CHAPEL IS ON THEIR TO-DO LIST COLLEGE OFFICIALS MAKING FUTURE PLANS ... GRADUALLY.

Byline: Sue Doyle Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - At the Christian college where a cross stands on a nearby hilltop and where Bible study ranks high among majors, there never has been a chapel.

Still many at The Master's College over the years have kept the faith, and now they're waiting for a sign.

But this one won't come from the usual place where many at the religious school look for answers.

This one will arrive from the Santa Clarita City Council and the city's Planning Commission after a review of the private college's recently submitted master plan.

The report maps out the school's future: how it will accommodate students needs, where it will find room to build from its landlocked position in Placerita Canyon, how it plans to do all of that while being a good neighbor to families next door.

Over time, the school has quietly grown from 250 students in 1985 to about 1,000 today. And if it gets the nod from city officials, the college plans to proceed with development at the same slow pace.

That means bulldozers could start grading ridgelines south of the school by spring of 2007 to make way for a new entrance at Dockweiler Drive off Sierra Highway. The new entry way would relieve traffic from the heavily traveled 13th Street and Placerita Canyon Road, main thoroughfares to the college from San Fernando Road.

It would also clear about nine acres of property that could be used to build some more facilities on, said Richard Mayhue, The Master's College provost.

And if all goes as planned, the first building on that patch of land will be a chapel.

That means MacArthur Chapel, already named in honor of college President John MacArthur, could hold its first services by fall 2009.

``The chapel would become the centerpiece of what Master's College stands for, and literally it'll be the hub of the campus,'' Mayhue said.

That would be a relief to many on campus where students and staff have converted the gymnasium into a place of worship, placing mats on the ground before services to protect the hardwood floors from the folding chairs that they pray in. Then they dismantle the scene before basketball games begin.

The idea of a permanent chapel is a hit with students.

``We could have a permanent chapel and permanent gymnasium without having to juggle the two at the same time,'' said Catherine Gibson, a senior.

The tranquil, tree-lined campus has changed little since school first opened there in 1962 on what was once Happy Jack's Dude Ranch.

Plans to expand the campus or build new facilities in the past have been met with resistance from the community. In addition, the school has struggled with funding for new buildings because it relied on donations and fundraisers to help pay for the costs.

As a result, enrollment at the Master's College doesn't grow by more than about 30 new students per school year, because the school's infrastructure - dorms, beds, classrooms - can't handle it, Mayhue said.

But even that slight annual student growth had added up over time, forcing the college to accommodate about 1,000 on a campus designed for one-fourth that size.

As the student population blossomed about eight years ago, school officials got creative and began holding classes inside a nearby church when it wasn't being used. Eventually the church moved, and the school bought it, acquiring more teaching space that way.

The most recent construction for the college happened about three years ago, when a new dormitory was added to the campus.

But before the new dorm, the school went for about 18 years without any new facilities, Mayhue said.

``The only thing that has changed since 1962 is the size of the student population,'' he said.

The school expects to grow by about 500 more students in the next 20 years.

Meanwhile, students on campus today are excited about the possibilities that more room could bring: more parking, more classes, new majors.

Sophomore Joe Barnes, 19, said the school needs an art department and classrooms where students can paint, draw and sculpt.

``We need some kind of place where you can do art at this school,'' he said. ``A place where you can do hands-on art would be good.''

Senior Laura Beaty, 22, has science on her mind. The Simi Valley resident wants to pursue a nursing degree and heard that the school is working on a joint program with another college.

``I think it would be beneficial to expand the science building,'' she said. ``It could have more labs and would be helpful because I want to pursue nursing.''

Sue Doyle, [phone]

sue.doyle(at)dailynews.com