Every Christian a Missionary: Fundamentalist Education at Prairie Bible Institute, 1922-1947

University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies Legacy Theses 2000 Every Christian a missionary: fundamentalist education at prairie Bible institute, 1922-1947 Enns, James Enns, J. (2000). Every Christian a missionary: fundamentalist education at prairie Bible institute, 1922-1947 (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/19148 http://hdl.handle.net/1880/40771 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY Every Christian A Missionary: Fundamentalist Education at Prairie Bible Institute. 1922 - 1947 James Enns A THESIS SLTBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADL'ATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FLrLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY CALGARY,ALBERTA DECEMBER, 2000 Q James Enns 2000 National Library Bbliiuenation& 1 ofcad, du Canada Acquisitions and ~cquisiinset Bibliographic Services setvices bibliographiques 395 wellington Street 385, me WslFington OtmwaON KlAW OtlawaON KlAW Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to BibIiotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distn'bute or sell reproduire, priter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la fonne de rnicrofiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propnete du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or othenvise de celle-ci ne doivent &re imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract: In this thesis I trace the development of Prairie Bible Institute, one of the first Bible schools in western Canada. In order to understand the identity of this school in the wider Christian community it is imponant to recognize two thing: 1) Prairie Bible Institute was linked to the hndarnentaiist Christianity primarily through its emphasis on holiness theology; and 2) ail aspects of the institute's education served to direct students toward participation in the missionary enterprise. During the first twenty-five years of the school's history these two themes were predominant in shaping its formal cuniculurn, socia1 ethos, and outreach activities. From its humble beginnings in an old farmhouse, the school grew to become the largest Bible school in Canada, drawing students from across North America. Acknowledgements: The successfUl completion of such a project is never the result of a solo effort. I am deeply indebted to a group of people, whose suppon and encouragement were vital to the completion of this thesis. It is my privilege to acknowledge them here. Two institutions contributed financial support, which made my research possible. I would like to thank the Department of History at the University of Calgary for their Qeneroussuppon in the form of scholarships and Teaching Assistantships The Association of Canadian Bible Colleges also provided a generous scholarship for my research. would also like to thank Prairie Bible Institute (PBI) and especially school President, Rick Down, for granting me sabbatical leave to pursue graduate studies, and for giving me access to all extant official records fiam the early years of the Institute. On a more personal level I wodd like to thank my supervisor, David Marshall. for his patient guidance, insightfir1 critiques, and stimulating discussions. Not only did he teach me the art and craft of being an historian, but as a mentor he also took an interest in seeing me grow as a person. I also wish to thank other members ofthe faculty, fiom whom I had the opportunity to learn. Martin Staum Sarah Carter, Francine Michaud, Douglas Francis, and Maggie Osler stretched my critical and analytical skills and tiequently opened new historical vistas to me. I would also like to thank my classmates in the master's program, whose spirited discussion in class, and camaraderie outside of it were a continual source of encouragement and inspiration, especially while living away from my family. W hitney Lackenbauer, Brooke Montgomery. Chris Mummery, and Jeff Wigelsworth are fellow historians, but more imponantly, they are good tiiends. Another felIow student, Gord Nickel, deserves a big thank-you for providing me with a home away fiom home while studying in Calgary. I would also like to thank the library staff at Prairie Bible College, especially Deanna Lockwood and Wayne Wicks, for all their assistance in my research. My tiiends and colleagues in Three Hills. DougIas Lewis, Corey Liknes. and the members of the Circle of Six were invaiuable as sounding boards for. and critics of. my work. My parents. Cornie and Kay, not only encouraged me in my research but supplied me with a wealth of anecdotal information about PBI from their own days there as students. The spiritual heritage they have given me is truly Feat. Finally. I am most grateful to my wife, Anne, and my three daughters, Kathryn. Simone. and Camille. It is they who sacrificed the most so I could undenake this mid-life student venture. soli Deo gior~a Table of Contents: .. Approval Page.. ............................................................................11 ... Abstract ......................................................................................III Acknowledgements.. ......................................................................iv Table of Contents......................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION.. .......................................................................1 CHAPTER ONE: BIBLE SCHOOLS, EVANGELICALS, AND FUNDAMENTALISTS: ONE RIVER, MANY CURRENTS.......... 10 CHAPTER TWO: EDUC.ATION FOR MISSIONARY SERVICE 'HOLDING FORTH THE WORD OF LWE:'................. ...........37 CHAPTER THREE: CAMPUS CULTURE: LIVING THE CRUCIFIED LIFE........................................... 64 CHAPTER FOUR: OUTREACH AND MINISTRY: 'EVERY CHRISTIAN A MISSIONARY' .................................91 CONCLUSION ........................................................................ ..I19 introduction: Writing in MacLean 's Maguzi3ne in December of 1947, journalist James H. Grey posited an unusual answer to the question: 'What is the most famous place in Canada?' Your average Canadian might answer Montreal or Toronto. Your average tourist might respond with an answer such as Banffor Niagara Falls. "But if you were set down in the wilds of Atiica, India. the West Indies, or China, and found shelter in the nearest mission, there's a good chance your host would say ia you: 'You from Canada? How are things back in Three ~ills?"" Measurements of fame or notoriety are, as Gray illustrated, often relative. It depends on who is doing the measuring. In Gray's scenario the evangelical missionary goes on to explain the reason for his response: He'd tell you about the remote Alberta village of Three Hills and its most famous institution, The Prairie Bibte Institute, the biggest missionary college in Canada and the second largest on the continent. P. B. I. is a sensationally uncollegiate college whose campus knows no dating, whose boarders know no juke boxes, soda bars or movies, whose teachers draw no salary, and whose students got to bed at 10 o'clock and believe that the fish did swallow Jonah, just as it says in the Book Your missionary could tell you that in twenty-five years P. B. I. has grown tiom a Bible class in a prairie farmhouse to a thriving nonsectarian institution with 1,100 men and women students and a score of buildings on a 120 acre campus. More than 300 of its graduates are in foreign missions and several thousand more spread the gospel in the United States and ~anada.' The educational institution which Gray described was likely unfamiliar to most of his readers. but to people in Narth America who idenaed themselves as evangelical I 'Miracle at Three Hik' .lfucLeuns Magazrne (December 15.1943: 16. - Ibid. 16.53. The number of students rccorded by Gray is a [hie misleading By ibis time PBI was not only a college but also operated a Cenaal Education division, which taught stub& from gdcs 1 -12 T~Lenrchent of the collcge was about 800 students while Ih gdeducation schaols contained the remaining 300. Christians, Prairie Bible Institute (PBI) was a well-known name, synonymous with one thing: training missionaries. While the Canadian Bible School movement has recently gained more attention fiom historians, most research has been conducted along broader, general lines. Little exists in the way of sustained analysis of specific, leading institutions. Before examining the existing scholarly literature on Bible schools and religious milieu in which they flourished, it will be helpful to begin by setting the stage with a brief overview of Prairie Bible Institute, the focus of this particular study. Located about 120 kilometers northeast of Calgary, the village of Three Hills was officially incorporated

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