Of late there has been a special interest in our school, the Protestant Reformed Semi­nary. A new professor was installed and a new building erected and dedicated. Both were occasions of great anticipation and joy and of much prayer and thanksgiving. It has been the center of attention for our denomi­nation. And so the Beacon Lights staff thought it would be a good time for an article by a seminary student to appear in the magazine. I agreed, and so I have been asked to give my impres­sions of seminary.

I have been asked questions like: What do you guys do here? What is your day like? Are the professors strict? Are the subjects difficult? What is the grading scale like? Do you like it? These questions are asked not only because the questioners have so little firsthand information because so few people they know actually attend, but also because they have the notion that our seminary is somehow different and they want to know how it is differen -the faculty, the student body, the subject material, the teaching method, the grading scale, and the guiding principles. And they are right. It is different.

The questions are asked because the seminary has always been a focal point for our denomination. Our people are interested in it and concerned about its’ welfare, as was testified by the whole hearted support in the financial drive, and by the overwhelming response to the recent installation, dedica­tion and open house.

Its needs are a constant source of prayer. The needs of the professors as they instruct young men called by God to be His ambas­sadors and the needs of the students as they must give diligence to the things learned and persevere in their studies are continually brought as petitions to God. With willing charitableness the churches support the school and the students financially. She does this because she is concerned about, almost anxious, and rightly zealous about her future well-being, which is so dependent upon the infallible word of God and its pure proclama­tion.

It is as a student that one begins to more fully appreciate the unity of believers and to realize that God gives clear evidences of His covenant faithfulness, that the church is the apple of His eye. It is necessary that a stu­dent be conscious of this and keep such a perspective for the sake of his own encour­agement, in order that he remain diligent. When a student is in his last two years, not only is the normal load 18 hours, a heavy one by college standards, but usually he teaches a number of catechism classes and preaches a number of sermons, both of which are quite new and demanding. This is the stretch drive of his college education, and it makes or breaks him. There is a constant push forward, no time for breathers, and if the daily assignments are not enough to keep him busy, there are always synodical exams for filler material. A small student body means there is no sliding, because under the watchful eyes of the professors your sins will find you out quickly. But the real student does not shirk, complain, or ask for a break. He realizes that the professors demand both quantity and quality because they are aware of the great responsibility that is theirs’ before God and His church. They cannot allow sloppiness or set a slow pace for the sake of good marks because such is not to be allowed in the actual ministry. They must graduate men who are capable intellectually, sound spiritually, and who possess stamina in body and mind. Once on their own the graduates are thankful for the high standards demanded and maintained. As they are fond of saying in seminary, “God hates a lazy preacher”, “And I repeat, don’t fall behind.”

In all of its years of existence, our semi­nary has been different. For years it was different even in a purely physical sense; a full three years seminary curriculum held in the basement of a church in two rooms. Even the enrollment was unique. Sometimes the student body could fit itself into one pair of pants, if they were his own, and found him­self in the peculiar situation of being out­numbered by the faculty, two to one. Now of course, it has attained a greater degree of physical respectability; three professors, three sem. students, eight pre-sem. stu­dents, one grade school principle who keeps his ears open for news to put in the Standard Bearer, and a beautiful sunlit building which just might have the best scenic view in the whole of the Grand Rapids area. From its vantage point upon the bluffs overlooking Grandville a pleasant mixture of country side and city skyline greets the eye. Not only do the professors have to squint sometimes and shade their eyes from the glare coming off their notes, (so accustom their eyes have grown to the dim caverns of the church base­ment), but everyone also has become some­what of a bird watcher, attentively following the lazy circles of two hawks who regularly hunt the fields just below the seminary observatory. “Hey, did you see that thrush which just flew by?” “That was no thrush, you bird brain, that was a killdeer.”

Although the new building has brought about new topics for discussions, rekindled interest in the weather to more than whether it was still raining outside, and has changed the focus of our attention from studying the flickering fluorescent lights to the watching of the sun as it rises and the sun’s rays as they play upon the surrounding country side, there is still that which remains the same the students and professors are happy to say. Classes begin at eight o’clock and dismiss at noon, the assignments are handed out with frightful regularity and are received for analysis and exacting criticism (although, at times, first year Dutch language students who talk with a Yankee brogue are criticized by no more than hearty laughter), the lectures remain doctrinally sound. Biblically centered, and persuasively presented, the subjects dealt with are thoroughly inspected, carefully taught, and must be effectively learned, and last but not least coffee break begins at 9:55 with its coffee stirring, pipe smoking and tobacco aromas. And though one professor was heard to mutter after a coffee break which extended a bit longer than usual that they were the bane of the seminary, yet they remain an important party of the semi­nary; some would say indispensable. It is a feature which distinguishes it from other institutions of education. Can you name another school in which the professors and students sit down for coffee and table talk daily? It is an indication that our seminary is a family like very few others, possessing a closeness which has direct result on the character and quality of the men who go out from it to take up their labors in one of the congregations. The student-faculty rapport which is a constant source of discussions, problems, and dissatisfaction in many other schools, (the elusive missing link), is a com­mon, accepted fact. Walk in during break and you will be treated to such matters as the latest church news and related issues, the correction of someone’s grammatical blunder, the humorous description of some­one’s character quirks, or the relating of some comical situation one found himself in. Did you hear about the time Professor Decker. . . ? Well, probably it would be better if you asked him about it yourself. Although laughter dominates the scene at times, we do have our serious moments. The talk also ranges into discussion about items of latest ecumenical interest and controversy, ques­tions concerning ethics (such as abortion), problems of correct Biblical interpretation, or further discussion on a question brought up in class. And all too soon 10:15 rolls around, causing a general disturbance. Classes part into separate rooms, where once again inspection of and preparation for the study of scripture and doctrine is carried on. If it is not one of those nervous Mondays reserved for the trials of practice preach­ing, at noon the class day is brought to a close with prayer, and the faculty and stu­dents leave to spend the major portion of their day preparing for tomorrow, next week, or next year’s synodical examination.

Now to return to those questions once again, which I may not have answered direct­ly enough. “What do you do all day?” Well, to be very specific, we study a lot, although, at times we do eat and sleep. What is your day like? Sometimes it’s sunny and some­times it’s cloudy, and almost always not long enough. Are the Professors strict? Let me put it this way; they encourage more than they rebuke, guide more than they pres­sure, and chuckle more than they frown. Are the subjects difficult? Only those which are taught before noon time, and Hebrew grammar especially. What is the grading scale like? Judge for yourself. Anything be­low a C is considered failure, and as for an A, well, who is perfect? Do you like it? Yes, very much and thank-you for your interest and concern.

There is, however, one more important question which should be asked, the answer of which is almost taken for granted. Yet, it is, without a doubt, the most important because it is our seminary’s greatest dis­tinguishing feature, the most important rea­son for its existence. The question is, “What impresses you the most about the seminary?” That it is founded upon the Word of God and dedicated to the instruction in, preservation of, and submission to its infallible, authoritative message, applicable to faith, walk, and doctrine. Thanks be to God that our professors remain committed to the reason and purpose of its establishment. In these days which give such ample evidence of falling away, of apostacizers who not only under-emphasize the Holy Word of God but who unashamedly attack directly its in­fallible inspiration and its authority, the seminary must continue to be the object of your interest, concern, support, and prayers, as it has in the past.