Briercrest College and Seminary
Encyclopedia
Briercrest College and Seminary is a private Christian
post-secondary educational institution located in Caronport
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
. It comprises a college
and a seminary
, and operates the Caronport High School
.
in the village of Briercrest, Saskatchewan
, which grew to include several members of the community. Eventually the group formed a new church, the Briercrest Gospel Assembly. The people needed a pastor to lead the church and wanted to open a Bible school.
Henry Hildebrand
was a student at Winnipeg Bible Institute and a circuit riding preacher with Canadian Sunday School Mission (CSSM). Mr. Sinclair Whittaker, one of the believers at Briercrest, was a businessman and a former Conservative member of the provincial legislature. He contacted Henry, informing him of their need for a pastor and their desire to open a Bible school. Eventually Hildebrand agreed to join them at Briercrest.
Briercrest Bible Institute opened its doors on October 19, 1935, and 11 students enrolled. A rented house served as dormitory, classroom, and office for the school. Mr. Hildebrand was principal and Mrs. Annie Hillson, Mrs. Isabel Whittaker, Jean Whittaker, and Margaret Rusk helped with teaching and administration. Donald McMillan joined them in the second term as assistant principal.
By 1946, they had outgrown their facility, and Mr. Whittaker arranged the purchase of Royal Airforce Base #33 in Caron for $50,000. The new facility was dedicated on July 1, 1946, and the task of converting the airbase into dormitories, classrooms, offices, and staff housing began.
Caronport High School
opened in September 1946. A grade school also began that year. Enrollment grew in all of the schools and many new buildings were constructed to accommodate the growing student body. In the early 1970s, the schools began to recognize the need for academic credibility. Briercrest became a candidate for accreditation with the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (now the Association for Biblical Higher Education) in 1973, and became accredited in 1976. The school was given authority to grant degrees in 1974. In 1979, a distance learning program was launched. In 1982, the name Briercrest Bible Institute was changed to Briercrest Bible College. The seminary began in 1983, and receive accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools in 1998. College enrollment grew from 285 in 1970 to 775 in 1985.
The school's mission statement is as follows:
, Bachelor of Arts
, Master of Arts
, and Master of Divinity
degrees. Each program includes courses in Bible
and theology
, Christian
ministry
, liberal arts
, and the social sciences
. The college has been accredited by The Association for Biblical Higher Education
since 1976.http://abhe.gospelcom.net/accredited.htm#B The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. It employs a modular format (typically one course in one week) for most of its courses.
Briercrest also offers distance learning courses at both the college and seminary
levels.
The college is associated with the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology
(SIAST) and has transfer agreements with the universities of Regina
and Saskatchewan
.
In early 2011 Briercrest and Minot State University
announced a partnership allowing students to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from both schools in five years. The program requires students to complete their Bachelor of Arts degree during the first three years at Briercrest college and the final two at Minot State earning the Education degree. Minot State offers five different concentrations for its B.S.E. As such a students completing this program may select earning a Bachelor of Science in:
The college dormitories have a history of being named after people who have had significant impact throughout the history of the schools. Current dormitories at Briercrest include:
The last of the war-building dormitories, known most recently as Gable Heights, was demolished in summer 2005.
Hildebrand, Henry. In His Loving Service. Caronport, SK: Briercrest Bible College, 1985.
Palmer, Bernard and Marjorie Palmer. Beacon on the Prairies: The Men God Uses in the Building of Briercrest Bible Institute. Caronport, SK: Briercrest Bible Institute, 1970.
Palmer, Bernard. Miracle on the Prairies: The Story of Briercrest Bible Institute. Caronport, SK: Briercrest Bible Institute, [1960?].
All facts, unless otherwise stated, are from Briercrest College and Seminary's web site
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
post-secondary educational institution located in Caronport
Caronport, Saskatchewan
Caronport is a village in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The village had a population of 919 in the Canada 2006 Census, and is located within Census Division 7. The village is located 21 kilometres west of Moose Jaw on the Trans-Canada Highway. As of the 2006 census, Caronport is, by...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It comprises a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
and a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
, and operates the Caronport High School
Caronport High School
Caronport High School is a private Christian high school located in Caronport, Saskatchewan. The school includes a student residence program and extracurricular activities such as sports, drama, art and music. It is operated by Briercrest College and Seminary....
.
History
Its precursor was a home Bible studyBible study (Christian)
In Christianity, Bible study is the study of the Bible by ordinary people as a personal religious or spiritual practice. Some denominations may call this devotion or devotional acts; however in other denominations devotion has other meanings...
in the village of Briercrest, Saskatchewan
Briercrest, Saskatchewan
-Area statistics:*Lat 50° 10' 00" N*Long 105° 16' 00" W*Dominion Land Survey Section 18 Tsp 14 Rge 24 W2*Time zone UTC-6-External links:******...
, which grew to include several members of the community. Eventually the group formed a new church, the Briercrest Gospel Assembly. The people needed a pastor to lead the church and wanted to open a Bible school.
Henry Hildebrand
Henry Hildebrand
Henry Hildebrand is most known for being the founding principal of Briercrest Bible Institute for 42 years; the school is now known as Briercrest Family of Schools or Briercrest College and Seminary.-History:Born in 1911, Henry Hildebrand immigrated to Canada with his parents Peter and Anna, and...
was a student at Winnipeg Bible Institute and a circuit riding preacher with Canadian Sunday School Mission (CSSM). Mr. Sinclair Whittaker, one of the believers at Briercrest, was a businessman and a former Conservative member of the provincial legislature. He contacted Henry, informing him of their need for a pastor and their desire to open a Bible school. Eventually Hildebrand agreed to join them at Briercrest.
Briercrest Bible Institute opened its doors on October 19, 1935, and 11 students enrolled. A rented house served as dormitory, classroom, and office for the school. Mr. Hildebrand was principal and Mrs. Annie Hillson, Mrs. Isabel Whittaker, Jean Whittaker, and Margaret Rusk helped with teaching and administration. Donald McMillan joined them in the second term as assistant principal.
By 1946, they had outgrown their facility, and Mr. Whittaker arranged the purchase of Royal Airforce Base #33 in Caron for $50,000. The new facility was dedicated on July 1, 1946, and the task of converting the airbase into dormitories, classrooms, offices, and staff housing began.
Caronport High School
Caronport High School
Caronport High School is a private Christian high school located in Caronport, Saskatchewan. The school includes a student residence program and extracurricular activities such as sports, drama, art and music. It is operated by Briercrest College and Seminary....
opened in September 1946. A grade school also began that year. Enrollment grew in all of the schools and many new buildings were constructed to accommodate the growing student body. In the early 1970s, the schools began to recognize the need for academic credibility. Briercrest became a candidate for accreditation with the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (now the Association for Biblical Higher Education) in 1973, and became accredited in 1976. The school was given authority to grant degrees in 1974. In 1979, a distance learning program was launched. In 1982, the name Briercrest Bible Institute was changed to Briercrest Bible College. The seminary began in 1983, and receive accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools in 1998. College enrollment grew from 285 in 1970 to 775 in 1985.
The school's mission statement is as follows:
- "Briercrest College and Seminary is a community of rigorous learning that calls students to seek the kingdom of God, to be shaped profoundly by the Scriptures, and to be formed spiritually and intellectually for lives of service."
Academics
Briercrest College and Seminary offers one-year certificates, Associate of Arts degreesAcademic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
, Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, and Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degrees. Each program includes courses in Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ministry
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
, liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, and the social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
. The college has been accredited by The Association for Biblical Higher Education
The Association for Biblical Higher Education
The Association for Biblical Higher Education or ABHE is a nationally recognized accrediting agency in the United States. It is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
since 1976.http://abhe.gospelcom.net/accredited.htm#B The seminary is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. It employs a modular format (typically one course in one week) for most of its courses.
Briercrest also offers distance learning courses at both the college and seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
levels.
The college is associated with the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology
Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology is a diploma-granting college that has four campuses across Saskatchewan. More than 12,000 students are enrolled in its programs and has approximately 29,000 additional individual registrations....
(SIAST) and has transfer agreements with the universities of Regina
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
and Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
.
In early 2011 Briercrest and Minot State University
Minot State University
Minot State University is a four-year institution of higher learning in Minot, North Dakota. Founded in 1913 as a normal school, Minot State University is the third-largest university in North Dakota, offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs.Minot State University was founded in 1913...
announced a partnership allowing students to complete a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from both schools in five years. The program requires students to complete their Bachelor of Arts degree during the first three years at Briercrest college and the final two at Minot State earning the Education degree. Minot State offers five different concentrations for its B.S.E. As such a students completing this program may select earning a Bachelor of Science in:
- Elementary Education
- English
- History
- Music
- Physical Education
Student life
The majority of Briercrest College students live in residence and participate in a school meal plan in a dining hall operated by Sodhexo-Marriott Foods.The college dormitories have a history of being named after people who have had significant impact throughout the history of the schools. Current dormitories at Briercrest include:
- Isabel Whittaker (women), often called "Whit"
- Sinclair Whittaker (men), often called "Whit"
- Hillson Hall (women, high school)
- Bergren Place (women)
- Sundbo Place (married students, women, and men over 21 years of age)
- Lewis Apartments (men), known fondly as "LA"
- Eliason Manor (men) built in 2005
- Glen Manor (men, high school)
- Brygmann Hall (men, closed), often known as "Brygg"
The last of the war-building dormitories, known most recently as Gable Heights, was demolished in summer 2005.
Facilities
The campus landmark is the 2,000-seat Hildebrand Chapel. Facilities also include a 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) library, nine student dormitories, a 42-room inn, a recently renovated dining hall, a double-court gymnasium, a hockey arena, tennis courts, numerous sports fields, a recording studio, a Subway franchise, and two coffee shops.Athletics
Briercrest College and Seminary's sports teams are known as the Clippers, and compete in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. Varsity and sports include basketball, hockey, and volleyball. Soccer is a club sport. Each sport includes participation by both men and women on separate teams. Briercrest College and Seminary officially opened an NHL size hockey arena which seats over 500 spectators on February 7, 2009. The arena is named the Barkman Arena in honour of one of its past presidents, Dr. John Barkman.Presidents
Throughout their 72-year history, Briercrest has had five presidents: Henry Hildebrand (1935–1977); Henry Budd (1977–1990); John Barkman (1990–1996); Paul Magnus (1996–2004); and Dwayne Uglem (2004–present)—Sinclair Whittaker served as president of the board until 1950.Governance
Briercrest College and Seminary is governed by a 25-member board of directors who ensure that operational policies contribute to the guidance, empowerment, and direction of the senior leadership and staff while maintaining the health and mission of the schools.Histories of the College
Budd, Henry. Wind in the Wheatfields: A Pictoral History of Briercrest Bible College, 1935-1985. Caronport, SK: Briercrest Bible College, 1985.Hildebrand, Henry. In His Loving Service. Caronport, SK: Briercrest Bible College, 1985.
Palmer, Bernard and Marjorie Palmer. Beacon on the Prairies: The Men God Uses in the Building of Briercrest Bible Institute. Caronport, SK: Briercrest Bible Institute, 1970.
Palmer, Bernard. Miracle on the Prairies: The Story of Briercrest Bible Institute. Caronport, SK: Briercrest Bible Institute, [1960?].
External links
All facts, unless otherwise stated, are from Briercrest College and Seminary's web site