Pensacola Christian College

I feel as though I was mislead on the value of graduating from this college. (It is not accredited.) However, I feel as though some of the values instilled in me, and ones reinforced by my attendance, have proven beneficial, in my current employment. I also feel that some of the courses I took are beneficial, as were some (but not all) of my experiences there.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

Where do I start? This will be lengthy, but please bear with me. If you are considering enrolling at PCC, or know someone who is interested, YOU REALLY NEED TO READ THIS FIRST. You deserve to be informed of the truth--the pros and the cons, because PCC will only give you the information they want you to hear. That ISN'T the same as the truth.

As far as the education goes, I think it's average to above average. I found the instruction comparable to what I received in a public college. However, my career did not rely on accreditation. I've had many trusted friends and colleagues tell me they had to start from scratch because NONE of their PCC credits would transfer to other good quality schools. Please take this under advisement when considering your studies. DON'T let PCC sweet talk you into believing that their credits will transfer. They are telling you this to convince you to enroll in their school. Check it out for yourself, BEFORE you invest money into PCC. Once 3-4 weeks have passed, you cannot withdraw and get your money back. It's lost by then. As far as the faculty is concerned, I found most of them to be friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to assist you if you have any problems. There were few instructors that I could not get along with.

As far as student life and personal growth---unless you are an ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN who doesn't mind a legalistic atmosphere, this college is NOT for you! Under NO circumstances am I exaggerating this. I was fairly conservative when I enrolled in PCC, and I found the rules to be harsh and unreasonable. It is a FALLACY that all the rules are listed in the handbook. I encountered a lot of unspoken rules after I arrived on campus. PCC purposely doesn't include those rules in the handbook, because if new students knew about them, they would withdraw and run the other direction.

What I found to be even worse was the attitude of the Hortons and the deans. They are quick to judge and condemn before they hear the whole truth. They protect the people who rat on others instead of protecting the people being slandered. If you want proof, then contact me and I'll give you the lowdown. I not only have witnessed incidents from friends and roomies, but have experienced it myself. My situation was so bad, I had to involve my parents in order to make PCC do what was right.

When PCC is forced to admit they were wrong, you will get no apology. Just a haughty attitude. PCC is NOT against intimidation and threats. If you try to leave, they will likely tell you that you are out of God's will, and destined for failure. PLEASE, DON'T BUY THIS BULLCRAP!! They are NOT God, therefore, they CANNOT know what God's will is for you. It's simple juvenile intimidation. When they don't get their way, it's one of the tactics they use to force you to give in to them. DON'T let them dictate to you what is right for your life. That is strictly between you and God, and they have no right to push in, and make it their business.

Another beef I have with them is their constant need to be right. Most of the time, they refuse to admit to being wrong, about anything. They feel their standards and beliefs are straight from the Bible, therefore they cannot be errant. For your own sake, DON'T buy into that attitude. No person can be inerrant. That's God's place alone. They will not allow you to think for yourself. If you have a different perspective on a Biblical issue, then you will be hounded and pressured until you give in to THEIR way of thinking. Independent application of Scripture is NOT encouraged, but FORCIBLY discouraged. They feel they have the right to FORCE their convictions on you, and they will try it at every turn. DO NOT allow them to do this to you. It's a God-given right to interpret the Bible for yourself. You are NOT OBLIGED to conform to their rigid convictions and standards.

That being said, please take note of this. When you agree to go to PCC, you are agreeing to abide by their rules, even the unreasonable ones. Remember this when you start to feel strangled. I'm not saying you should strive to keep every miniscule little rule, because it's not possible. Even those with no demerits have broken some small rule, but just didn't get caught. There are too many rules and regulations for you to be reasonably expected to obey ALL of them. But, even though the atmosphere is oppressive, that doesn't give you license to go out and get drunk, and expect to get away with it. PICK AND CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES, BUT DON'T BE STUPID ABOUT IT. If you blatantly go out to have sex with someone, then you're stretching your own neck. You'll have no one to blame but yourself when judgement falls on your head. And believe me, they have ways of finding these things out. They have people and cameras placed all over the place to spy on students to find those who are doing wrong. It doesn't make their behavior right, but it's fact.

Here's another IMPORTANT thing to consider.....the college has the most beautiful campus I've ever seen, and the education is relatively good----HOWEVER, you need to be able to get away from it and socialize with other people. The way the Hortons isolate themselves from the rest of Pensacola, and even the surrounding, similarly-based churches, is ALARMING. It should raise a RED-FLAG in your mind. They will NOT allow you to go to another independant Bible-believing church, even if it's very much like the Campus Church. This is not only constrictive, it's also un-Biblical, even though they will quote Scripture saying we should isolate ourselves from sin. Those other churches ARE NOT sinning, just because they do not conform to all of PCC's so-called Biblical standards. Those are fellow Christians that we should be loving and socializing with. I submit to you the verse about not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, and also the verse about each being an important part of One Body. PCC feels it's part is much more important and righteous than the others. This is directly against Scripture itself.

PCC feels it's an entity all to itself. They are their own little empire, and are answerable to no one except the government. Otherwise, they are on an unreachable pedestal. They will not accept correction, or even the suggestion of it, even if it's done humbly and in love. It's a fact that if you begin to say something they don't like, or agree with, they will stand up and excuse you from the meeting, by saying, "We're finished. You may leave now." You get no other chance. If you visit a site like (a site for current students and alumni) or (a similar, more conservative site), you must be careful not to give away your identity in any way, or else you will be removed from their alumni list, and will not be receive their Update any more. The college will completely turn it's back on you. It's a fact that I can PERSONALLY attest to. They do not like any opinion that casts them in any kind of unpleasant light, even if it's the truth. Think about this for a moment. There are many people who've had negative experiences from state schools, but you don't see those schools overreacting, and punishing their students and alumni because they admitted to having a bad experience. Why should PCC feel threatened? And why should they feel compelled to act in such a way? Think about that long and hard before you form an answer.

Now, here is one other IMPORTANT thing that should be said. Pensacola Christian College has it's problems, some of which are correctable if the administration chooses to do so. This ISN'T to say that the college cannot be of benefit to many students. I had a very difficult time there, but even so, I met my husband there, and made some life-long friends in the process. Good things can be had. I am not one of those alumni who wishes to see the college fold, along with it's other ministries. They are all very good, and I have benefitted from many of them. My concern is mostly due to the founders and administration and their hard heart attitude. It can be very difficult to deal with. If you are used to having your freedom, and making your own decisions, then this college may be WRONG for you. If you are used to the more lax atmosphere of public schools, and some more "liberal" Christian schools, then you will find the atmosphere this college to be a struggle, and I DON'T recommend it for you. However, if you are used to a very strict environment, and you really feel that God wants you to go to PCC, then may God bless you, and I wish you the best. My purpose for writing this epistle isn't to bash the college, and make it out to be some terrible place. It has many good values, but the college is NOT at all upfront about the real student life, and you deserve to know the truth before you go.

It is my wish that the founders and administration will see the error of being so rigid and unreasonable, improve the student life, and ease the harsh environment for their staff. I truly pray it will be so. I'd like to see them shed the isolationist attitude that hurts so many. However, until then, if you plan to go, then brace yourself. It IS demanding, and you will need all your mental fortitude and spiritual strength to see you through. Don't be one of their emotional "victims". Instead go there to learn, grow, and strengthen your mind and spirit.

God bless all of you, and God bless America, where we have the freedom to choose.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000