Our Vision

Maranatha is grateful to the many friends of the college who have consistently and fervently prayed and given towards this ministry. Through the years, we have truly seen God’s rich hand of mercy providing for our physical and spiritual needs. Our goal this year is to Preserve this Heritage by remaining Focused on the Future.

The Past

As we celebrate our heritage, we will take a look back. The heritage of Maranatha begins with our commitment to maintain the vision established forty years ago by Dr. Cedarholm. His desire was for Maranatha to be a place where students would be trained to be useful to Christ in ministry and in life. He believed that Christians with a broad education have greater usefulness to Christ in ministry. To that end, he desired athletic programs that would strengthen the spirituality of the students. He considered the fine arts as a means to enrich the mind and spirit. He encouraged students to be actively involved in numerous churches in the area. And he wanted Maranatha to be distinctly Baptist, grounded in the Word of God.

Through the years, this heritage has flourished. The number of students has grown—from just over 200 to nearly 900. The size of the college faculty has tripled—from fewer than 20 to more than 70. And the number of Maranatha alumni is now over 3,700.

The Project

To help Preserve our Heritage, we plan to remodel one of the most nostalgic and beloved rooms in Old Main—Burckart Hall. Burckart Hall is named for one of Maranatha’s first faculty members. Pastor Edward Burckart resigned his church in Michigan 40 years ago and moved his family to Watertown, Wisconsin. He agreed to be a part of the first faculty at Maranatha and came with no contract and no guarantees even of a salary. His violin playing blessed the students, and his Bible teaching encouraged them with the power of God’s Word. For the next 25 years, he served faithfully at Maranatha. Burckart Hall was the original chapel and then the library, and now serves as a fine arts recital hall and practice room. The room was the most beautiful on campus when Maranatha took possession of the property, but time has taken a toll on its beauty.

In addition, we want to provide needed upgrades to the most visited area in Old Main—the first floor lobby and hallways. Old Main, the administrative building that includes classrooms and faculty and staff offices, is now more than 100 years old. Upgrades were made more than 20 years ago, but it once again needs renovation. The remodeling of these two areas of Old Main is part of our ongoing Caring for Our Students Capital Campaign.  
 

The Preservers

We invite you to consider a special gift, a Preserve the Heritage Offering, to help with these projects. A gift of any size would be a tremendous blessing to the College at this special time, but a gift of at least $400 from a church, an individual, or a married couple to help Preserve our Heritage will identify you as a Friend of the Heritage this year. We are honoring the churches, alumni, and friends of the college who help with this project. Pastors may wish to host a Maranatha Sunday this winter or spring, take a special Thanksgiving or Christmas offering, or use funds set aside for such special occasions.

Please contact the development office if you’d like to learn more about this opportunity: development@mbbc.edu ~ 920.206.2325.

Heritage Donors

Maranatha would like to thank the following people for their generous donations to the Heritage Fund: