[thepostman]

Aside from TRBC is there much about LU that screams Baptist?

[SuperJon]

Aside from TRBC is there much about LU that screams Baptist?

Thankfully no.

[thepostman]

Aside from TRBC is there much about LU that screams Baptist?

Thankfully no.

exactly

Which is why its a non-issue when it comes to recruiting.

[ballah09]

liberal or conservative. presby or lutheran. liberty should have the best christian professors to train christian leaders. you know multiple views rather than baptist/conservative. Same with the argument about turning into another baylor. liberty can get up-to-date like if they decided to add some frats or change some rules (see Houston Baptist, Gardner-Webb.) and still be liberty and be very christian. they developed a reputation of being a school for christians like mormons for byu.

if liberty started to hire non-christian professors or start making convo voluntary then i would start worrying about turning into another Baylor/TCU.


for recruiting, liberty is competing with VT, UVA, ODU, and JMU for players in 757. this year they struck out on just about everyone (Stallings, Cook, Enderson, Butler, etc.) they went after. at least reported.


they should hit the southern states like Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi. get that sec speed in the big south

[Sly Fox]

Wow, this thread has taken an unforeseen turn.

Haize - Heaven help us if we start being compared to Baylor. What has happened there from theological perspective is simply sad. And technically we started off as Lynchburg Baptist College FWIW.

As for the school itself, obviously we are open to a wider denominational range. But I am really curious about what does scream Baptist to some of you. Because frankly I am missing what doesn't remain Baptist about the core of the school philosophically & theologically. Am I missing something? Frankly the differences between most Evangelicals has been ridiculously small for a long time and they obviously find a great meeting place together at LU.

As for calling the pressbox side of Williams Stadium the Baptist side is actually meant as an inside joke and not a theological discussion. Many of the fans who sit on that side are from back in the hardcore Fundamentalist days of the school. It is meant as way to crack on ourselves. I highly doubt recruits are told on their official visits that the Baptist side is where you find the pressbox.

[thepostman]

I think when people say you can't really tell Liberty is a Baptist school they are just simply saying it is not in that mold of a fundamentalist type school like it once was. I come from a Baptist background. Some of the experiences have been good, some not so good which can be said of every denomination.

Just my 2 cents

[jbock13]

I think when people say you can't really tell Liberty is a Baptist school they are just simply saying it is not in that mold of a fundamentalist type school like it once was. I come from a Baptist background. Some of the experiences have been good, some not so good which can be said of every denomination.

Just my 2 cents

Exactly. I grew up Church of Christ, and had some issues with it. I agree theologically most with Baptists, and I am one now, but does it really matter? One of my professors is Greek Orthodox Christian, and I don't even know what that is other than the fact that he's one of the most devout believers I've ever known.

In the end, it doesn't matter. Liberty is perfect in this regard. We're all a community of believers from different backgrounds and philosophies, but pursuing one common goal, to change the world for Christ.

I am aware some unsaved people come to Liberty.

[Purple Haize]

SLY I sit bloatedly corrected. But you also answered your own question. We STARTED as a Baptist school, why ditch it? I agree that outside a few KJV only nuts there isnt much difference between denominations. I don't care about who is sitting in classes here so long as they follow the rules.
You might want to get your eyes checked because the founder of this university and the church it's affiliated with SCREAM Baptist! I'm just not sure we should hide from it. I don't see BYU hiding from its Mormonism or even ND hiding from its Catholocism. I wouldn't consider myself Baptist but doesn't mean Im not proud of LU as a Baptist institution.

[jcmanson]

Yeah since baptist is a religion in and of itself like Catholicism and mormonism

[ballah09]

Didn't Jerry want Liberty to be thee premier Christian school for christian kids (from all sects) like what Mormons for BYU and Catholics for Notre Dame?

If you want Liberty to keep baptist wouldn't that be like Baylor wouldn't it? just another Baptist school

[jbock13]

Yeah since baptist is a religion in and of itself like Catholicism and mormonism

Uhm no. Every denomination has those people who think there's is the only correct one. Those people are stupid, whoever they are.

[phoenix]

The evangelical movement tends to skew slightly Baptistic, so few evangelical kids would have a problem attending LU. The only "Baptist distinctive" that really isn't accepted by all evangelicals is believer's baptism only by immersion only. Stuff like that tends to upset the Presbys

And I seriously doubt that people have suddenly forgotten that Liberty was founded as a Baptist school. That's going to take a few generations -- and hopefully it won't happen for the same reasons that people have forgotten that Brown was founded as a Baptist school.

[Sly Fox]

If you want Liberty to keep baptist wouldn't that be like Baylor wouldn't it? just another Baptist school

First off, LU remains SBC-affiliated at last check. But as you point out, even schools that are straying considerably from the Baptist roots like Baylor, Mercer & Palm Beach Atlantic still consider themselves to be Baptist.

Frankly I could care less about the labeling. I am more focused on our school retaining its foundations in Biblical adherence. Those that know me well realize that I am far from tied to the Baptist movement (I was married in an Assembly of God church where my family remains involved). But our Baptist foundations from a theological perspective are something from which I hope we choose to remain committed moving forward. Outside of some interpretations that frankly aren't essential to the core Gospel message, I don't know many Methodists, Presbyterians, Assembly of God or Pentecostals who would challenge us much. We're all answering to the Great Commission and a belief that Jesus is our only hope. I recognize the term Fundamentalist is considered a derogatory term in most circles. But the fundamentals of the faith are what Doc referred to when describing that we should burn the campus down if the school ever strayed.

Frankly this whole discussion is based on semantics and the views of many in regard to what they consider "Baptist" to really mean. For some it clearly means self-righteous, judgmental separationists. I get that. But that is not truly what the Baptist perspective really entails.

[jmdickens]

My ex sister-in-law went to LU and Baylor.....I remember she said the only difference(s) seemed to be a little relaxation of the rules and non-mandatory convo.

[Sly Fox]

The theology classes have changed significantly in the past 5 years at Baylor. That's why big money Baptist donors are pulling away from BU and investing in other schools like HBU. I've heard rumors that Drayton McLane might be behind the recent push by HBU into football and a new Sports Arena based on his relationship with Robert Sloan. Drayton is fat with cash after the sale of the Astros was just announced. But that is strictly hearsay in regard to Uncle Drayton.

[flamesfan30]

liberty at first glance is pretty "baptist" however, once you get inside, in the classes, in the dorms you quickly realize its a community made up of a ton of denominational diversity, and i love it. i love that on every single dorm a discussion on reformed theology can be found. i love that i can honestly discuss things like the cessation of gifts, predestination and the gospel, what it is and is not. i love that not everyone agrees on everything here. its part of what makes liberty great. i have grown far more in my walk with Christ as a result of these discussions than class. i love breaking down convo speakers messages over lunch in the rot. its honestly my favorite part of school, and im glad that we are finally bringing in speakers that students what to hear. Honestly, is the best thing Johnnie's done yet at his time at liberty. for my first two years here it just seemed like only baptists were allowed on the convo stage. so glad that its growing beyond that.

liberty is more than an institution. we are a community

[logic]

Sly, you should absolutely care about the labeling if you care about football or any other sport getting big. The Baptist label hurts recruiting, period. A non-denominational labeling does not as it accepts all and doesn't scare kids (AND PARENTS) away. A Baptist, or worse, Southern Baptist labeling, does scare would be recruits and parents away and we need to get away from it if at all possible.

This has NOTHING to do with the rules or convo or anything like that and everything to do with marketing/promotion. Keep convo, keep rules, keep it just the way it is, etc....but lose every affiliation to Baptist in a marketing/promotion sense as possible. We want the largest recruiting field we can, that means not limiting ourselves to one denomination of Christianity.

[flamesfan30]

look around... http://www.libertyu.com do you see anyone marketing liberty as anything baptist?

[Sly Fox]

The only time I ever see any affiliation with the term Baptist in regard to LU is with TRBC and occasionally it is used to describe us in the media. The school has gone above & beyond to relabel itself as Evangelical. I'm cool with whatever label we want to use as long as we stick to our theological heritage. And reformed vs. free will discussions are not counter to anything I am stating.

[Purple Haize]

Sly, you should absolutely care about the labeling if you care about football or any other sport getting big. The Baptist label hurts recruiting, period. A non-denominational labeling does not as it accepts all and doesn't scare kids (AND PARENTS) away. A Baptist, or worse, Southern Baptist labeling, does scare would be recruits and parents away and we need to get away from it if at all possible.

This has NOTHING to do with the rules or convo or anything like that and everything to do with marketing/promotion. Keep convo, keep rules, keep it just the way it is, etc....but lose every affiliation to Baptist in a marketing/promotion sense as possible. We want the largest recruiting field we can, that means not limiting ourselves to one denomination of Christianity.

Yeah. Let's sacrifice our core heritage on the altar of marketing and promotion.

SLY AGers call that Missionary Marriage! But you are spot on with everything else!

[logic]

So haize, our core heritage rests in the SBC and nothing else?

Sly hit it right on. Don't give up the culture of the University but move away from classifying ourselves as any denomination. I have personally known people who were scared away from Liberty because they thought it was a Baptist school. Not good for recruiting.

P.S. Sly - Not sure why this turned into worrying about Liberty losing it's core values. That is not what I meant by getting away from SBC. Our core values should go beyond any denomination if they are true convictions.

As far as recruiting is concerned, let's be Christian and not Southern Baptist......opens up recruiting to all Christians and does not scare kids and parents away.

[Purple Haize]

So haize, our core heritage rests in the SBC and nothing else?

Sly hit it right on. Don't give up the culture of the University but move away from classifying ourselves as any denomination. I have personally known people who were scared away from Liberty because they thought it was a Baptist school. Not good for recruiting.

P.S. Sly - Not sure why this turned into worrying about Liberty losing it's core values. That is not what I meant by getting away from SBC. Our core values should go beyond any denomination if they are true convictions.

As far as recruiting is concerned, let's be Christian and not Southern Baptist......opens up recruiting to all Christians and does not scare kids and parents away.

I never said it rested in only the SBC but do maintain that it IS a core heritage and not something we should run from. I'm not a fan of denominational labels but if you are founded as a Baptist, Methodist etc instruction you should not forget that.
I'm not sure Baptist as a label has any effect on recruiting one way or another IMO

[BJWilliams]

I was gonna say "who here thinks logic has jumped the shark?" Sly is right. The school is doing everything it can to stay true to its roots but yet be able to bring in young people (athletically and otherwise) from every stripe (Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, etc). If people are hung up on the Southern Baptist thing, it may be more based on their own preconceived notions and not any marketing by the school.

[Purple Haize]

I was gonna say "who here thinks logic has jumped the shark?" Sly is right. The school is doing everything it can to stay true to its roots but yet be able to bring in young people (athletically and otherwise) from every stripe (Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, etc). If people are hung up on the Southern Baptist thing, it may be more based on their own preconceived notions and not any marketing by the school.

This is painful:
+1

[BJWilliams]

I was gonna say "who here thinks logic has jumped the shark?" Sly is right. The school is doing everything it can to stay true to its roots but yet be able to bring in young people (athletically and otherwise) from every stripe (Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Pentecostal, etc). If people are hung up on the Southern Baptist thing, it may be more based on their own preconceived notions and not any marketing by the school.

This is painful:
+1

First time for everything Purple