by Sandy » Mon Mar 24, 2014 5:21 am
It's not disingenuous, Ed. "Affiliated" means that the school is in a formal relationship with a denomination, where there is a connection between the school's mission and purpose, and that of the denomination. Historically, that involves a level of support from the denominational constituency, and in most cases, the denomination provides direction and leadership through trustee selection. For the schools, generally the connection in the mission and purpose has been to provide training to potential ministers, missionaries and other church leadership. For some denominations, "affiliated" involves a different type of relationship but what I've described has been the pattern for Baptist colleges, universities and seminaries. That does not preclude the school's attraction for students of other backgrounds. But when a school states that it is "no longer affiliated" with a denominational body, that is a statement to be taken at face value. The statement you cited from Mercer tells me that it was founded by Baptists, is no longer affiliated with a Baptist denominational body, but retains some of the broader influence from a Judeo-Christian background.