Lubbock Christian College (LCC) here I come!

I got out of the Air Force in August 1978 to attend college at Lubbock Christian College (now University). I had taken night classes in the military for several years and many of the military courses I’d taken counted toward college credit. When I had all the credits evaluated, I had almost three years of college credit.

My initial idea upon getting out of the Air Force was to attend the intensive two-year course of biblical studies at the Sunset School of Preaching (now the Sunset International Bible Institute) in downtown Lubbock. I had been accepted at the school and was very excited about going there. We were attending the Greenlawn Church of Christ at the time. Greenlawn is located just across the street from LCC. Hugh Rhodes was the athletic director at LCC and one of the elders at Greenlawn then. One Wednesday night after Bible classes Hugh put his arm over my shoulder and asked if I’d come by his office in the LCC Fieldhouse at my earliest convenience. That night I told my wife that I was sure he was going to try to talk me out of going to Sunset School of Preaching and attending LCC instead. Sure enough, that’s what he wanted. He asked me why I wanted to go to Sunset and I told him I really wanted to be a preacher and maybe even a missionary. He told me that after two years of intensive study at Sunset I’d only get a certificate that may or may not be accepted as credit at accredited colleges and universities. He said that on the other hand, with less than two more years of full time studies at LCC I’d get a Bachelor Degree that would serve me and my growing family (three children at this time) much better. He sent me to talk to Dr. Jim Byers who was head of the Psychology Department and another of the elders at Greenlawn. Dr. Byers evaluated my transcripts, consulted with the Dr. Charles Stephenson, head of the Bible Department, and told me I could start LCC with two and a half years of college credit. I could complete a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies with a minor in Biblical Studies in just another year and a half. I decided this was the best way for me to go, for my future education as well as for the good of my family.