2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog

Criminal Justice (BACJ)

The Criminal Justice program at Lancaster Bible College will prepare students to fill redemptive roles in our larger society. We have designed courses, internships, student work, and instructor interaction to help students promote biblical justice and the love of Christ in service to people in public spaces. Students will take classes in areas of Criminal Justice, which focus on law enforcement and corrections, and of Legal Studies, which focus on legal reasoning and provides exposure for those interested in the legal profession. Through academic rigor and hands on training, Christian professionals in LBC’s criminal justice program teach students how to live out the Gospel in society, excel in their chosen fields, and strengthen their faith for the work to which God calls them.

Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice

Majors: Biblical Studies, Criminal Justice

Major Mission:The Criminal Justice Program will prepare students to be a redemptive presence in a broken world and promote biblical justice and the love of Christ within the law enforcement, judicial, and correctional systems.

Program Purpose: The Criminal Justice Program seeks to fulfill three purposes: advance the institution's mission, meet student needs, and enrich the LBC community. The Criminal Justice Program will provide Lancaster Bible College with opportunities that contribute to the College's future development and with practical steps to fulfilling its mission. By sending students who are looking for practical ways to serve Christ into public spaces associated with Criminal Justice, LBC will enable its students to serve Christ in a range of areas not yet accessible to them. The Criminal Justice program will allow students to study the Bible in college while earning a degree that will prepare them for jobs in competitive areas of government, ministry, and private markets. The Criminal Justice Program also aims to enrich the LBC community by introducing LBC to local leaders, furthering its awareness of society's injustices, familiarizing it with culturally relevant ideas, and augmenting its efforts to serve its neighbors.

Major Outcomes - Students will:

  1. Develop and integrate their biblicalworldview into the system of Criminal Justice.
  2. Evaluate how the three major components of the Criminal Justice system – Law enforcement, Courts, Corrections – ensure equal justice and humane treatment.
  3. Apply critical thinking to inform and communicate professional judgments.
  4. Synthesize practical experience with the Criminal Justice Program curriculum.
  5. Apply ethical principles of criminal justice to guide professional practice in pursuit of restorative justice.
  6. Identify as a Criminal Justice Professional and conduct oneself accordingly.

Program Purpose & Goals: 

  • Earn your degree from an accredited Bible college in PA.
  • Enjoy the experience of learning in cross-cultural ministry settings.
  • Get experience in the field before you graduate through internships in the local community.

Additional Information:

Distinct Program Characteristics - Students in the Criminal Justice Program at Lancaster Bible College will enroll in premier Criminal Justice courses and field experiences while learning to understand their work in the light of biblical thinking.  Course work and internships will provide students with concrete opportunities to see their faith in action as they serve Christ in work that desperately needs His light.   Jesus taught the Church to combat sin and evil while acting to restore humanity in God’s image.  At LBC, students will engage with the American court system, criminal law procedure, law enforcement, and rights of both victims and criminals not only as part of an academic curriculum but as an extension of God’s love for mankind.  As the body of Christ, Christians are to act as the hands and feet of Jesus as His ambassadors of redemption in a broken world.  In the Criminal Justice system specifically, we do this by: restoring wholeness to victims, restoring offenders to sanity and society, and restoring families to healing.  To train our students to become biblically grounded professionals in Criminal Justice, our program will focus on the following three “C’s”:

1. Christ-centered and Biblical Worldview – Students in LBC’s Criminal Justice Program will learn the history and function of major areas of the criminal justice system and examine and compare current practices with biblical principles while continually reflecting on restorative justice.

2. Commitment – Students in LBC’s Criminal Justice Program will be part of smaller classes that will provide intentional one on one time with faculty. 

3. Community Connections – LBC’s Criminal Justice Program will connect students and the larger LBC community to leaders in many fields of Criminal Justice through classroom activities, chapel talks, onsite visits throughout Lancaster and surrounding counties and internships with local organizations.

Program Director: 

John Churchville, J.D.

Professor Churchville received a Bachelor of Arts in American History from Brown University and went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law.  He has previously practiced as an attorney in the private and public sectors of Philadelphia and Lancaster counties.  He has taught Law, Government and Political Science over the last decade, and currently specializes in Criminal Justice and Constitutional Law.

Faculty List: 

Greg Wahl, Detective

Travis Schmalhofer, M.A.

Matthew Gullion, M.A.

Dawn Sutphin, J.D.

Jevon Thompson, MPA

Rufus Tolbert, M.S.

Joseph Mina Captain, retired

Criminal Justice Major Curriculum

Freshman Year

Fall Semester

LBC 100Foundations Seminar

1

THE 105Prelude to Biblical & Theological Studies

3

LAN 101College Composition and Research

3

SOC 101General Psychology

3

CRJ 101Intro to Criminal Justice

3

CRJ 202Corrections and Punishment

3

Total Credit Hours:16

Spring Semester

BIB 106Interpreting the Bible

3

LAN 104Public Speaking

3

LIT ____
LIT Core (100/200 Level)

3

CRJ 102Introduction to Law Enforcement

3

CRJ 211Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Sophomore Year

Fall Semester

CSV 201Christian Service I

0

BIB 103Creation & Covenants: OT I

3

BIB 203Life of Christ: NT I

3

____ ____
Arts & Sciences Elective

3

CRJ 203/POL 203American Judicial System

3

____ ____
Major Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

CSV 202Christian Service II

0

BIB 104Israel's Life & Literature: OT II

3

BIB 204Early Church: NT II

3

MAT ____
MAT Core

3

____ ____
Arts & Sciences Elective

3

CRJ 310/POL 310Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Junior Year

Fall Semester

THE 223Christian Narrative I: Creation & Fall

3

THE ____
Theology Elective

3

HUM 422Christian Perspectives

3

SCI ____
SCI____ Science with Lab 4 credits

4

____ ____
Major Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:16

Spring Semester

THE 224Christian Narrative II: Redemption

3

BOT ____
Bible Old Testament Exegetical Elective

3

HIS ____
HIS Core (100/200 Level)

3

____ ____
Arts & Sciences Elective (300 Level)

3

CRJ 320/POL 320Criminal Law

3

Total Credit Hours:18

Senior Year

Fall Semester

BNT ____
Bible New Testament Exegetical Elective

3

THE ____
Theology Elective

3

CRJ 304/SOC 304Criminology

3

CRJ 470Criminal Justice Internship I

3

____ ____
Major Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

THE 320

THE ____
Theology Elective

3

____ ____
Arts & Sciences Elective

3

CRJ 400Cross-Cultural Experience

0

CRJ 415Soul Care for the Criminal Justice Professional

3

CRJ 471Criminal Justice Internship II

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Areas of Focus

Forensic Investigation, Victim Advocacy, Law Enforcement, Political Science.

Careers and Jobs in Criminal Justice

  • Corrections Officer
  • Crime Scene Investigator*
  • Police Officer*
  • Attorney
  • Paralegal
  • Private Security Officer
  • Legislative Aide
  • Advocate for crime victims
  • Federal Marshal*

(*Requires additional schooling or training)

Recent Internships

Sheriff's Department: MD, PA TN

Loss Prevention, Amazon

Paralegal, private law firm

Hotline Assistant, Christian Legal Aid