When I went to ETBC, I didn't know what to expect. What I did expect, was to leave there and grow up. When I attended, there were about 800 students. I don't know how many there are now, but I've learned one thing from being on the ETB Facebook site for former students. If you got hooked by the high schoolishness of the place while there...it looks like the hook went deep. I finally left the group on FB today, for it really saddens me to see how childish a lot of the people still are. (Girly voice) "Hey girls! Remember Merle Bruce Hall? The dryer was SO hot there!!" Really? Yes, I want to hear this. I'm standing on tiptoe to be regaled about the too hot dryer at this girl's dorm. Then there are the pics of those dressed up in all manner of ridiculous outfits AND being proud of it. It is a good site for requesting prayer. I found that a few of those I went to school with have either died or experienced life altering occurrences in their lives. That's a good thing that prayers are being requested and the requests are accepted.
But it is the high school nature of the conversations that gets me. I understand we were all young and did stupid things and acted childishly. But I don't revel in it. As everybody does, I like to reminisce. Yet, it seems to me the majority of these people never grew up. Or, if they did...which I doubt...it doesn't show on this site. I just shake my head at the ridiculous nature of some of the posts. I think, "Have they ever LEFT?" I thought it might be cool to pick up on long lost friends, but that isn't what this site is about...I suppose.
Don't get me wrong. If you are on this site and you like it...no harm no foul. And, if you don't like that I didn't like it...I don't care. ETBC or U or whatever it's called now, is a distant memory of my past that I seldom reflect on. It was filled with wannabe preachers that were dying of terminal righteousness and preacher/deacon/missionary daughters who were so frigid (most, anyway) that when you went out with one of them it was like being with a statue. (If you aren't a preacher/deacon/missionary daughter, and I went out with you...that statement doesn't apply to you). I took this one girl to a Carpenter's concert in Longview. She had lived most of her life in Indonesia and was a child of a missionary couple. It was one of the most grating date experiences of my life. I think she said two words.
Being a licensed minister, I quickly decided I didn't want to be like any of the preacher boys there. Most of them weren't 'real' in my eyes, and aren't to this day. I did see where many of them are still in the ministry, and I'm glad. That only means they learned to play the game as a career, and did not learn it's a calling. Blanket statement? You betcha. Because that's all I saw while I was there. I wear the Black Sheep badge with pride. I didn't go to chapel like the rest of the lambs, because I never have believed, and still don't, that anyone should be MADE to go to church. I also never got reprimanded for it, even after one of my friends turned me in. ETBC or U or whatever they call it, seemed to be a black hole for juveniles to retain their juvenile thought processes. At least from what I've observed on the FB site. My time at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was better spent, as well as my time at Lamar University. For some reason, they were more interested in teaching you what you came there to learn, instead of dressing you up like little Miss Muffet or Tom the Beanie Boy and having get togethers to discuss the latest cookie social.
If you liked going there, I'm glad. If you like continuing to live there, I'm glad. I really am. I thank God that I've left it behind. I made a couple of great friends there that I still keep in contact with. And, that's enough for me. When I was a child, I was involved with childish things. When I became a man...well, you know the rest. To me, it seems a lot of people haven't made the transition.
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