The CBC Experience

Dan Carson is a CBC Alum, Pastor of Family Ministries at Calvary Baptist Church (Fayetteville, AR), and Director of the BMA Youth Department. He recently wrote about his thoughts about CBC in the Baptist Trumpet after his Daughter’s move-in day experience.

Move-In Day

Saturday August 17th, I dropped off my daughter at Central Baptist College. Where she will be spending the next four years making friends, embracing her calling and getting a great education. Dropped off — that sounds like it was just the start of an average school day. Saturday was anything but average. I “dropped off” my baby at a school three hours away from my home where she will live for the next nine months. It was a bittersweet day.

A CBC Legacy

However, any sting I was struggling with quickly evaporated when I really thought about where I was leaving her. Central Baptist College has been a very special place for my family over the years. My wife, Temple, graduated with her Associate of Arts degree in 1992, and I finished my Bachelor of Arts degree in 1995.

A Special Experience

However, Central is special for far more than the academics. It is a place where I made lifelong friends, and where my wife and I began our lives together. My CBC Experience was a special one but mirrored many of our friends at the time. It was many of those friends that I found Saturday. My daughter’s roommate (Jordan Wilkie) is the daughter of a former classmate during my time at Central. In the room next door, there are a couple of other daughters of former classmates. In fact, all three of the female resident advisors are daughters of former CBC Singers and choir members that I sang with at one time or another. Central is a special place where lifetime bonds are made.

Why Consider CBC?

Even with the great stories of connection, there are those that don’t give CBC a chance. In my day (wow… I sound old), it was considered the place for “preacher boys” to get their education and young ladies to get their “MRS” degree. It is much more than that. Let me give you a few reasons why you should consider encouraging your students to look further into the CBC Experience:

Central is Small

Some might view that as a negative but consider what being small means. Students will get to know their instructors. Students will really know those with whom they attend class. Students will get the personal attention they might need as they transition to the next level in their lives. With a 12:1 student/teacher ratio, it is hard to beat.

Central is Unashamedly Christ-centered

Chapel is expected. Bible classes are a part of the curriculum. Prayer is an everyday thing at Central. But beyond those things that are required, there are the hearts of the staff and students. Student-led worship services and on-campus Bible studies are just a part of what you find at Central. As a parent, I love knowing that my daughter’s teachers and leaders are praying for her.

Central is a Place to Make Lifelong Friends

I know that happens at most colleges, but at CBC, those lifelong relationships are usually connected through Christ. My best friends in life are those that I spent one, two or even five years with at Central Baptist College. We will reconnect at association meetings and other events. I love knowing we have that shared CBC history.

Central is a Place for Academic Excellence

Since my graduation back in the dark ages (1995), I have seen Central grow from a place where only a ministry major could get a bachelor’s degree to a place offering multiple degrees. It has been exciting to watch, and I can’t wait to see what God does next.

Consider CBC

I will be the first to admit that CBC isn’t for everyone. My son is currently a student at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, working on his Bachelor of Music in Worship Arts. However, CBC is a place that I would love to see the youth of the BMA of Arkansas consider first. In my opinion, everyone needs the CBC Experience.

Join the Mustang Family

Are you looking for a college with academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment, like Dan? We would love to visit with you. Schedule a personal campus visit at cbc.edu/WhyCBC.

Written by BMA Youth Department Director, Dan Carson, and published by the Baptist Trumpet August 21, 2019

Photo: (L-R) Jordan Wilkie & Kat Carson

Visit Calvary Baptist Church to see what God is doing through Pastor Kirk Shelton & Dan Carson