, Feb. 6). The College bylaws require 100 representatives from the supporting churches in the B.C. MB Conference and the Conference of Mennonites in B.C. to be present at the annual meeting. On Oct. 18, only 84 delegates and 23 staff were present. This time, 142 people were present.
The first item of business at the most recent meeting was a motion to prevent the problem from occurring again by reducing quorum from 100 delegates to 50 delegates. Some concern was expressed from the floor that the College should seek to increase participation rather than make low attendance acceptable. However, the motion passed in a close hand vote. Board chair Gary Loewen explained that the motion was only a contingency measure and that the College would strive to increase attendance next October by moving to a shorter evening meeting, with food and a good program and speaker.
In other business, the delegation approved the 1996-97 financial statements, the 1997-98 budget and the 1998-99 provisional budget. Michael Dick, Dan Guggnheimer, Garry Schmidt, Hans Dyck and Gary Loewen were acclaimed as new board members (see details in MBH, Feb. 6). It was also announced that Merv Boschman has been appointed Director of Development for the College (see sidebar).
Leonard Klassen, a 1995 grad now serving as a pastor, gave a testimony describing how his time at Columbia had prepared him for ministry. President Walter Unger reported how the College seeks to bring transformation as well as information to its students. Faculty member John Schmidt has taken prayer counselling ministry training at Elijah House. He described how he and fellow instructor Gerry Janzen have developed a spiritual dliverance ministry, which helps students gain freedom from anger, addictions, food disorders and sexual abuse. Describing the power of the Holy Spirit to bring deliverance, he noted, "There is a lot more demonic stuff in church than we realize. . . .Some of our kids have dabbled in things we know nothing about." JC