A pleasant evening

ABBOTSFORD, B.C.

Last year, Columbia Bible College's annual meeting had to be rescheduled because it failed to attract a quorum of 100 delegates. Columbia got approval to reduce the quorum to 50 delegates and promised a shorter, more attractive format for this year.

This year's annual meeting, held in a student lounge on Friday evening, October 16, seemed to achieve that goal. It was a short (two-hour), pleasant evening, and the reports presented were almost all good news. However, it attracted only slightly more than 100 people, with delegates numbering between 50 and 100, and the rather technical business decisions aroused almost no discussion from the largely non-technical audience. The evening included:

* Numerous door prizes (mostly books and tapes).

* A seven-minute video profile of Columbia filmed by two students.

* A short, student-led worship time.

* Delicious desserts.

* 30-second moving statements of vision/passion by 23 faculty members.

With president Walter Unger on sabbatical, academic dean Ron Penner reported a number of significant items:

* Enrollment is up this year.

* The College is offering its first course via the internet in January (on ethics).

* The College upgraded its office computer equipment to be "Year 2000 compatible", at a cost of thousands of dollars. Updated computer programs for the library and some accounting functions will be purchased in the current year. An offering was take at the meeting to help cover some of these costs.

* The College is increasing its bursary student aid from $5000 to $50,000 per year, using the proceeeds of upcoming fundraising banquets to do so.

* The College has added a career counselling centre for students.

* The College has agreed to give academic credit for some courses taught as part of Northview Community Church's Bible education classes. The College is open to similar arrangements with other churches.

* The College is negotiating with local Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren camps re giving some academic credit for the work of summer camp staff.

* The family atmosphere on campus was demonstrated as students, staff and Northview Community Church donated money to send a student from Kenya home for his mother's funeral.

The College ended the 1997-98 (which ended April 30, 1998) with a surplus of $149,028, after receiving revenues of $3,477,764. This has more than eliminated the accumulated operating debt of $97,431.

The 1998-99 budget (which began May 1) was formally approved at this meeting. It calls for a surplus of $27,800 on revenues of $3,627,750. Revenues are up because of increased enrollment and because the College's new Director of Development is expected to increase fundraising. However, spending is also up, partly because of the computer upgrading.

The 1999-2000 budget was also approved in principle (formal approval will come at next year's meeting). Total revenue is expected to increase to $3,727,700, primarily from two sources: a 5% increase in tuition (offset by bursaries and work opportunities) and a small increase in fundraising. However, actual operational costs will be cut, with the surpluses going to improve the College's financial position, as follows:

* There will be a projected operational surplus of $118,150.

* The Board has ordered that a contingency fund of $75,000 be established in 1999-2000, eventually rising to 6% of the operational budget. (This will cover such items as unexpected repairs needed to buildings or unexpected drops in enrollment, etc.)

* Over the next couple of years, the $60,000 annual rent that the B.C. MB Conference and the Conference of Mennonites in B.C. pay for their offices on campus will be transferred from the operational fund to the capital fund. This will help reduce the College's debt on its buildings, which now stands at about $1,800,000.

In other business, several changes to the College charter were approved. New Board members nominated or re-nominated were Henry Thiessen of Bakerview MB Church, Barbara McKenzie of Richmond Bethel MB Church, Iona Snair of Northview Community Church, Don Schmidt of South Langley MB Church and Dan Wollf of Peace Community Church.--JC

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