Despite hurdles along the way, Christ’s College has nurtured and prepared 5,500 students in its 53 years.,” says Nantz. “If [alumni] are not in fulltime ministry, they are now fulltime Christian professionals who are supporting local churches.”
On May 18, Christ’s College, a ministry of the PCA’s Mission to the World, received approval from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education (MOE) to be an accredited religious college. With this accreditation, students’ degrees will be recognized by the MOE, and the college’s graduates will be able to attend graduate school in Taiwan.
The college will still be able to hire Christian faculty and staff, have chapels and devotions, and promote Christ in its teaching and activities. The administration will face fewer restrictions on how the school advertises and recruits students. In addition, male students will now be able to defer their mandatory military service until they finish college.
Founded in 1959 by Dr. James Graham, an independent Presbyterian missionary, Christ’s College has been fulfilling its mission to evangelize Chinese students, disciple them, and train them to be Christ’s ambassadors. When founded, no category existed for religious colleges in Taiwan. When the MOE recently made provisions for religious institutions, the College’s administration started the application process. After several years and many hours of work, the College has received its accreditation.
Dr. Quentin Nantz, president of Christ’s College, hopes the recent accreditation will reverse a decade-long decline in enrollment. “Last year we had 170 students,” says Nantz, “10 years ago we had 950.”