James River College — Attraction in Ozark

I attended JRC for one semester before dropping out. I regret attending even that long.

I walked into JRC with shaky faith, hoping to be surrounded by a community who would encourage me, and to gain Biblical knowledge. I left JRC with church trauma that I’m still trying to heal from today.

What I witnessed during my time there, was heartbreaking. While I did have the privilege of taking some incredible leadership courses from Evangel teachers, it was the JRC staff that absolutely ruined the entire experience. It was a sad glimpse into how the church operates as a whole, as I saw what really went on behind the scenes. From toxic-staff, to people sucking up to leadership... the things that transpired would have Jesus flipping tables.

The worst class was the mandatory Leadership class, taught by the director. I almost walked out during a lesson in which the message was “You are responsible for what other people think of you.” I regret not standing up and opposing that unbiblical viewpoint that day. Instead, I held my tongue like a “good student” and fought back tears of discouragement as I sat through the ridiculous lecture. I was so heartbroken to think THAT could possibly be what Christianity was all about. That was the day I nearly lost what was left of my faith.

This same director- again, the director of the ENTIRE college program also taught the motto 'fake it til you make it', because God forbid you be honest about your struggles or your exhaustion from serving in the church 24/7. When you’re tired, you don't get a break. There are no taking extra days off for the students. You can't mention your exhaustion, you have to keep quiet and serve anyway like a "good leader" or else you'll be in trouble, and you’ll lose your opportunity for one of the “coveted” internship spots.

If you question the way things are ran, question authority, or if you simply aren't fitting into their mold, again, you'll lose leadership opportunities. The students fight dirty here for those spots, the whole thing is one big race to earn jobs within the church.

I participated in the Worship practicum, and the most laughable and insulting aspect was the "look" we were instructed to have while leading worship services. They gave us all a "lookbook" to abide by, so our wardrobe could match the look the church wanted. They also taught us how we should appear on stage, always moving within our "6 ft radius" and being lively and animated, putting on a show instead of just genuinely engaging and leading othersin worship.

This school is aimed at students who plan on going into ministry full time. Be prepared to serve. Here, you’re paying 20k+ a year to be their slave, and they make JRC students do a lot of the dirty work. My weekly schedule was 7am to 5pm sunday-thursday for classes and practicum, with 3 days ending around 8/9pm. Fridays and saturdays consisted of serving/attending all church and college events, so days off were few and far between.

It’s been years since I set foot in a church since attending JRC, and I’m terrified that any church I go to will have leadership that looks like this- toxic. I’m still processing the things I experienced during my time here, and left so discouraged by everything I experienced. I would never recommend this...

Attending James River College was time well spent.

For the sake of the reader who is seeking to understand the college at a glance, I will list both pros and cons of my experience there!

PROS: What you put in is what you’ll get out of it. I worked very hard. I made sure to stay on top of my homework all while serving the church and the college. From my hard work both in-class and in serving, I learned a lot about who I am and how to lead/serve others effectively.

You get to live with your friends. It’s so fun getting to live in an apartment complex with your peers. You have the option to request an individual to be your roommate. I was able to request one of my best friends to be my roommate my second year. It was a blast!

You have access to so many leaders who genuinely care about you. I served under a pastor in the youth department, and to this day he is a dear friend, mentor, and brother to me. At this college, despite the business, you can find leaders who will take the time to speak into your life or simply be someone to share life with.

CONS: If you don’t like working long and hard hours, this place isn’t for you. My work capacity stretched during my time there (which pays off in the future), but I found myself overwhelmed and exhausted many times while I was there. You will be serving a lot, and you will have nights where you may only sleep a few hours. It’s a bear for sure.

In order to “succeed” in James River College and even James River Church, you have to conform to the cultural values they teach. I found that if I didn’t follow the cultural rules they carry there, then you miss out on many opportunities. I often had to “fake it ‘til I made it” while I was there. You have to be tough and learn how to deal with this emotionally. It’s sometimes very difficult and suppressing, but it is something that I think you’ll have to learn in life anyway.

You have to be very willing to be flexible. Sometimes the leadership will call for a last-minute project that every student is required to be a part of. This becomes stressful at times when you are overloaded with homework or other busyness. Again, you have to be tough.

Overall, my time there was HIGHLY beneficial. I learned so much, I became strong as a leader and as an individual who lives in the busy Type-A culture of America.

If you’re tough, level-headed, and up for a challenge. James River College...

James River college is a phenomenal experience that is more unique than any college you’ll find!

Some of the best things you’ll experience are the community of people, within the college and church alike, as well as life groups and dream team nights!

You also get a world class education from professors through evangel university where you take the exact same classes (but with a much better environment experience.)

You get amazing opportunities to serve in one of seven different practicums (such as youth, kids, worship, etc.) Where you can learn from world class leaders who are strong and bold pastors who work at one of the biggest churches in the world!

You get to experience amazing events, and get opportunities in chapel, book studies, and unique one off events to talk to speakers from across the country like David Funk, Tim Timberlake Jr., Micah Mac, and a bunch of others.

There are going to be long nights and hard days, but that’s expected in any ministry experience, and this college is designed for those going into full-time or bi-vocational ministry!

I have enjoyed my time at JRC and it’s grown me so much as a leader, a speaker, I’ve had opportunities to be a social media manager, and as a Christian. This place is full of hard work but also awesome opportunities, if you’re considering it, I encourage you to come on a college visit and check out...