Report of Fernando (Cal.) College
By H. G. Lucas
I HAVE often asked myself the questions, “Of what use was the establishment of Fernando College? Why was it not sufficient to send our children to other schools, and save the expense of providing buildings and other facilities and of employing more teachers?” Quick as a flash the answer comes: “We have a great message to give to every people on the face of the earth, and other schools do not prepare for its promulgation.” Then, again, we live in an age when morality, honesty, and integrity are dying, and when faith in the Bible as God’s own word has become corrupted by higher criticism. We have reached an age when the battle between right and wrong is becoming very intense. We have come to the time when Satan is gathering his hosts of fallen angels and fallen men for the final awful struggle to secure supreme control of the minds of all men, and when Christ is marshaling his forces of holy angels and holy men to restore in man the beautiful image of God, which has become well-nigh obliterated through sin. We were compelled to establish our own system of schools in order to save our children. They could not drink at the wells of infidelity without becoming infidels themselves. In other schools the Bible has no place in the curriculum, and infidel authors are studied, and usually under infidel teachers. Their education is merely the pursuit of a certain course of study, usually a preparation for a life of frivolity, money getting, and luxury. God’s idea of education has to do with the whole being of the child, not only for the present life, but for that which is to come. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers. All parents seek to supply the needs of their children. They provide for them their raiment and their daily food. Ere-long the time comes when the parents must determine upon the kind of education that their children shall have, and they must make the necessary outlay. It must consist of a worldly education or of a Christian education. In this choice there is no middle ground. When they wish to provide them with food, do they go to a shoe store to get it? when they wish to purchase clothing, do they go to a butcher shop to secure it? when they wish to buy shoes, do they go to a grocery store to purchase them? Even so, Christian parents, after determining to give their children an education of salvation and Biblical morality, should send them where they will be shown the way to salvation, where the Bible is given its rightful place as the guide to eternal life, and where Biblical morality is strenuously taught. In southern California there was no higher school that met God’s standard, so one had to be established. This was done at Fernando in 1902. I can speak only of the work done this year. Whatever success has attended the school has been largely contributed by my associate teachers. Although I was unacquainted with them at the beginning of the year, yet we have worked together in the spirit of unity to build a school, every phase of which should be conducted in harmony with the Bible and the Testimonies. If we have made mistakes, they have been of the head, and not of the heart. Let us examine the different phases of the work, and become acquainted with the organization. In the daily program of mental work, the teachers come in direct contact with all the students, whether living with their parents or in the college homes. At 1:15 P. M. each day the outside students depart, but the others stay in our homes. It is the training in these homes, outside of the daily program of mental effort, that tells in the formation of character, and I believe that those in charge have been chosen of God, for success has attended their efforts. A spiritual mold was placed upon the school from the beginning. All we could do was to fish for souls, and to draw in those that would be caught for Christ and eternal life. The chapel exercise was made short, only twenty minutes, but I believe the lessons given by the faculty and visitors have been of incalculable benefit to all. The morning prayer service in the homes is at 6:10, and the evening service at 8:30, just before retiring. Fifteen minutes each day, just prior to the evening service, have been given the student for private prayer in his own room. Regularly on Tuesday evening at eight o’clock the young women have a prayer-meeting by themselves, led by one of their number, and the young men have one at the same time, conducted in the same way. Here some of the youth have gained their first experience in leading meetings and in audible prayer. On Thursday evening the young women have division prayer-meetings among themselves. On Friday evening, meetings to which both home and outside students have been invited are a great strength to the school. How pleasant it is to hear fifty or more testimonies from the lips of the youth! The week of prayer was a season of great spiritual refreshing to us all. The first meeting usually consisted of a presentation of the gospel message and a social meeting; then the invitation was given for those who had lost their first love to remain to a second meeting to seek God. One night between thirty and forty young people knelt before God, seeking for pardon. We have had a large number of conversions during the year, some very remarkable ones. We feel remiss in our duty if we do not ask the unsaved to remain with us after the close of our Friday evening meetings to seek the pearl of great price. The faculty has decided to have another week of prayer in May, to obtain all the results God has for us in the seed sowing of the year, and to prepare the young people to battle against Satan during the summer wherever they may be. In the mental phase Bible knowledge was sought by earnest endeavors. The memorizing of Scripture in the Bible classes was the foundation on which Elder Owen built his work. The other departments have been very successful in their work. Christian education is what all our children need; lacking this, they are often lost to the cause and to God. Our attendance has been very good. The total enrolment has been one hundred and seven. The two homes have had from forty to fifty students constantly. We can accommodate only thirty-two young men and thirty-two young women. Our teachers are supported by the second-tithe system. We never have any difficulty over the payment of teachers. This system has made it possible for every Adventist child in San Fernando to attend our own schools. Three of our students have accepted a call to go to Peru as self-supporting missionaries. About twenty-five young men and women are planning to enter the canvassing work next summer.