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Celebrating 85 Years
PEACE RIVER BIBLE INSTITUTE
Celebrating 85 Years Since PRBI began in 1933, various themes have marked its years. During the early years, PRBI was known for its evangelism and missions focus. In fact this definitely coloured our constitution, since it clearly states, “the conduct of a Bible College, the training of students in a thorough knowledge of the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, and the training of students to become ministers, whether at home or abroad.” Evangelism and missions shaped by the words of Jesus Christ permeates the culture and history of PRBI. Jesus Christ stated, “You shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). These words influenced our founder, infusing the DNA of the school. The problem or opportunity that birthed PRBI was the lack of spiritual education for Peace Country youth and Walter McNaughton’s concern for the spiritual welfare of the Peace country. This opportunity of being Christ’s witnesses emboldened staff and students alike in the early years to share Jesus in their Jerusalem, Judea, 1
Waldie Neufeld
Samaria, and the remotest part of the earth. From PRBI’s earliest days, staff and students held evangelistic crusades, Daily Vacation Bible School, or simply undertook door to door evangelism. Churches were formed, and Bible camps were planted, and of course PRBI was started and flourished under this mandate. In 1940 for example, Principal Archie Ruark sent out teams to various areas of the Peace Country. One was the Downey-Werner-Epp group and another group was the Ruark, Friebel, Hawken, and Throness entourage (Gold Book). PRBI’s extensive evangelistic work did not take long to also impact student hearts in regards to the “remotest part of the earth.” According to the Gold Book (1933-1977), John Liland (1940) was the first graduate of PRBI to head to the mission field with his wife Gunda in 1941, serving the Lord in South Africa and Swaziland until 1969. They were but the tip of the iceberg. Generations have been trained since and followed them around the world.
In fact, the culture around PRBI during the 1940s and 50s encouraged and focused on this missionary movement. Most people who graduated during those years headed to the mission field, though some stayed home and served as pastors. Some who did not sense the call to missions or pastoring found the culture challenging, but it should be noted that many of those who stayed home were the support behind those who went or the relief when the missionaries came home. Both the goers and the senders were and are needed. As PRBI has faced the last few decades under the disciple-making vision, the evangelism and missions focus has been strengthened. What the PRBI Team found out over the years of promoting Matthew 28:20 was that as we encouraged disciplemaking, students developed a heart for missions at home and abroad. I remember one March Board meeting in ‘96 or ‘97 at which I was asked about our missions program or the lack thereof. We had had no mission grads for some years, but knowing what was coming up through the ranks because of our vision of making disciples, I said, “They’re coming.” That spring we graduated seven four-yearmission majors and the numbers have kept on coming. What has been encouraging though is that every student has been encouraged to be a disciple-maker whether at home or abroad. We have alumni discipling in the secular workforce, church ministry,
or overseas, or in the words of Christ, “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” God is faithful. Ironically, the same problem that Mrs. Hattie Monge (who prayed, and then wrote Prairie for a young man to start a school in the north) and Walter McNaughton noticed about the Peace Country in 1933 remains with us today. The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is needed in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and around the world. Biblical literacy continues to be an issue. So we need women and men, regardless of their age, to study God’s Word, become disciple-makers, and impact their neighbours whether in the sacred or secular around the world. PRBI still sees a strong need to train young people in God’s Word. We seek to prepare them to follow Jesus Christ in life and in whatever job they find themselves. Your investment in students prepares labourers for the harvest. Your investment today prepares young people to minister in our future tomorrows. Remember, “The fields are white for harvest.” Join us or continue to invest in students for our tomorrows, as we prepare them to share the gospel of Jesus Christ at home and abroad. Waldie Neufeld, Ph.D. President Waldie has been at PRBI for 28 years. He enjoys teaching the Gospel of Mark on disciple-making. He and his wife, Sharon, have four adult children.
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The History of Pastors The other day I was reading a book called, “Mondays with My Old Pastor.” In it, a middle-aged minister recounts a period of his life where he struggled with finding purpose and resolve to continue on in ministry. In the end, he decides to meet weekly with his former pastor who had an astonishing longevity at his church. He gave these remarks at his retirement, “For fifty-five years we have spoken to people about God. Now we long to speak to God about people.”1 I was struck by the depth and spirituality of those words. What a testimony they are, not only of that minister’s resolve, but of the faithfulness of God! Today I will explore the history of the pastoral life, but at the same time I will show the faithfulness of God through the centuries. He has kept His church strong in the midst 3
Jason Gayoway
of human weakness and outward opposition and continues to do so today. The Shepherd Image of the Old Testament As we think about where the idea of church leadership comes from, we have to flip all the way back to the Old Testament. There, at the beginning of God’s relationship with His people, we find their leaders being called “shepherds.” At this point, the term primarily referred to the civil rulers, though the ancient kings seemed just as religious as civil leaders. 2 They were tasked not so much with care of individual believers as with the overall guidance of the flock. The prophet Isaiah sums up their mission with, “Cry aloud, spare not: lift up your voice like a
trumpet; tell my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). The definition of a shepherd is of someone who keeps constant watch over the sheep. God could have used any image He wanted to describe the leaders, and yet He chose that of shepherd. Like the classic image of a boy diligently protecting his flock night and day, the ancient leaders were to protect their people from beasts. But instead of using a rod and sling, they were to guide the nation towards faith and holiness by word and example. In that state, God would be their rock and shield. The Local Minister The Israelite religion was led by a hierarchy of priests and administered from a central temple, but somewhere in the mists of the post-exilic era a new structure emerged. We discover it being used in the New Testament where we come upon the term “rabbi” and find people meeting not only in the temple, but also in local “synagogues.” No explanation is given for this change, but it is assumed to have its origins in Babylon where the people lived without a temple.3 This structure was adopted by the ancient Christians who changed the name of the leaders to “pastors” or “elders” and the name of the congregation to “church.” The early church was
led by the apostles, who would appoint leaders over the individual congregations they started. When the apostles passed from history, the church was led by a looser collection of local ministers along with travelling teachers and prophets. Yet it would not be long before the church started to organize into a new hierarchy. Over the next three centuries, the leadership of the church would switch from the local priest to the bishop and would then have that emphasis for almost a thousand years. The task of teaching was assumed by the bishop, and the local priest was largely relegated to baptizing and hearing confession. Books on the local minister were scarcely written until the time of the Reformation. One historian gives a withering analysis of the results, “Preaching was mediocre, teaching weak, and even pastoral care often was poorly done. Sacerdotal functions were better cared for.”4 The Reformation saw a revival of interest in the role of the pastor and his direct interaction with the congregation. Payne writes, “The Reformed Pastor, published in 1656, consists of an extended exhortation to his fellow ministers to conduct a ministry that is not merely formal, but personal and local.”5 The idea of a pastor being a guide to the average church 4
member and making sacrifices for their spiritual growth is still with us today. Recent History The last one hundred years have seen further changes in the role of the local pastor. Years ago, I did a survey of “how-to” books for pastors written over the last century. I noticed that from the thirties to the fifties, ministers were told to work long hours, be shining examples, and spend a lot of time preparing sermons. It made the reader feel that they had to be perfect examples of how the Bible works, and thus have to hide their own struggles and faults. The book covers seemed to feature brave, outgoing preachers with thick hair and bright smiles. One survey found that, in certain parts of 1930’s America, the average pastor worked 70 hours a week. The next three decades saw a change from that standard. A new word made its way into our vocabulary— burnout. The emphasis started to move from achievement to taking on a manageable workload. The book covers changed from heroic silhouettes of preachers to colour photos of rather ordinary-looking people. Today, the buzzwords of pastoral ministry books are much more likely to be “team-builder” and “coach.” Attention is given to passages like Ephesians 4:12 where the leaders are to equip the saints for the work 5
of service. There will always be a place for awesome preaching, a high standard of holiness, and dedication to the congregation, but it feels like today there is more emphasis on what “we” as a body can accomplish rather than what the pastor can accomplish alone. The task of pastors has varied through the ages, but God has faithfully used the various philosophies and methods to accomplish His purposes. To close, I want to bring us back to the way Paul viewed himself. In 1 Corinthians 4:1 he writes, “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.” An emphasis on Christ and servanthood can guide a minister in any age. Jason Gayoway Faculty Jason has served as PRBI faculty since 2008 and as Pastoral Ministries Chair since 2013. He is married to Jill and they have two children.
[1] Navajo, José Luis. Mondays with My Old Pastor: Sometimes All We Need. Thomas Nelson. [2] Ralph Alexander, Expositors Commentary Ezekiel, 911. [3] Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity 2nd ed., 539. [4] Harry Goodykoontz, The Minister in the Reformed Tradition, 45. [5] Payne, Tony; Marshall, Colin (2012-04-02). The Trellis and the Vine (Kindle Locations 12101211). Matthias Media. Kindle Edition.
2018-2019 Team Members Scott Butler Kim Cairns Brad Cowie Shane Dell Nolan Dyck Matt Fletcher Shanda Fuller Alex Gao Jason Gayoway Jill Gayoway Cornie Giesbrecht Dave Groff Jeremy Johnston Anne Laursen Shelley Martindale Sam McColman Sharon Milner Waldie Neufeld Jon Osborne Megan Plante Jesse Raugust Vanessa Retzlaff Ashley Wilson Halla Wilson Jillian Wilson
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WWW.PRBI.EDU/GIVE 6
Time Management I have now been alive for just over a billion seconds. Even though seconds may not be the most practical measure of lifespan, they bring into focus just how expansive of a resource our time really is. What good would you bring about if you had a billion dollars? What change might you effect with influence over a billion people? Realistically, those kinds of resources are beyond our grasp. Yet time marches on where even air and gravity disappear. It is no wonder Paul instructs us to make the most of our time (Eph. 5:16). Time management advice abounds, not only because we have so much of it, but also because so many struggle in using it well. I am convinced that three specific principles can be used by anyone who wants to make the most of their billions. 7
Scott Butler
The first and most critical principle of time management is knowing what you are about. In business, this is often expressed in a company’s core values or mission statement. Believers find this in their identity as justified children of God who are given spiritual gifts for use in building God’s Kingdom. What we are talking about here is discovering what “you must do:”1 that need that tugs at your heart; that task or role that you seem uniquely prepared to do and, in one way or another, gravitate towards. Making the most of your time is so much easier when you know what is most important for you. God defines this and you give it shape in the everyday. Steven Covey illustrated this with the image of a compass. A compass points away from 359
degrees of options towards one destination. Practically, knowing what you are about gives you the ability to say yes to some things and no to other things without feeling bad about it. You are free to do what is most important because God has said this is what you are about. Yet, for all of its abundance, we can still feel time’s crunch. Just the presence of a Sabbath day in creation suggests that there will be instances when we feel like we need more time. This is where the second principle comes in: do the best you can with the time you have. Oftentimes, students will submit an assignment to me with the rejoinder: “I did not have a lot of time to get this done.” I have discovered that what is behind this statement actually has a lot more to do with self-worth than it does with time. The statement is a kind of insulation against an instructor forming a judgement about their ability based on the work they turn in. If it is poor work, time (in the abstract) is to blame, not their intellect. While it is true that the use of our time points out our priorities, and perhaps even our failings, we cannot escape the fact that there are a lot of things to do in a week. We must make choices and allotments. Behind the statement, “do the best you can with the time you have,” is this freedom: do not wrap up your worth in what you can produce.
Set out the time you have, do your best work, and then move on. The Sabbath day teaches us that, in the limitations of our time, we can trust our unlimited God. The last principle was reinforced for me the one and only time I forgot I was driving. It was a beautiful evening in Nova Scotia during my stint at seminary. Normally I drive on the highway with cruise control, but on that evening my foot slowly slid off the gas pedal as my mind rolled with the details of assignments to come. Our van had nearly stopped when my wife snapped me back to reality. With that I learned another kind of freedom: rest at full speed. Give yourself permission to really rest and your production during work times will more than compensate. Lord willing, I will have another billion seconds going forward. I hope you will join me in making the most of those billions by living in God’s freedom: know what you are about, use the time you have, and rest at full speed. Scott Butler Faculty Scott has served as PRBI faculty since 2015. He is married to Jane and they have a young son.
[1] Gordon T. Smith, Courage & Calling (Downers Grove: IVP, 2011), 129; emphasis original.
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President’s Message: Waldie Neufeld
Campout
Water Balloon Mania 2.0
All-School Photo
Shaving Cream Fun (Campout) 9
College Update in Pictures
Pranks at Water Ballon Mania 2.0
Shelley with Freshmen Family’s Son
Bear Lake Bible Camp Giant Swing
Foam Slip ‘N Slide at Water Balloon Mania 2.0
Check out our facebook page “PRBI - Peace River Bible Institute” for more photos like this! 10
How PRBI’s Radio Program Began With the opening of a radio station in Grande Prairie in November of 1937, God provided another open door for PRBI to hold forth the Word of Life. The first instrument God used to get His Word on the airwaves in this vast region was, of all things, Mr. Ruark’s broken car! It was early fall in 1937. The C.F.G.P. radio towers and transmitter building had been readied for the big event of going on the air in November. Mr. Brooker, the manager, was staying at a hotel in Grande Prairie. The garage where Mr. Ruark’s car was to be repaired was also in Grande Prairie. Mr. McNaughton checked back many times that day, but the garage was too busy to attend to the car. Eventually, God put it on Walter’s heart to go up to Mr. Brooker’s hotel room and talk about 11
Evangeline Thiessen
the new Bible Institute in Sexsmith, where they had 25 students “who could really sing.” Mr. Brooker was ready to sign a contract for a year right then and there. The door was wide open—for $10.00 an hour. This price and other deliberations caused some concern, as the Bible School was still very new and had many other needs. It was decided that PRBI and the McLaurin Baptist Church would share the weekly radio hour every other Sunday. The very first Sunday, November 7th, coincided with PRBI’s Conference Sunday. With Rev. Gordon Skitch in charge of the hour-and-a-half broadcast, excitement ran high. Engineers from C.F.G.P. came to Sexsmith with the necessary
equipment, and a special wire from the Bible School to the telephone office downtown carried The Gospel Hour live, by remote control, onto the airwaves. This first broadcast had been widely advertised by posters and by word of mouth. People came; the auditorium couldn’t hold the audience so the overflow listened via radio from the dormitory and from McIntyre’s little house. Mr. McNaughton says: “I remember being outside, so excited . . . I could hear them announcing that we were coming on. Then I could hear with one ear coming over the radio and the other from the auditorium.” One of the singers on that first broadcast, Mary (Throness) Werner, writes: “The first broadcast we had will always remain with me, its scene and sense. The building was filled to capacity; someone was at the awesome controls; we were in the choir; Mr. Ruark was very exacting in his leading and we sensed the tenseness and excitement of going on the air.” When the C.F.G.P. radio station commemorated its 10th anniversary, an article was carried in Alberta Broadcast Programmes, February, 1948. PRBI had the distinction of being “C.F.G.P.’s Oldest Sponsor.” Early beginnings were recalled: “In those days, an engineer used to trek to Sexsmith every Sunday for those broadcasts. There were several times when engineer and equipment took hours in getting there—travelling
over snow-drifted roads in a snowplane. But they always got on the air. After about a year, one of the staff of PRBI took over the handling of the broadcast and everything was done from Sexsmith with remote equipment being expressed the day prior to the broadcast and then sent back the following day. Then extra equipment was purchased by the station and the original remote equipment was left at the Peace River Bible Institute.” Due to the need for a Peace region outreach program, a Sunday School radio course was established. Miss Mildred Olson and Miss Dorothy Crocker came on staff in 1943. Miss Olson took over the Sunday School correspondence course and she worked out her own program of lessons, using all of her time at this ministry. Esther (Wiens) Schlichting, who later was involved in the radio work herself, once said, “Mildred had an old temperamental duplicating machine. There were nine sets of lessons, with twenty individual lessons in each set. The whole series covered nine years.” At one time, there were 400 students enrolled in the radio Sunday School. God blessed the ministry more than we ever expected, and it was with great thankfulness that PRBI broadcast the Word for many years. Adapted from With Sails on His Bike, by Evangeline Thiessen. Belleville, ON: Guardian Books, 2008.
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President’s Message:
The Power of Prayer Waldie Neufeld Many times it was the prayers of others that God used to bless our founder, Walter McNaughton, and the Bible school ministries. One such time was when Walter performed a marriage of two young people. The groom and bride, who was one of the Zylla girls, had asked him to conduct the wedding at her parents’ farm home. When Walter drove into the yard, he saw Mrs. Balisky, who had been there for a day or two. She came over to the car and said, “Mr. McNaughton, you’re going to preach today, aren’t you?” “I don’t plan on it,” Walter replied, “because they didn’t ask me to preach. They just asked me to come up to perform the wedding for them.” “Oh, you have to preach! That’s just all there is to it,” Nellie Balisky said. “Do you think that I came up all the way here just to make holubtsi and varenyky and all those other Ukrainian dishes that they have for weddings—and with the other 13
Evangeline Thiessen
poppy seeds and cake and so on? Oh, you have to preach.” “Mrs. Balisky,” Walter said, “I really—I don’t feel that I have a message. I don’t feel anything definitely that I should say.” “Well then,” she said, “we’ll pray.” She went around to the other side of the car, climbed into the passenger seat, and began to pray. She prayed straight to the Lord, “Oh God, give Mr. McNaughton a message.” Walter later recalled, “And while she was praying, the Lord did! It was one of the most remarkable things in my life, I think. I just had a message with an outline in it that was fairly good and something I could really preach. So I did. It was always a blessing to me to remember how it came about.”
Adapted from With Sails on His Bike, by Evangeline Thiessen. Belleville, ON: Guardian Books, 2008.
2018-2019 Freshmen Brittney BlonJeaux Brandon Bulford Daniel Byman Amani Charlie Josiah Chernoff Arno Claassens Lacey Cornelsen Jonah Dillabough Katelyn Dyck Zach Hanghofer Madison Huckabone Corban Hunter Daylon Jantz Levi Kalashnikoff Connor Kather Nicole Klassen Alexis Kvill Sharayah Lesh VJ Molloy Gabe Moon Abigail Munn Agatha Neufeld Derian New Jayna New Josh Olson Caleb Pauls Lorretta Penner Emily Peters Colin Petker Jessy Reimer Nikki Schellenberg Josiah Scott Jay-Z Taje Mark Thiessen Cole Till Laydin Walker Calen Warkentin Kat Webb Alex White Kaitlyn Wiebe
Ethan Willms Kiersten Wilson Austin Wooden
Please pray for the Freshmen class of 2018–2019.
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Financial Update Peace River Bible Institute Statement of Operations and Budget Jul 2017 - June 2018 (Unaudited) Revenue
tudent Revenue Student
General Income Sales
Fees & Other Programs
& Non-Program Fees & Services
esidence Rental Rental
Income
Donation - Undesignated Donations
- Undesignated - Designated Total Donations
Donation - Designated Donations
Total Revenue
Expenses
Academics
tudent Life
Income To Date
Annual Budget
1,039,702
1,016,500
102%
127,725
90,700
141%
186,514
206,700
90%
715,602 158,590 874,192
791,000 73,500 864,500
90% 216% 101%
2,228,133
2,178,400
102%
Expenses To Date
Annual Budget
% of Budget To Date
% of Budget To Date
Academics
408,139
408,415
100%
Student Life
352,756
344,108
103%
269,291
276,813
97%
ood Services Food
Services
Development
Promotion & Development
338,963
334,473
101%
Admissions
Admissions
168,635
181,324
93%
600,899
582,695
103%
180,939
142,743
127%
AdministrationAdministration
Maintenance
Facilities & Maintenance
tudent Aid
Special Project
33,773
6,000
563%
tudent Aid
Student Aid
22,620
15,000
151%
-
-
Others
Others Total Expenses Net Income (Loss) Excludes Amortization Expense
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2,376,015 (147,882)
2,291,571 (113,171)
104%
Alumni & Staff News BIRTHS BUTLER, Scott (staff ‘15–present) & Jane (staff ‘16–present), are pleased to announce the arrival of Chester Scott, born on June 14, 2018 and weighing 8lbs 15oz. Scott has served as faculty at PRBI since 2015 and Jane has served as the Kitchen Coordinator the past two years (currently on maternity leave). Chester is a very welcome addition to their household!
OULD, Josh (ug ‘13) & Bethany (g ‘13), are delighted to share the birth of Hazel Grace, who came into the world at 10:11 p.m. on July 22, 2018 weighing 8lb 1.6oz and measuring 20” long. Josh and Beth are currently living by Manyberries, Alberta—a historic village an hour south of Medicine Hat. Josh works on a cattle ranch and Beth is homemaking and helping on the ranch when she can. They are delighted with their little girl and (mostly) enjoying the new adventure of parenthood! THIELMANN, Danny (g ‘12) & Tasha (g ’15), are excited to announce the birth of their little girl, Crystal Brielle, born July 16, 2018. They are adjusting to life with two kids, and River is adjusting to life with a little sister. They live on an acreage outside of DeBolt, Alberta, where they continue to work on developing the property and finishing their basement. Danny is doing construction work building houses for a local company, and Tasha keeps busy taking care of the girls and a home. 16
WEDDINGS KRIEGER, Conner (g ’17) & Ella (Cunningham, ug ’17) were married March 31, 2018, and are living in Valleyview. Conner is an oilfield operator for two small oilfield companies, serves as a youth leader, and is in training to become an elder in their church. Ella does administration parttime at Steve’s Pumpjack Services and is on the church worship team. They are so excited to be navigating life together as they learn to serve the Lord as a team. WILSON, Jordan (Student) & Ashley (Gulayets, g ‘18, staff ‘18–present) were married May 19, 2018, and are currently living in Sexsmith, AB. Jordan is back at PRBI as a student this fall to finish his fourth year and is looking for an internship. Ashley is working at PRBI in the kitchen. They are growing, learning, and enjoying their new life together.
To learn more, email plan@advisorswithpurpose.ca or call 1-866-336-3315
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About PRBI Peace River Bible Institute is a Canadian Degree Granting Bible College in Sexsmith, Alberta, founded in 1933. PRBI is known for quality academics and its highly relational culture that purposefully fosters an atmosphere of spiritual growth. PRBI has a distinct commitment to train students in a thorough knowledge of the Word of God and to train students to become disciple-makers whether at home or abroad. PRBI’s educational model purposefully integrates the academic learning experience with an experiential learning component making us a Bible College for Life. Our vision is to train believers to become disciple-makers who know God, model His character, and are able to build into others the life-changing principles of His Word. Like Us On Facebook!
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PRBI - Peace River Bible Institute
Contact Us www.prbi.edu
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COMING EVENTS October 12 PreView Day
November 5 – 9 Impact Week
October 29 – November 2 Reading Week
December 8 Christmas Banquet
The TRUMPET is the magazine of Peace River Bible Institute that is comprised of contributions from faculty, staff, alumni, and students who are passionate about making disciples in their churches and communities. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible (Copyright 1995 by The Lockman Foundation). All rights reserved. If you would have any comments please email us at development@prbi.edu. Printed in Canada.
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Peace River Bible Institute Box 99 Sexsmith, AB T0H 3C0
IT’S BACK!
These funds are available to any freshman who enrolls for 2019!