Collectivité

Western Canadian Bible Institute

September 1945-10 April 1957

In July 1929 the Board of Managers of The Christian and Missionary Alliance decided to close six of the C&MA’s nine training schools, including Canadian Bible Institute (Toronto) and Great West Bible Institute (Edmonton) to offset a movement-wide decline in revenues.
All attempts to reopen CBI during the 1930’s were quashed by the leadership of the C&MA. Finally, pastors Willis Brooks (a CBI alumnus) and George Blackett (a former board member) took matters into their own hands. In October 1941, with the blessing of Gordon Skitch, superintendent of the Western Canadian District, they “re-established” Canadian Bible Institute in Regina, Saskatchewan. Convinced that the initiative would be rejected if they went through normal channels, they consulted neither the Eastern and Central Canadian District nor the Board of Managers. As a result, the school had to wait another four years for official recognition. It was also required to change its name to Western Canadian Bible Institute (WCBI). However the official publications of the Institute did not begin to use the new name until September 1945.
In 1944, the Eastern and Central District received approval to establish a school in Toronto, but the project foundered for lack of leadership and proper facilities. Two years later, the Glen Rocks estate came up for sale. The District concluded that it needed a Bible camp and conference centre more than it needed a training school, and so it sold off the Institute building to help pay for Glen Rocks. In 1956, WCBI was declared to be the national school for the C&MA in Canada. Western Canadian Bible Institute officially changed its name to Canadian Bible College on 10 April 1957.

Regina, Saskatchewan

Western Canadian Bible Institute became an officially recognized ministerial training school of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in 1945. However, it did not become the C&MA's official training school for Canada until 1956.

Canadian Bible Institute (Regina, Sask.) (October 1941-September 1945)

The Christian and Missionary Alliance (1 April 1897-)

Ambrose Archives