Crossroads College (originally International Christian Bible College and later Minnesota Bible College) was a four-year, coeducational Christian college in
Rochester,
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
, United States. It was founded in 1913 and ceased offering classes in the fall of 2016. Crossroads formed a partnership with Hope International University i
2018. In the Fall of 2020 Crossroads College rebranded to become Crossroads Church Partners and continues to develop Christian Leaders and provide resources to strengthen churches
Crossroads was nondenominational, drawing students from a variety of
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is a distinct Religion, religious body within Christianity that comprises all Church (congregation), church congregations of the same kind, identifiable by traits such as a name, particular history, organization, leadersh ...
s, especially
Christian churches and churches of Christ
The group of churches known as the Christian Churches and Churches of Christ is a fellowship of congregations within the Restoration Movement (also known as the Stone–Campbell Movement and the Reformation of the 19th Century) that have no form ...
.
History
Its roots are in the International Christian Bible College (1913) founded by David E. Olson in
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
, which later was renamed Minneapolis Bible College (1924), then Minnesota Bible University (1932), and Minnesota Bible College (1942). In 1971 it moved to its current location in Rochester. In 2002 it was renamed Crossroads College.
Crossroads' original building is still a landmark in Minneapolis, standing at the corner of University Avenue and 15th Street, across from the main gates of the University of Minnesota. Affectionately named, "The Dinky Dome" because of the proximity of the building to Dinkytown in SE Minneapolis, the dome was recently sold to developers who will remodel the original building and add an apartment and shopping complex to the north of the building. The site is distinctive by its large pillars that face University Avenue, but also the large dome that sits above the building's three stories - this dome has served as a landmark for the area since 1913.
Crossroads College's most recent campus in Rochester, Minnesota, was located in Southwest Rochester on of wooded land. Accessed via Mayowood Road and 16th Street SW near Apache Mall, this campus offered one of the best vistas of Southwest Rochester. On campus was an academic building overlooking a small lake, library and student center, music studio, and multiple townhouses for students. Touch football was played informally on the top of the hill over the campus, and broomball was played in the winter on the pond below the campus. Alumnus Daniel Christensen had brooms purchased, learned the rulebook, and set up teams for an enjoyable intramural sport in the winter months. The college also played volleyball in Rochester, with the best team composed of alumni of MBC and coached by Mark Comeaux.
In August 2016, the college announced it would not open for the scheduled fall semester, citing low enrollment.
Sports, clubs, and traditions
Crossroads College fielded teams in men's and women's basketball. The school belonged to both the
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) is an association of Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada whose mission is "the promotion and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic c ...
(NCCAA) and the
Association of Christian College Athletics
The Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA) is an organization of collegiate athletics in the United States. It was incorporated to provide an opportunity for smaller Christian college members to compete on an equal level of competition ...
(ACCA).
Student groups included:
* The Ambassadors, a mission group
* Chorale
* International Students Fellowship
* Outreach Teams, including Adoration Vocal Ensemble and three worship bands
* Student Council
* ''Xiphos'', the student-led newspaper
Presidents
*David E. Olson, 1913-1924
*Eugene C. Sanderson, 1924-1932
*Floyd Jones, 1932-1936
*Paul A. Millard, 1936-1944
*Russell E. Boatman, 1945-1961
*Lynn D. Dietz 1961-1962
*Harry Poll, 1962-1964
*Galen Skinner, 1965-1973
*Bruce Miller, 1973-1985
*Donald R. Lloyd, 1985-1995
*Robert W. Cash, 1995-2003
*Bill Luce, Jr., 2003-2006
*Mike Benson, 2006-2008 (Interim)
*Mike Kilgallin, 2008–2016
See also
*
List of colleges and universities in Minnesota
There are nearly 200 post-secondary institutions in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Twin Cities campus of the public University of Minnesota is the largest university in the state with 54,890 enrolled at the start of the 2023–24 academic yea ...
*
Higher education in Minnesota
There are nearly 200 post-secondary institutions in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The Twin Cities campus of the public University of Minnesota is the largest university in the state with 54,890 enrolled at the start of the 2023–24 academic year ...
References
External links
Crossroads College
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1913 establishments in Minnesota
Association for Biblical Higher Education
Buildings and structures in Rochester, Minnesota
Defunct private universities and colleges in Minnesota
Education in Olmsted County, Minnesota
Universities and colleges established in 1913
Educational institutions disestablished in 2016
Nondenominational Christian universities and colleges
Universities and colleges affiliated with the Christian churches and churches of Christ