History
In July, 1965, Arthur E. Steele went to Florida looking for a place to found a Christian College, as a reaction to what the founders saw as trends in evangelical colleges away from biblical standards of morality. The school would emphasize doctrine and personal soul-winning, and was a reaction against the ecumenical movement, new evangelicalism, and ecumenical evangelism.
Steele found Clearwater, Florida to be an ideal place to found a college. He soon acquired 50 acres (200,000 m2) waterfront at the eastern entrance of Clearwater. On September 17, 1966, the college officially opened with 15 students enrolled.
Clearwater Christian College received full accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-COC) in December 1984 and in 1998 gained reaffirmation for SACS-COC accreditation.
In January, 1987, the Board of Directors named Dr. George D. Youstra to succeed Dr. Steele as president. Since 1987, the college enrollment has more than tripled, new buildings have been added, 89 additional acres have been acquired, and new programs offered.
In 1994, the college received from the state of Florida approval for its teacher education programs. This approval allows students to go on to state certification.
In May 2002, Dr. Richard A. Stratton assumed the presidency.
In the summer 2008, the College began its first graduate program in the area of Educational Leadership, and the Florida Department of Education granted full approval for Elementary Education graduates to be certified with a reading endorsement.
In the spring of 2011, Dr. Richard A. Stratton announced that he would be phasing out of his role as president.
On May 7, 2012, Dr. John F. Klem became the fifth president of Clearwater Christian College.
Read more about this topic: Clearwater Christian College
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