New name, same vision for Bethany Bible Institute

The Saskatchewan Legislature passed a private member’s bill June 10 that allowed Bethany Bible Institute to officially receive its new name: Bethany College.

The change allows the school to acknowledge its accreditation, vision and commitment to higher learning while taking a step away from traditional institutionalized thinking. “We are deliberately training people for ministry,” explained College president Rick Schellenberg. “Those who are interested in moving into ministry see a college degree as a first step.”

During the accreditation process, Bethany’s board and constituency recognized that the school was growing into a college. Because schools like Bethany are chartered by an act of legislature, name changes must go through a private member’s bill. MLA Ben Heppner represented the College through the legislation process.

“My very first work on behalf of the school was around 1959–1960,” recalled Heppner. “I helped dig a cistern with pick and shovel.” Personally supporting the College’s purpose and objectives made it easy for him to work on Bethany’s behalf, both then and now.

The name may be new to some, but it actually represents coming full circle for Bethany College, which bore the name around the time of World War II. At that time, Mennonite Brethren Bible College was the country’s only Canadian MB Conference-sponsored, college-level facility. Bethany fit with the smaller locally sponsored institutes of the time and changed its name to BBI to reflect this.

Today, Bethany’s grads expect training that will equip them for church leadership and ministry. Bethany meets this need through deliberate vocational ministry training.

Over the past 15 years, as society’s understanding of biblical principles has diminished, Schellenberg has observed a growing hunger for God within the student body. “Students wrestle with attack on every side,” he said. New students arrive searching for a place of safety that offers credible, relevant answers to their questions.

“The more I study the Bible, the more I realize that my questions, as they get answered, are then replaced by more questions,” stated one Bethany student. “Our relationship with Christ is a dynamic one, but it’s based on the unchanging Bible.”

Celebrating God’s goodness

Finance director Rob Neufeld reports that this year’s operating budget was met before the end of its fiscal year, June 30. “We approached year-end figuring out where we should allocate additional funds instead of wondering if the money will come in,” said Neufeld. “It’s a wonderful problem!”

A strong financial year-end is just one way the Bethany team has recently witnessed God’s faithfulness. ”God has given us so many blessings,” said Neufeld, who rallied the staff and faculty for a roast beef luncheon, followed by a special prayer time. Using helium balloons, the team sent their prayers upward as a visual reminder of their faith walk, filling the sky with colourful petitions to the Lord: for completion of payment for the new men’s lounge; for replacement of a critically outdated steam cooker; for new mattresses. Still more balloons rose, filled with thanks to God: for great staff and faculty relationships, for financial blessings, and especially for students who earnestly seek after God.

“Our core program remains focused on Bible and theology,” said Schellenberg. “What it meant to be a disciple and a biblical leader 2000 years ago hasn’t changed.” As for the school’s shortened name, the word “Bible” may have been dropped (to avoid confusion with Bethany Bible College in Sussex, N.B.), but the school’s name still represents the biblical model of the place where Jesus taught.

“The word Bethany is a beautiful concept,” said Schellenberg. “At Bethany, Jesus taught, commissioned His disciples and ascended to heaven. That central focus on Christ has never changed.”

—Connie Jones, Bethany College