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Abbotsford, B.C.
Amazed, overwhelmed, awed, totally challenged

Columbia Bible College concert choir

The annual meeting of the Columbia Bible College Society on the evening of November 9 was dominated by good news. President Walter Unger enthused, “We are amazed, overwhelmed, awed and totally challenged out of our socks.”

The meeting opened under bright lights in the cold dark night as sod was turned for Columbia Place, the new gymnasium complex. Prayers for the new building and the students who will use it were offered by B.C. MB Conference minister Ike Bergen and Conference of Mennonites in B.C. moderator Gerd Bartel.

Turning the sod for Columbia Place (l-r): President Walter Unger, Board Chair Michael Dick, donor Fred Strumpski and Campus Facilities Committee chair Dan Wolff.

The meeting then moved indoors to the College chapel, where delegates heard reports outlining much that was good and much that was new. The College, in Abbotsford, B.C., is owned by the B.C. MB Conference and the Conference of Mennonites in B.C., and this was the annual meeting of delegates from the churches in the two supporting conferences.

Columbia Place

The Columbia Board announced at this meeting that the previous unnamed gym complex would be called Columbia Place. It was also announced that the donor who provided funding for the entire project is the Fred and Ella Strumpski Foundation. Fred Strumpski received warm applause as he outlined the plan for erecting a building. While the College has been hoping for several years to have even a basic gym, the plans have now been upgraded to provide a first-class facility that can also seat more than 1000 people for conventions. The site had already been prepared before the annual meeting, a new paved parking lot had been completed, and a reduced athletic field had been resodded. Plans are to have the building completed by April 23, 2001, just in time for graduation on April 28.

The donation for the new gym was conditional on the elimination of the College’s debt, which had been about $1.6 million at the end of the 1998-99 fiscal year and about $900,000 at the end of the 1999-2000 year. The College launched a capital campaign, and has received donations and pledges, large and small, that will eliminate this debt by the end of the 2000-2001 year on April 30, 2001.

The College Board also announced the establishment of a Society (the paperwork will probably be completed by February) to help the College raise funds for future capital expansion. Already named to the Society are Mennonite Brethren businessmen Fred Strumpski, Arthur Block and Peter Loewen and Mennonite businessman John Redekop; others will be added later. The Society will also hold the College to its commitment to remain free of capital debt (Columbia Place will remain in escrow for 15 years to ensure that this commitment is kept).

Dan Wolff, chair of the Board’s campus facilities committee, said that Columbia Place is only the first step in a detailed campus development plan. The next project is expansion of the cafeteria and kitchen to serve Columbia’s expanding enrollment. (It was suggested at the meeting that construction of this project might take place as early as 2001, but it is now scheduled to be completed by summer 2002, provided that the necessary money is raised.) Fred Strumpski suggested that a $6-7 million, six-storey academic building (containing a chapel, classrooms and offices) might also be begun shortly.

Operating surplus

The school’s operating budget is also looking good. The College had a surplus of $148,289 for the 1999-2000 year and is expecting a surplus of $471,080 in 2000-2001 (on revenues of approximately $4.7 million, an increase of about $1.3 million over the previous year). A portion of these “surpluses” will be used for some capital costs (such as buying computers and maintaining the current buildings) and for student scholarships. The actual cash on hand is expected to be $187,823 by the end of the 2000-2001 year. The College Board has established a goal of accumulating a cash reserve of $600,000 by April 2006 in order to avoid short-term borrowing over the summer each year.

The one piece of negative news is that the College has been named in a possible $1.1 million lawsuit by the strata owners of the Arbour Court condominium complex. Several years ago, the College had taken out loans to purchase several lots next to the College, resulting in a heavy debt load. In order to free the College of this debt, a group called “Friends of CBC” bought several of the lots from the College, erected the Arbour Court complex and sold the condominiums. Like many condominiums built recently in British Columbia, the buildings began to leak, and the original stucco and aluminum siding has had to be replaced with new siding. It is not yet known if the lawsuit will go forward, and the College has received a legal opinion that it would not be liable in any case.

Delegates officially approved a 2000-2001 budget calling for revenues of $4,709,245 and expenses of $4,113,165. Delegates also approved a provisional budget for 2001-2002, calling for revenues of $4,593,170 and expenses of $4,319,390.

Presidential search

One of the first events in Columbia Place, Fred Strumpski suggested, should be a retirement party for Walter Unger. Unger is completing 32 years of service to Columbia next summer, including 17 as president. Board chair Michael Dick reported that a presidential search process has been under way for a year, but that a new president has not yet been found. In case a new president is not found before Unger retires, the Board presented to delegates a recommendation “that the Board be authorized, if needed, to appoint an interim president”. Delegates approved the recommendation. However, if a permanent president is found, a special delegate meeting will be scheduled to approve the president.

New faces

Before the formal reports, College leaders offered “a taste of Columbia”, interviews with several new “faces”.

Mike Richardson

Academic dean Ron Penner introduced Mike Richardson, director of the new Quest program. Quest is a one-year discipleship program which combines classroom study in Bible and spiritual formation with outdoor adventure activities. Columbia has wanted to have such a program for some years, and took advantage of an opportunity to take over an already running program when Northwest Baptist Theological College closed last summer.

Delegates also heard from Gareth Brandt, new instructor and director of the youth ministry program; Matt Klassen, student body president; and Jessica Roarty, a student in the Quest program. The Concert Choir, under the direction of Tony Funk, presented a much-appreciated mini-concert.

Ron Penner reported good news on the enrollment front. Enrollment has increased 30% this year, rising to a record 513 students (a full-time equivalent of 464). Furthermore, more students plan to study longer; 80% plan to stay for more than one year, and 50% are planning on staying for a full four-year degree. There are also more commuters (students living at home to save money) and more students from British Columbia (60% – this is part of a trend of students choosing to study closer to home). The College has had to rent 19 townhouses in the nearby Meadowood Apartments to house 66 students. The College expects enrollment to increase further in the next few years.

Board members elected at the meeting were Michael Dick of Bakerview MB Church, Brian Gaudet of Central Heights MB Church, Reg Esau of Greendale MB Church, Vic Martens of Ross Road Community Church and Hans Dyck of Vernon Mennonite Church. There remains one vacancy from the Conference of Mennonites in B.C.

 – JC

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Last modified January 31, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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