It was with sadness that we learned in late October that Pillsbury was closing its doors at the end of the fall 2008 semester. I had learned earlier in the fall of the lower than hoped for enrollment, and so the news was not a complete surprise. Because of my heavy travel schedule, and a desire to reflect on what to say on this site, I have not posted anything to date. Now our ministry’s generous Christmas break gives me the opportunity to write and express some thoughts about these latest turn of events.
In the last few weeks some things were posted about our Alma Mater on the popular fundamentalist website SharperIron.org. Pillsbury alum Norm Olson, who is Senior Editor of the Baptist Bulletin, has written a very nice piece on closing days of the college. You can read his article entitled “True to the End” at http://sharperiron.org/2008/12/12/true-to-the-end/. Then you might possibly like to read the few comments that were written in response to Norm’s article. Both Dave Becklund and Fred Moritz expressed their thoughts, and I wrote the following:
Norm Olson has done a nice job blending the poignancy and pathos of Pillsbury’s final chapter. The words, pictures, and thoughts bring back a flood of memories from my student days and my interesting sojourn as president in 1994-95. Even remembering the difficult days of what I have often called “my suicide mission”, I am thankful for what I learned at Pillsbury as a young student and later as an older learner.
I too have been pondering what to say, what to write, what to feel, since learning that Pillsbury was coming to a final conclusion. I understand and appreciate the feelings of disappointment and sadness, but keep coming back to the thought that God is still on the throne. He knows; His ways are perfect, and He makes no mistakes.
Bob Crane and his staff have forged a valiant effort. Greg Huffman’s role in these last few months has likewise been strategic. But the main testimony I have seen over the last twelve years coming from the campus community has been that of a quiet dependency on the Lord. My personal contacts with various faculty and staff members have been encouraging and uplifting. They, it seems to me, have done the best they could. We need to pray for them and help them to find productive ministries in other places.
I’ve also been greatly heartened by the way Pillsbury’s sister schools have reached out to aid the present student body at Pillsbury at this time. That spirit of kindness and support can become a great influence in the lives of these young people, if they will go on to trust the Lord in successive steps in their lives.
It is also a blessing to know that one of the sister schools will provide transcript and alumni support to the many Pillsbury graduates scattered across the country and around the world. Because of my experience in Higher Ed, I know how critical it is for graduates to be able to have a credible repository for their academics records. This will become a very important issue for many as they pursue graduate study and future ministry/employment opportunities.
A year ago I launched a website for Pillsbury grads from the early era of the 50s and 60s called Pillsbury Memories http://pillsburymemories.blogspot.com/ . My goal is to see this site used by the Lord to encourage those who were privileged to attend Pillsbury in the early years of the college. A song from bygone days keeps going through my mind.
I just keep trusting my Lord, as I walk along,
I just keep trusting my Lord, and He gives a song;
Tho the storm clouds darken the sky, o'er the heav'nly trail,
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will never fail!
He's a faithful Friend, such a faithful Friend,
I can count on Him, to the very end;
Tho the storm clouds darken the sky, o'er the heav'nly trail,
I just keep trusting my Lord, He will never fail!
A 1982 grad, Attorney Jay Kalasnik, has also provided a link to some outstanding recent winter pictures he took of the campus. You can see all of his excellent photos at http://attorneyjay.smugmug.com/gallery/6748948_8f4oN#431058333_W3J8o. His website is: http://attorneyjay.smugmug.com/. He also has some interesting pictures of the ceremony to honor past Pillsbury coaches at the last basketball game. Our own Coach Poorman was honored. He looks great – doesn’t he?
Why don’t you write some thoughts about “Remembering Pillsbury” and post them on this site, or send them to me in an email. You can write me at: DrGBC@hotmail.com. Send pictures too!! I got some nice pictures from Dave and Grace Goodman, and I will post a gallery soon that I hope will include more pics -- some from you as well, I hope.
