission ary dim-out,” but rather that these should be days of preparation for post-war missionary activities, the Church of the Open Door presented an eight-day “World in Los Angeles” program beginning April 25. Bible In stitute students and others had the benefit of hearing stirring messages from missionaries representing many fields. • This week of inspiration and chal lenge was climaxed on Sunday night, May 2, with a life investment' serv ice in which hundreds of young peo ple indicated either the making of new decisions or the renewal of form er ones, to take their places in the world’s great .harvest field, wherever the Lord shall send them.
LEFT: Dr. Sutherland and a group of Bible Institute students. BELOW: Young people at work in the In stitute library.
Encouraging pacts Conditions have changed. We are in a new generation, but the supporters of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles may feel confident thatt the work is progressing under the blessing of God. The Bible is being taught by earnest and capable men and women of God, and young people are responding to the call of the Lord in a most satis factory manner. During the years .1938 to 1942 a total of 347 young people were graduated from the In stitute. Of this number, 263, almost 76. per cent, are at present actively engaged in Christian work as their vocation or are studying in schools further preparing themselv.es for such service. This does not include a large number of young men who are now in the armed forces of the United States, but who have been and again will be giving all their time to Christian work when the war is over. The figures speak for themselves. The Bible Institute of Los Angeles
of specialization, these students have become specialists. The- effort is being made by the faculty to encourage personal re search among the Students. It is not ‘ sufficient for a faculty member to give out simply what the Bible teaches him, but the student, under the capa ble guidance .of the faculty mem ber, must discover for himself what the Bible actually , teaches. This type ’ of study is, in large measure, used by educators in the institutions of higher learning throughout the coun try. It is possible ■to carry on this type of instruction because of the ed ucational background of the majority of the students who attend the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. The records
the Need of the Present Day? reveal that whereas in 1922 approxi mately 50 per cent of the Institute students were high-school graduates, in 1942 almost 97 per cent of the stu dent body were high-school graduates, and many have had collège or uni versity work as well. These facts show how it is possible for the In stitute faculty to offer a type of ma terial which, in the Bible field, corre sponds to the collegiate material in the field of liberal arts and the sci ences. never before has faced a greater op portunity than it faces today. The Lord has led in a remarkable' way
Facing New Problems
The Institute today is faced with another condition, namely, the aver age age of its students. Whereas in the early years of Institute life the average age of the students was ap proximately twenty-five years, now the average age of the students Is twenty or less. The young person twenty years old has hardly become settled in his thinking or in his man ner of living. Thus the disciplinary problem has changed to some extent. The recreational situation which con fronts. the leaders of the Bible Insti tute has also changed, due to this condition. However, in many ways the youthfulness of the student body •makes possible the formation of very stable spiritual lives as students ma ture in their thinking and in their out look while in attendance at the Bible Institute.
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