PRBI Spring Trumpet 2024

Spring Trumpet2024 Trumpet

A Resource for the Peace Country

The apostle Paul conveyed these uplifting words to the Ephesian church: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ep 3:20a). Reflecting on PRBI’s 90th anniversary, I find Paul’s words aptly descriptive. Regardless of how vivid our imaginations may be, we can never fully grasp the extent of God’s abilities when we approach Him with our requests. Consider Mrs. Hattie Monge’s prayer to establish a Bible School in the Peace Region –could she have fathomed all that God would accomplish?

By God’s grace, a school was indeed founded in the Peace River area,

dedicated to training students for service in God’s kingdom. PRBI emerged within a broader movement of Bible Schools established in Western Canada during the Depression and post-Depression eras. While the school mirrored the model of Prairie Bible Institute in Three Hills, Alberta, who could have foreseen the profound impact PRBI would have on the Peace Region?

By the power of God, PRBI became a place for learning, outreach, and fellowship that went beyond traditional classrooms.

One notable resource provided by PRBI was Mission and Bible Conferences. Attendees gathered

Kim Cairns President

to receive inspiring messages from missionaries and insightful teachings from skilled Bible instructors. These conferences were not only educational but also created an opportunity for believers to connect and be part of the wider Christian community. In later years, the Circle of Friends event became an annual place for PRBI alumni and friends to catch up, offering mutual support for the ministry.

During the 1960s, Youth Conferences were started, strategically promoting the Bible School to young people. These retreats not only facilitated the recruitment of students but also provided a platform for youth to

form friendships, deepen their faith, and grapple with life’s significant decisions.

PRBI’s impact extended beyond education and fellowship, playing a crucial role in outreach within the Peace Region. Evangelistic efforts, summer Daily Vacation Bible Schools, and camp ministries naturally flowed from the Bible School’s mission. Staff and students engaged in various summer outreach activities, often providing the catalyst for new camp ministries, before eventually transitioning to a supportive role for local independent camp boards. The Radio ministry, spanning from 1937 to 1996, broadcast God’s Word

and His love to the Peace Region, touching and uplifting many listeners with inspiring messages and quality Christian music.

Times changed and so did PRBI. The institution adjusted as local churches became more selfsufficient, decreasing their reliance on PRBI. As alternative opportunities arose, there was no longer the need for Mission and Bible Conferences, camps were managed locally, and the Radio ministry came to a close. Yet, PRBI continues to be a valuable resource in the Peace Region, evolving in focus while maintaining its core mission.

Today, PRBI engages in effective youth outreach through fall kick off events, Christmas Socials, and the annual Youth Alert weekend, bringing together young people for friendship, spiritual growth, and reflection on life’s crucial decisions.

The campus remains a focal point for the Christian community, hosting events like the Performing Arts Showcase each spring. Students share their art, drama, and music talents, and are joined by a local alumni choir to present an inspirational musical program followed by a time of fellowship.

While PRBI no longer starts camps, a significant portion of students

actively staff camps in the Peace Region and beyond. Camp Day, an annual recruiting event, invites students to take part in camp work. Students gain practical experience through field education while serving in local churches. PRBI’s music and drama teams extend the institution’s work by providing quality service to churches and promoting Bible School to young people.

PRBI continues to serve as a learning resource by partnering with Rising Above, an addiction treatment ministry, attracting community members to training classes in order to help meet the increasing demand for this ministry. The institution is also exploring ways to resource local believers through evening courses called Learning for Life.

In reflection, Paul’s words from Ephesians 3:20-21 truly resonate: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” These words fittingly capture the history and impact of PRBI in the Peace Country – far exceeding human imagination, but most importantly, accomplished by His power and all for His glory!

Archie Ruark (Principal from 1935-1942)

Archie E. Ruark left an enduring legacy through his unwavering commitment to faith and service.

Born in 1900, Archie’s journey was marked by significant milestones, including his tenure as the second Principal (President) of Peace River Bible Institute from 1935 to 1942. When initially asked to work at PRBI, Mr. Ruark was hesitant. Nevertheless, trusting in God’s calling, he and Mrs. Ruark agreed to come and arrived at PRBI with only $2.85 in hand, reminiscent of the disciples who traveled with little. This godly couple made a significant contribution to PRBI’s early development. Their collective experience united with their servant mindset helped ensure PRBI’s continued progress. Mr. Ruark also played a crucial role in campus construction, and both Mr. and Mrs. Ruark dedicated their time to teaching. In 1942, Mr. Ruark faced major surgery that necessitated his resignation.

Mr. Ruark’s dedication to ministry was evident throughout his life and encompassed a broad spectrum of spiritual matters, including the complexities of spiritual warfare. Drawing from personal encounters and biblical insights, Mr. Ruark offered guidance and support to those grappling with spiritual turmoil.

In addition to his role as an educator and mentor, Mr. Ruark’s commitment to truth and compassion extended beyond the confines of academia. He actively engaged with individuals facing spiritual challenges, providing solace and encouragement to those in need.

Mr. Ruark’s booklet entitled The Christian & Evil Spirits is a practical guide for ministers who encounter spiritual warfare. Even though Mr. Ruark is no longer with us, his wisdom and insights from this booklet are a timeless resource.

College News

In February, we launched a special campaign to support our ongoing initiatives. The response was overwhelming. We thank God for our generous community who donated $80,000! We are grateful for your unwavering support.

Camp Day on February 16 was a resounding success, fostering valuable connections for our students and the 11 organizations who attended. We invite you to pray that the students will receive clarity and purpose in their calling as they contemplate summer ministry opportunities.

Youth Alert celebrates a milestone as we mark our 60th anniversary since the inaugural youth conference in 1964. We welcomed over two hundred guests to this sold-out event, including 50+ enthusiastic grade 12 students, igniting hope for fall enrollment. Let’s join in prayer for a flood of recruitment applications!

Get ready for an unforgettable Performing Arts Showcase, featuring captivating drama, uplifting musical performances, and inspirational choir selections. Mark your calendars now, April 12 at 7 pm or April 14 at 2 pm. This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Jeremy Johnston Vice President

Save the date for Graduation on April 20 at 10 am, as we honour and celebrate the achievements of our graduates. Your presence will be meaningful to them as they embark on their next chapter.

Exciting times lie ahead as we prepare for our upcoming spring tour. Our music group, Highest Call, will embark on a journey through Northern BC, and our drama group, Earthen Vessels, will tour through Alberta. As we take our performances on the road we look forward to introducing you to PRBI and brining joy and encouragement to communities across Western Canada. For further details and tour dates visit www.prbi.edu/springtour.

While you may not be considering PRBI yourself, you might know students who would thrive at PRBI. Applications for Fall are open, and we’re eager to welcome new faces. Encourage them to apply by June 15 to receive their free core textbooks. If they have questions, have them reach out to us!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the readers of The Trumpet magazine, many of whom are alumni of PRBI. Your continued support and engagement is cherished.

When I first came to the school, Mr. Harold Peters had developed a friendship with Mr. Ernest Watt who lived on the south side of Grande Prairie. He had a small farm and each year he cordoned off a few acres for the school to grow a patch of potatoes. We would go down with the old pickup and several carloads of students to harvest the spuds for the school year ahead. Oswald Throness, being aware of this, and the compassionate person that he was, over the next several years grew a deep and lasting friendship with Mr. Watt.

Now you have to know Mr. Watt was a different person, never married, very few if any relatives, and also very reclusive. I went down several times with Oswald, and likewise became enthralled with this “different” man. One of the first times that we went, Oswald reminded me “don’t despise his cats!!” There were cats everywhere in the house! We were invited for tea, and Mr. Watt had to

shoo the cats out of the way while we had our tea and some cookiesI won’t elaborate! Suffice it to say that our immune system became stressed to the max!

All this to say, Oswald was friends to any and all. He got Mr. Watt’s mail, took him to Grande Prairie to get groceries, and visited him often. He brought Mr. Watt to a spring conference at PRBI, and Mr. Watt became attached to the school.

Upon his passing, Mr. Watt made a substantial gift to PRBI, and Oswald encouraged the Board and administration to name the chapel the Watt Memorial Chapel in his honour.

Oswald’s network of friends was far reaching and the heart connections that Oswald made established treasure where moth and rust don’t corrupt, or thieves break through and steal.

* Oswald Throness passed away peacefully on February 1, 2024 at age 97.

Watt Memorial Chapel

Wayne Brown

Former Staff

Training of Students

At the core of our teaching at PRBI is the conviction that the Bible as the Word of God must form the basis of all instruction. We teach that the Bible has authority inherent within its actual words and so is worthy of intense study. For this reason, we weave Scripture into all of our classes and hold it as the measure of our thoughts and beliefs. The students would attest that we teach many of our own ideas as well as other people’s views and opinions, and we assign readings that go far beyond simply the Bible. However, all of this is tested against the Word. Adopting this position on the Bible’s authority pits the school against the culture of the day, which appears to be moving away from confidence in any form of authority.

More than ever, our culture values individual viewpoints. Blogs, Facebook pages and TikTok videos all allow us to say what we think and to read the beliefs of others. In many ways, this dialogue is helpful and

productive. It helps us to understand people better and see through their eyes. Yet as we process this wealth of information, we are aware that much of it is opinion. Frequently, it consists of people’s impressions after giving the subject a cursory thought rather than being based on objective statistics or expert opinion. We recognize it is still only an opinion as we react to it with our own ideas, which we believe to be valid, or maybe even more valid than others.

The church is going through a crisis of certainty, possibly as a result of the reasons mentioned above. Though we have more tools than ever to understand what the Bible meant in its original context, we are less convinced that we need to follow it. The text is viewed as a kind of suggestion rather than as the Word of God. Theologian and author J.I. Packer bemoaned this sense of ambiguity years ago, “For at no time, perhaps, since the Reformation have Protestant Christians as a body been

Jason Gayoway Faculty

so unsure, tentative and confused as to what they should believe and do.” It feels like little has changed today.

Yet the Bible stands as a pillar of truth amid this confusion. Its words are not merely the thoughts of its writers. Even though written by normal, flawed human beings, the Spirit of God spoke through them to somehow produce His own words. Peter wrote, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)

Since the Bible is God’s word, it speaks with the authority of God Himself. The phrase, “Thus says the Lord” (which is used 286 times in the ESV), means that the words spoken next are from God and are not just the prophet’s impressions. Wayne Grudem wrote, “The authority of Scripture means that all the words in Scripture are God’s words in such a way that to disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.”2

Jesus shared this conviction of the reliability of Scripture. He often quoted the Old Testament as support for His views even though He, above all people, could have used His opinion alone as proof of His arguments. Jesus is said to be a true “realist” because, in contrast to everyone else in the world, He viewed things as they are rather than simply as what He wished to see. Thus, what He had to say is valuable as everything else we read or hear is a mix of true and untrue elements.

This emphasis on the value of Scripture is as important as the ways we teach to interpret it. You cannot teach people to study the Bible until you have established what the Bible is. If we take it as an opinion, then we believe we are in control of it and it is our responsibility to separate the real content from the writers’ subjective viewpoints. This sifting is a popular hobby and has been practiced by lay people and theologians for many years.

The net result is a loss of trust in God’s ability to guide us through this book and a return to trusting our gut instincts for the compass of our lives. In practical terms, this

means that interpreting the broad themes of Scripture takes the place of interpreting every word.

This viewpoint is contrary to the fundamental basis of biblical interpretation used in all of our classes. Proper interpretation (called “exegesis”) has at its core the idea that the way the words were selected and put together contains the meaning that God intended. This assumption makes a detailed analysis of passages necessary and places an emphasis on the original meaning of the authors. Without this assumption, exegesis would be unnecessary and perhaps counterproductive since the real meaning is only found in our understanding and not in the written word itself.

eventually resulting in a merging with the values of society. Indeed, one of the strongest condemnations of the Western church is that it is too much like the world. While our school cannot control the decisions students make when they leave here, we can demonstrate trust in God’s word while they are with us.

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If people move away from this doctrine they will find themselves at odds with the Bible and the church,

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In conclusion, the authority of Scripture is one of the most important things we can teach. Psalm 119:89 states, “Forever, LORD, Your word stands in heaven.” The Bible is more than just our feelings about God but a revelation of Himself. God is able to make Himself known and He does this through His word. It is for this reason that so many of our classes are filled with Scripture quotes and discussions of their meaning.

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1 Packer, God Has Spoken, 20.

2 Grudem, Systematic Theology, 62.

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COMING EVENTS

PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE APRIL 12 OR 14

GRADUATION APRIL 20

LEARNING FOR LIFE SEPT 18 - OCT 23

ALUMNI CHOIR

SEPT 18 - NOV 24

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MONTHLY GIVING

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REFER A STUDENT

LEGACY GIVING

SCHOLARSHIPS & BURSARIES

Peace River Bible Institute is recognized as a degree-granting Bible College by the Province of Alberta. Building on Christ as our foundation, PRBI values Biblical Training, Authentic Relationships, Kingdom Service, and Strategic Partnerships. Our vision is that every student encounters Christ in ways that transform their life, energize their church, and impact their world. We are a Bible College for Life!

For more information on our Mission, Vision, and Values, go to www.prbi.edu.

The TRUMPET is the magazine of Peace River Bible Institute. It is comprised of contributions from faculty, staff, alumni, and students who are passionate about making disciples in their churches and communities. If you have any comments, please email us at development@prbi.edu. Printed in Canada.

Box 99

Sexsmith AB T0H 3C0

Box 99

Sexsmith AB T0H 3C0