Reflections: The History of International Bible College

It could have been any summer, anywhere on the Canadian prairies that year. Wheat fields waved, elevators beckoned, and the railroad snaking through town was the only link with markets beyond. The most dramatic event of the year was a spiritual upsurge that turned the extreme southwest corner of Saskatchewan on its head. It was 1932.

The winter of 1932 turned the windswept prairie into a blisteringly cold landscape. From a collection of small towns a carload of brave students ventured across the prairie and across the border to attend a fledgling Bible training school in the United States. On their way home, their vehicle broke down, leaving them stranded in the bitter cold. After they were rescued by parents and townspeople, these determined students said to their families, "There has to be a better way " And there was.

The solution would be to start their a Bible College of their own. But that would easier said than done. Some had little more than a grade school education. They needed help. Providentially, they found a retired professor who was only too willing to take on the task. The school he founded taught generations of students - pastors, missionaries, church officials, laborers. But the seven decade story of International Bible College is not without its blips. It is a story of hardship, political intrigue, and success. Through her history, the college would go through three name changes and five capuse Like a ship on a stormy sea, often in danger of being scuttled, this one always managed to sail through and bring home a catch.

About the Author
Esau, Lyle: - Lyle Esau lives with his wife in southern Alberta, Canada. He was educated at Summit Pacific College and Briercrest Biblical Seminary. He is a former professor at International Bible College with an avid interest in history.