COLUMBUS, Ohio (BP)–Cedarville University, a Baptist university of arts and sciences, has entered a partnership with the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio.
The partnership was formalized in November during the 49th annual session of the state convention when messengers overwhelmingly approved the agreement and committed to recommend Cedarville to all “Southern Baptists as an accredited, quality, four-year university that embraces Southern Baptists.”
Cedarville, located in southwestern Ohio, is one of the top feeder schools for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and has been described by Paige Patterson, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., as one of the finest Christian liberal arts universities in the country.
“We’re thrilled with the alliance with Cedarville,” said Jack Kwok, executive director of the Ohio convention. “Cedarville is a quality Baptist school. They wholeheartedly embrace Southern Baptists. A significant number of our pastors are Cedarville graduates. We’re looking to them as a resource for future church leaders. They embrace our theology, our polity and our missiology. We would recommend Cedarville not only to Ohio Baptists but all Southern Baptists.”
Cedarville President Paul Dixon likewise voiced excitement for “growing a relationship with Southern Baptists.”
“We have many Southern Baptist young people in our student body and some of our key trustees are Southern Baptist pastors or laymen,” Dixon said. “Our alumni attend and pastor Southern Baptist churches. A number of our administrators, faculty and staff attend Southern Baptist churches in our part of Ohio.”
Jack Graham, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of the Dallas-area Prestonwood Baptist Church, affirmed the partnership during the annual meeting of Ohio Baptists, Dixon said.
“He commended the churches for their decision regarding Cedarville and he indicated that this was representative of the convention emphasis on Empowering Kingdom Growth,” Dixon said.
Cedarville University was founded in 1887 “for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Located in Cedarville, near Dayton, the university has approximately 3,000 students in more than 100 areas of study. Its largest departments are business administration, education, science and mathematics, engineering, Bible and nursing.
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