Non SDA Students in SDA Schools

[Gregory Matthews]

SDA education faces substantial challenges.  Spectrum has published an article that addresses this in part.  To see that article, see:

http://spectrummagazine.org/article/2017/04/26/recruiting-non-adventist-students-already-norm-adventist-higher-education

NOTE:  For a previous article see the link in the above article.

My comment to the above article follows:

The issues that we face as a denomination that are related to our schools and colleges are complex.  I appreciate the work that Jared  has done in   bringing some of these to our attention.  I look forward to reading more on his thinking.

In regard to Sahmyook University in South Korea, there is an aspect of this situation that Jared has missed.  The government of South Korea has more control over the Universities than we in the U.S. typically are aware of.  The government issues guidelines that the universities must follow if they wish to continue.  One set of guidelines controls that students who are admitted.  To be blunt, Sahmyook does not have a choice as to the admission of students who are not SDAs.

In addition, the government sets other academic requirements that go well beyond what we in the U.S. see in our colleges here.

It should be stated that our leadership in South Korea  has been able to work within the governmental requirements in a manner that has resulted in Sahmyook contributing to the mission and ministry of the SDA Church in South Korea.

My personal knowledge stems from living there for 35 months and my marriage to an  English professor in its English Department.