13
Coalition in the late 1970s and 1980s, there is no direct
evidence that Dellenback applied the NAE statement as a
test for membership, although he expressed concern that
some Christian colleges might not be a good fit for the
organization. During his presidency, moreover, the
Coalition settled on the following criteria for membership:
(1) accreditation as a four-year liberal arts college; (2)
institutional commitment to Christ; (3) a policy of hiring
well-qualified faculty and administrators who were
committed Christians; (4) commitment to the integration of
faith, learning, and living; and (5) commitment to
excellence.
18
In addition, Dellenback consistently
described Coalition schools as "Christ-centered" in that
they saw "God in Christ as the Center of all truth and
knowledge."
19
Thus, the desire to enlarge the Coalition did
not override the importance of maintaining genuinely
Christian distinctives, even if doctrinal standards became
more ambiguous.
of the Board of Directors of the Christian College
Consortium, 26 March 1975.
18
Minutes of the Board of Directors, Christian College
Coalition, 28 October 1980, 1-2. This and all succeeding
citations of Coalition minutes come from photocopies of
originals in CCCU archives, Washington, D.C.
19
"`Christ-Centeredness' Distinguishes Christian
Colleges from Other Schools," Christian College News
Service, 21 April 1978, 5.