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The Board passed two recommendations that signal new directions:
1. That MBBS (British Columbia Centre) become a full partner in the Association of Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS, located on the Trinity Western University campus) subject to successful negotiation with TWU and approval by the General Conference of MB churches and the British Columbia MB Conference.
2. That the MBBS Administration begin negotiation with the Mennonite University to build a "Winnipeg Centre", a graduate theological education partnership, as that Consortium develops.
President Henry J. Schmidt said, "The model we envision is MBBS delivering theological education in partnership with other seminaries and graduate schools in Canada at two potential locations: B.C. and Winnipeg. It is not about developing three independent, free-standing seminaries. We are addressing four emerging realities: 1. a need to train leaders regionally where Mennonite Brethren have a larger critical mass; 2. a desire to partner with existing theological institutions where possible; 3. a commitment to strengthen MBBS's B.C. Centre in Abbotsford; and 4. the reality that fewer Canadian Mennonite Brethren students are uprooting for seminary training at MBBS Fresno."
"The latter is not because of the quality of education," Schmidt said, "but because of financial concerns, work schedules and the stage of life of their families. Today's seminary students tend to be older and more part-time in all North American seminaries."
The B.C. Centre is in its fourth year of operation. Currently it is a church-based model, which partners with Regent College and ACTS in course work and library resources. In the current arrangement, students complete one year through the B.C. Centre; one year at ACTS or Regent; and one year at MBBS Fresno (a requirement by the accrediting association).
During the past four months, MBBS has explored the option of locating its B.C. Centre at Columbia Bible College or at TWU/ACTS, Schmidt said. Two meetings were convened with a broad base of B.C. leaders to seek their counsel on the location issue. Their strong counsel was to locate in a closer partnership with ACTS/TWU, mainly because of: the critical mass of seminary students; the advantages of working with peer graduate institutions; accreditation and residency requirement issues.
Though initial negotiations focused on an ACTS-based option short of full partnership, MBBS Board chair Ron Toews of Calgary pointed out that full partnership has several points in its favour, including the good will of most B.C. pastors toward ACTS; the potential for supplying more MB pastors; a model of cooperation rather than competition; financial feasibility; an invitation by ACTS administration; the potential of reducing the Fresno residency requirement; and the high profile of ACTS in B.C.
Schmidt noted that good progress had been made in initial negotiations with TWU/ACTS, but he made it clear to the MBBS Board and General MB Conference Council of Boards meeting in Fresno Sept. 26 that major issues remained to be resolved, such as: maintaining our theological identity as Mennonite Brethren; governance; curriculum; Association of Canadian Theological Schools residency requirements; and the financial cost of being a full ACTS partner.
A second major recommendation passed by both the MBBS Board and the General Conference Council of Boards was:
That in the light of the current negotiations with ACTS/TWU and the Task Force review, we request that the bi-national funding formula not be reviewed before June 1, 2001.
This recommendation now goes to the Canadian and US MB Conference Council of Boards meetings in January/February, 1999 for further discussion.
Other decisions made by the MBBS Board included:
* major discussion with the General Conference Task Force on Restructuring and the implications for MBBS in the event of the dissolution of that Conference structure;
* the reappointment of two faculty: Delores Friesen, Associate Professor of Pastoral Counseling, for a four-year term, and Valerie Rempel, Assistant Professor of History and Theology, for a two-year term; and
* a recommendation to the General MB Conference Executive Council and Board of Faith and Life that "in order to facilitate unity and theological cohesion, the credentialing bodies of the MB Conferences in North America require of all full-time pastoral staff members the completion of at least three approved courses (including MB history, theology and polity) within two years of their appointment. (This assumes completion of the ministry questionnaire and interview with the credentialing board.) MBBS is willing to facilitate place, time and content of these courses, Schmidt said.
Kent H. Gaston
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