Bethany College convention celebrates good things

“Interact with staff and students and you’ll get a sense of the good things God is doing here,” said Bethany College board chair Marvin Poetker as he opened Convention 2004 on Nov. 6.

Student body president Steve Siemens read Isaiah 43, and said, “It’s exciting that our students see that God is right here.” Siemens said there is a growing maturity evident in a student body focused on the Lord and eager to share what God is speaking to them through His Word.

Bethany College convention delegates visit at mealtime

After Bethany’s biannual Day of Prayer, for example, students were excited at the common theme of full surrender and obedience the Lord had individually highlighted to many of them.

The College itself has turned a page in its history to follow God’s leading into a “new thing,” reflected in the approval of several significant constitutional changes; most notably, that Bethany’s board of directors will hold final responsibility for all financial decisions relating to the College. This means the board will report to its sponsoring conferences (Alberta and Saskatchewan Mennonite Brethren, the Saskatchewan Evangelical Mennonite Church), eliminating the need for the annual on-campus convention.

Other changes approved include stronger alumni board representation, an approval process for capital projects, and a board organizational timeframe that fits Bethany’s school year.

The first Bethany Convention was held in 1967. Attendance has declined significantly in the past 10 years. “Our challenge is to build stronger partnerships with our supporting churches,” stated Poetker. Last year, Bethany held several regional banquets that allowed for closer interaction with sponsoring churches.

After the Bethany Players gave dramatic presentations based on 1 Corinthians 13 and 1 John 4, delegates heard testimonies from new faculty members Rick McCorkindale (academic dean) and Michelle Schmidt (althletics director).

Bethany’s TESOL program (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is currently in the accreditation process and has been well received. The library, nearly bursting its seems, will soon require expansion. The College’s internship programs have reached around the globe, with students serving from Thailand and Indonesia to Pincher Creek, Alta. and Draper, Utah, often leading to full-time ministry opportunities.

This year’s missions programs will see freshmen ministering in Western Canadian inner cities, juniors with Northern Saskatchewan First Nations people, and seniors in Portugal.

Despite an enrolment shortfall, the College kept student fees frozen this fall, resulting in an economic crunch, reported finance director Rob Neufeld. “We’ve retooled the budget and are looking to God to provide.”

Additional celebration included awarding student bursaries, recognizing long-term board service, and celebrating Bethany staff milestones. The room rose to a standing ovation as Harry Unger was presented with a gift for his 35 years of faithful service.

“We are laying the groundwork for change and following hard after God,” noted president Rick Schellenberg, “I continue to believe that the best years at Bethany College are ahead.”

—from report by Connie Jones