Maranatha Baptist University

Not to be confused with Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Bangalore, India [1] or Maranatha College in Idaho. For other uses of Maranatha, see Maranatha (disambiguation).

Maranatha Baptist Bible College

Motto	"To the Praise of His Glory"
Type	Private
Established	1968
President	Vacant
Undergraduates	Approx. 900
Postgraduates	55
Location	Watertown , Wisconsin , U.S.
Campus	Urban 54 acres
Mascot	Crusader
Website	www.mbbc.edu

Maranatha Baptist Bible College is an independent fundamental Baptist college in Watertown, Wisconsin, offering a wide range of undergraduate degrees, including Bible, business management, teacher education, nursing, humanities, biology, fine arts, music, piano, and church ministries, as well as graduate degrees in Biblical studies, Biblical counseling, and theology.

Accreditation and memberships

Maranatha is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the accreditation agency for the region that includes Wisconsin. It is a participant in the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) of the Higher Learning Commission.

The teacher education programs at the school are recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for purposes of teacher certification.

Maranatha is a member of the following organizations:

• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
• American Association of Christian Colleges and Seminaries
• National Christian College Athletic Association, Division II
• National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division III
• Northern Athletics Conference

Campus

Old Main

Old Main in winter

Construction of Old Main was started in 1873 and completed in four phases over the course of 21 years. Originally home to Sacred Heart Military Academy, the building was purchased from the Brothers of Holy Cross by Dr. B. Myron Cedarholm in 1968. It now houses three floors of classrooms, administrative offices, the academy, and a fine arts hall.

Dining complex

Dining complex east entrance

The 40,568 square foot dining complex was completed in 2005, and serves nearly 1,500 meals every weekday. It seats almost 400 in a variety of seating arrangements. It also has several classrooms, two computer labs, and wireless networking.

Cedarholm Library

Cedarholm Library from the north

Opened in 1996, the Cedarholm Library has resources for research and casual reading. A web-based OPAC (online public access catalog), computer-equipped workstations, a media center, and instructional material curriculum are some of the resources available.

Willis-Denny Gymnasium

Wills-Denny Gymnasium houses Maranatha's athletic facilities, including two gymnasiums, a weight room, fitness area, trainer and faculty offices, several locker room facilities, and the Alumni Hall of Fame. The main gymnasium also doubles as an auditorium, which is used for daily chapel services, special evangelistic meetings, and fine arts.

Hanneman Hall

Named after the late Robert Hanneman, Jr., a potato geneticist at the University of Wisconsin and friend of the college, Hanneman Hall houses Maranatha's nursing program and science department.

Dormitories

Maranatha has five men's and five women's dormitories; Spurgeon, Judson, Leland, Armitage, and Carey men's halls are on the south side of campus, while Day, Weeks, Melford, Hilsen, and Gould women's halls are in the northwest corner of the campus.

History

Founded on September 14, 1968 by B. Myron Cedarholm, the college was named for the Aramaic phrase maranatha, which means "Lo He cometh", which appears in I Corinthians 16:22 in the New Testament. The college records over 3,000 graduates since its founding. The school was chartered by the State of Wisconsin in 1968. Enrollment for Fall 2009 is expected to reach 900.

Arno Q. Weniger, David Jaspers and Chuck Phelps have served as presidents of the institution. David Jaspers resigned in 2006 amidst allegations of misconduct. Chuck Phelps resigned in May 2009. A letter posted on the MBBC website cited "differences in perspective" as the reason for his resignation. The office of President is currently vacant; Robert Loggans is serving as the college's interim executive officer.

Philosophy

Maranatha's mission is preparing leaders to serve locally and internationally "To the Praise of His Glory.” The school's mission and doctrinal statements are the foundations of its "Guiding Core Values": fidelity, learning, integrity, charity, leadership, unity, balance, family, and excellence.

Maranatha’s academic philosophy combines a Bible college environment with a liberal arts focus. The school incorporates an academic program with a traditional independent fundamental Baptist philosophy. Students take 24 hours of Bible and 31 hours of liberal arts in addition to program requirements.

Maranatha imposes a rigorous code of conduct on its students, faculty and staff. Students are not to engage in any type of physical contact with members of the opposite sex, and are to maintain observable space between them at all times. No male and female student may spend the night in the same home or apartment, or be alone in any off-limit area, such as a vehicle or campus facility. The dress code attempts to encourage "personal separation"; modesty is emphasized and certain brands of clothing are not allowed. No form of rock music, including country, pop, and R&B, is permitted on campus or on personal computers. Students must receive permission to leave campus for extended periods, and all dorm students must be on campus before 10 p.m. on weeknights, with lights out and quiet by 11 p.m. Movie theaters, all forms of dancing, alcohol use, and profanity are also prohibited. Students violating any of Maranatha's policies are subject to a demerits, fines, or expulsion, depending on the severity of the offense.

Student life

Students can participate in a variety of campus activities, including intramural sports, blood drives, special lectures, and college-sponsored games. Daily chapel services are also a part of life at Maranatha.

All undergraduate students are required to live on campus until age 22, unless living with parents and commuting to classes. Dorm leadership consists of "prayer captains," "resident assistants," and "dorm supervisors." Resident assistants' responsibilities include completing room checks to ensure that all beds are made, trash cans have been emptied, and halls are generally tidy. Prayer captains lead room devotions and take responsibility for leadership within the room.

Students may also be elected to student body office, where they participate in planning campus events, leading special chapel services, and attending disciplinary committee action meetings.

Ministry societies

Students can voluntarily participate in one of five ministry societies that are engaged in evangelism and social service. Societies are assigned to pairs of "brother and sister" dorms. Carey and Melford halls are assigned to the State Street Ministry, an evangelistic effort aimed at University of Wisconsin-Madison students. Spurgeon and Gould halls minister in Watertown and the surrounding community. Leland and Hilsen halls minister to Ethan Allen School and Southern Oaks Girls School, juvenile detention centers run by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Judson and Weeks halls visit with elderly residents at Beverly Terrace Nursing Home, and tutor homeless and at-risk children at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. The final pair of dormitories, Armitage and Day halls, are "on call" for ministry at local churches and camps and run a Bible study for students at UW-Milwaukee in the spring.

Extra-curricular activities

College clubs:

• Literary Club
• Xcalibur (a sketch comedy club)
• College Republicans
• Army ROTC Badger Battalion

Fund raising clubs:

• Builders Club (fundraising for capital projects)
• Crusader Club (fundraising for athletics)
• Fine Arts Club
• Booster Club

Athletics

Maranatha sports teams compete in NCCAA Division II and NCAA Division III. Men can participate in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer and wrestling. Women can compete in basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Maranatha is a charter member of the Northern Athletics Conference. The athletics teams are nicknamed the Crusaders and wear blue and gold.

Notable alumni

• Ben Peterson - Olympic gold and silver medal winner in wrestling

External links

• Maranatha Baptist Bible College website
• Northern Athletics Conference website