ARCHIVES - OBC/OTS 1 oronto Bible College RECORDER 16 Spadina Road Toronto Price Ten Cents Per Annum Volume 50 TORONTO, SEPTEMBER, 1944 Number 3 . . after tjje Jubilee . . . The Bible College will enter upon the second half century of its history with the beginning of the next session on Tuesday, September 19th. The opening service will be held at 10 o'clock that morning. It will be of a special charac- ter, because the celebration of the Jubi- lee will come to a head in the events of that week. The student body will be joined by many former students of the past half century, gathered back for their special Alumni Conference. After this opening service, the rest of the day and the remaining days of the week will be given over to this Conference. A special description of the Conference will be found on another page. Although the attendance of students is likely to be reduced again during the coming season, yet the full College cur- riculum will be carried on without any curtailment. No appointment has been made to fill Miss McCarthy's place as the special teacher of the Preparatory Class, nor is any appointment likely to be made until we enter the post-war period. In the meantime, Dr. Waters will take full charge of the Class, giving up some of his other work in order to do so. A new series of lectures on the History of Missions will be given by Dr. McNicol, thus making the depart- ment of Historical Christianity a three years' course of study as it was originally intended to be. The addresses given at our Jubilee Graduation in the spring bore witness to one outstanding feature of the Toronto Bible College. As Dr. Cody said, "The institution has kept a splendid central course, basing its teaching on the his- toric faith of the Church, on the things that are fundamental." This is the straight course which the College must continue to keep after the Jubilee. During the past fifty years two ex- treme tendencies have seriously aflfected the life and work of the Christian Church. One of these is that form of Modernism which regards Christianity only as a means of making this a better world. The other is that form of Funda- mentalism which preaches what one of the leading evangelical theologians of the day describes as ""a fantastic apoca- lypticism." Both of these tendencies miss the essential and fundamental element in Christianity, and both have gone off the centre. The Divine blessing that we have enjoyed during all the past years has been largely due to the fact that the College has refused to yield to either of these tendencies, but has maintained a consistent witness to the heart of the Christian faith. J. McN. THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER 9n Alumni iHinisiterial S>pmposium The Toronto Bible College does not profess to educate men for the ministry of the Church. It was not established for that purpose. But it has proved to be an efficient agency for recruiting men for the ministry. In the course of its history more than 250 young men have gone from its classes on into the ministry of their respective churches. Many of them came to the College with no definite idea about their life work, but simply because of an urge to know more about the Bible. During their course they came under another urge — an urge to preach the Gospel. There are ministers serving the four major denominations in Canada, and many of the other denominations, who would not be in the ministry to-day but for the start they got in the Bible College. We have asked a representative cross- section of these Alumni of ours, scattered throughout the Dominion and in the United States, for a brief statement setting forth whatever value the Bible College course may have contributed to their preparation for the ministry as they now look back upon it. These testimonies are presented herewith; and as was the case with the Missionary Symposium contained in the March number of the Recorder, they are suggestive and enlightening. In the midst of all the varied experiences reflected in this symposium, one thing stands out clearly. It was during their Bible College course that these ministers obtained a knowledge of the Bible and learned how to use it. The Bible College curriculum is built up on the principle that the fundamental and most important element in the equipment of a Christian worker — and of a minister — is a knowledge of the Word of God. It is for this reason that the emphasis is placed on a thorough study of the English Bible, and not on a study of the Greek and Hebrew text. A knowledge of the original languages has its own great value, but it cannot take the place of a patient and continued study of the whole content of Divine revelation as this lies in the sacred Scriptures. It is as the student learns to think through the Bible for himself — and he can do this only as he reads it in his own familiar language — that he comes to realize that the mind of the living God speaks through the inspired Word. As he does this, his own mind is enlarged and his spiritual life is deepened. In this respect the Bible College bears witness to the truth stated by the late Principal Forsyth a generation ago when the churches in England were dealing with the problem of men for the ministry: "The ministry must be a bibliocracy; it must know its Bible better than any other book."' Rev. J. T. Gawthrop 09, United Church of Canada, Vancouver, British Columbia: For over thirty years I have been engaged in Home Mission work in the West, and through all those years the course which I took at the Toronto Bible College has been of the utmost value to me in my ministry. Indeed, without it I am afraid I should have been a failure. I early discovered its value in visiting the sick, for it enabled me to find some passage of Scripture that was suitable to the needs of the sick. I discovered its value when I was called to officiate at a funeral, for it enabled me to bring a message of comfort to the bereaved; the Word of God is full of comfort to those who have lost their loved ones. I have made it a practice when visiting to read the Word and offer prayer, and knowing the Word as I had it taught me in the Bible College, I could usually find a passage that was suitable for the needs of the family I was visiting. I found the Bible College course invaluable in the preparation of sermons. Often when I have wondered what to preach about, I have typed out all the pas- sages I could find on a certain subject, such as 'The New Birth," "Temptation," THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER "Salvation," "The Resurrection," and I have found abundant material for a good sermon. I remember one sermon, written after the above fashion, which I called "Revenge or Forgiveness," was so favorably commented on by a lawyer in my congregation who was formerly a Methodist minister that I sent it to the "Homi- letic Review," and they published it. All through the years of my ministry I have been thankful that I attended the Toronto Bible College. The course has proven its value on many a difficult field, and wherever I have gone people have spoken of me as a preacher of "the Word," and many people have expressed their thankfulness to me for "holding forth the Word of life." The College course opened to me the Bible as no other course could do, and it taught me to use it effectively in proclaiming Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. Rev. W. E. Atkinson '10, Waverley Road Baptist Church, Toronto: The particular aspects of the Bible College teaching to which I would bear my testimony are: the broad principles of interpretation and our good will to all men. I do not mean "loose" principles of interpretation, but "broad" principles. This can be illustrated by something which happened in Dr. Elmore Harris' classes. We were studying 2 Peter 1:19-21, and Dr. Harris called our attention to the punctuation between verses 19 and 20. He moved the colon back three words, causing the passage to read: "in your hearts knowing this first," instead of "until the day star arises in your hearts," thus destroying the key doctrine the liberalist takes out of the verse, that all men have God in their hearts. Then just this further word. We were taught by precept, example and asso- ciation, to "follow peace with all men," and "do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith;" and if I have succeeded in any way during my more than twenty-five years in the ministry, I can attribute some of it to these broad principles of interpretation and to the ethical standards the Bible College upheld. Let any man be devoid of these, he cannot glorify God and have a good report among his brethren. Neither can he bring into being a healthy condition of Christianity through his ministry. Nor will he adorn the doctrine of God his Saviour. May I quote: "If these things be in you, ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful." Rev, Geo. A. Williams '13, one of the Field Secretaries of the United Church of Canada: 1 am glad to bear testimony to the benefits received from my studies at the Toronto Bible College. In looking back over the years since my graduation in 1913, I can see how in at least three ways I have been greatly helped. First, it gave me a deeper appreciation and more thorough knowledge of the Bible as the Word of God. Secondly, it warmed my heart and gave me a desire to win others to Christ; and thirdly, it made me forever missionary in spirit and purpose. For these and many other benefits received I am deeply grateful and wish the College ever increasing success. Rev. Edwin R. Baker '15, Onondaga Hill Presbyterian Church, Syracuse, New York: Thirty years ago I was a student at the Toronto Bible College. Following my graduation a period of nearly twelve years was spent as a missionary in a foreign land. On my forced return I took a seminary course, and now for the past sixteen years I have had a pastorate at home. If there is one thing above another which has sustained me in evangelical preaching throughout the years, it has been the instruction received from the Bible and the spiritual atmosphere of the Toronto Bible College. All my class-room notes were destroyed, but the life imparted from the Word of God, with the true, THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER sane, evangelical teaching of the essential doctrines, and the general daily unfolding of the Scriptures, left a deposit in my life which I trust, by God's grace, I shall never lose. I say this with a deep feeling of gratitude to God in that I was so providentially led to a place where I was established in the Christian faith. If it were in my power, I would have every student for the ministry take a course in some Bible College before attending a seminary; and among such institutions the Toronto Bible College holds a very unique place. Rev. W. Constantine Perry, D.D. '18, Grant African Methodist Episcopal Church, Toronto: As a graduate of the Toronto Bible College, I consider it a very great privilege indeed to offer a brief testimony as to my personal conception of the College and to its Christian value. Although it has been my lot to have had Christian training in other institutions, I sincerely consider the training at the Bible College the most potent factor in any achievements I may have had in my vocation as a Christian minister. My registration at the Bible College was the ultimate result of my desire for a thorough knowledge of the Bible, which I con- sidered, even in my early days, as indispensable for the work of the ministry. The teaching of the Bible as the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the fundamental doctrines of the Christian rcHgion, formed the basis upon which the curriculum had been built, making the college exempt from all contro- versial criticisms; and if any criticism arises, it becomes its own defence. The enrolment of students from various churches and denominations, with lectures causing no controversy, is an evidence of the unity of the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, which has been and still is a special feature of the College. Such a teaching led us all to see God as our Father, Christ as our Redeemer, and man as our brother, causing us to forget our denominationalism, so that when Christianity is spoken of, it is not from any sectarian point of view, but purely from the standpoint of the New Testament. The prayer-life of the College has been a tower of strength to me all through my ministry, and will continue to be so as long as God lendeth me breath. Rev. Herbert A. Foster '20, Los Angeles, California. I was led to enroll at Toronto Bible College upon the advice of my pastor in Detroit, who formerly attended McMaster University. When I think of T.B.C. I think of at least four things: (I) Its warm Christian atmosphere, (2) The sincerity, piety and efficiency of its instructors, (3) The practical helpfulness of its course of study, (4) The way it led me to know God and His Word in a more personal and fuller sense. The warm Christian atmosphere I found existing at T.B.C. regardless of race or denomination, giving expression to true Christian unity, probably had its influence under God in leading me to inaugurate "The Unity of Christian Faith Conference" movement in Los Angeles. Then too, I shall never forget the sense of awe which swept over me as I opened the door of the prayer room for the first time and beheld the students down upon their knees. I knew then that I was in the right place. Those quiet hours were of great help and inspiration to me. The inspiration I received from the Principal and the other instructors, as they taught the Word of God with sincerity and great patience, will ever be cherished, and I shall carry with me their example. I have been greatly helped in the preparation of sermons throughout the years, and also in following out further studies in Theology, by my T.B.C. notes which I still use as I search the Scriptures. I think my richest experience was finding God to be an ever present help. I reached College with insufficient funds to carry me through, and on the second THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER day God opened the way for me to obtain work after school hours, and this supplied my needs. At T.B.C. I learned to trust in God, and I have never doubted Him since. Rev. Arthur Leggett '23, Presbyterian Church, Beauharnois, Quebec: The main features of value which I found in the Bible College course were these: (1) I received a grounding in the great verities of the Christian faith which has stood the test of time and experience. (2) That which has been of inestimable worth to me as a Christian minister is the comprehensive working knowledge of the Bible gained at Toronto Bible College. (3) The practical training received through actual work done in connection with the course of study, e.g., Sunday School teaching, personal evangelism, conducting meetings, speaking, praying and reading the Bible in public, I have found of permanent value. Also of real worth was the experience gained relating to the service of praise. (4) Along with the course of study and training, I received something else which I regard as most precious and of enduring worth, namely, the gracious influence upon my life of members of the faculty and the student body. Coming from a community where there seemed but two kinds of Christianity, the worldly church type and the unnaturally emotional, it was an impressive revelation to me to see the Christian life in normal expression — strong, sweet, joyful, true and courageous. Valued friendships were formed which time has but mellowed. Denominational affiliations present no barrier to the enjoyment of this delightful fellowship. Rev. John H. Slimon, Main Street Baptist Church, St. John, New Brunswick: Words do not readily come with which to appraise the value of the Toronto Bible College in my work as a minister of the Gospel for nearly thirty years. Yes! I'm almost an old timer, and out of my experience I can testify that the love of the Book, the understanding of the Book, and the joy in the preaching of the Book were all imparted to me in the T.B.C. I am not a graduate of the College, but the fact that I am in the ministry I owe to the Bible College; and what I learned there has kept me in the work through the years. I still have my notes, still refer to them with profit, and shall never cease to thank God for such men as Dr. John McNicol, Dr. F. S. Weston, and Dr. Andrew Imrie whose classes I attended. I do not claim to have been eminently successful either in my pulpit or pastoral work, but the Lord has graciously blessed both; and next to the marvel- lous grace of God, I gratefully pay tribute to the teaching and influence of the Toronto Bible College. We have a glorious Lord, and His glories were enhanced to me by the teaching of the men herein mentioned. May the blessing of the Lord descend in great measure on the College in this Jubilee year, and through all the years to come. Rev. R. E. Stanley Hunt '25 : Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. The Toronto Bible College enabled me to take a course of training and instruction which was somewhat more intense and helpful than I realized when in attendance. The atmosphere contri- buted greatly to my life. The apostolic injunction urged upon students in the words on the banner over the platform in the Assembly Hall, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," still speaks to me, just as it did twenty-two years ago. My attitude toward the Word of God became fixed, and I rejoice that it has been found to be an adequate revelation of the Saviour. Memories of what was learned in lectures, in fellowship with the faculty and students, and in times of trial and earnest desire to know the will of God for my life, even now bless the soul. The experience of serving Christ in hospital THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER visitation, in city mission work, and in other forms of service, laid a foundation for pressing on in the same efforts for Christ. In the College I was introduced to a study of infinite magnitudes, and in seeking to serve Christ by fitting His Word to the needs of men, it has been increasingly glorious to realize that the sphere in which a believer is placed — "in Christ" — is one of exaltation to a posi- tion in the heavenlies. As I go on preaching the Word of God, I have felt that the College aided me greatly in knowing that the Father fills the life with true happiness, and in seeing that the whole world is within the scope of His love and His redemption. This means a missionary-hearted ministry. Rev. Alex McLean '30, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Willowdale, Ontario: One could write appreciatively of intangible values which nurture the Christian life. However, a Bible College should also provide something concrete enough to which the pragmatic test can be applied — though I am not a pragmatist. This the T.B.C. does provide. For me the promise of a working knowledge of the Bible in the English language was fulfilled. It goes without saying this is invaluable for a minister of the Word. The devotional approach to the Scriptures in T.B.C. provides an excellent groundwork for anyone who goes on to a theological college, where in the nature of the case the approach is perhaps more critical than it is devotional — using "critical" in its best and proper sense. A professor, for whom I have a high regard, when I had interrupted with a question or two one day, quizzically said to me, "You are becoming a thorn in the flesh." Turning to the class he added, "The reason is, gentlemen, he knows his Bible." Forget the egotism that seems to emerge in telling this, and lay hold of the real point, which is that the professor was unconsciously paying tribute to the Toronto Bible College. Rev. Burton S. W. Hill '33, Society of Friends, Cincinnati, Ohio: The course of study taken at the Toronto Bible College has proven of inestimable value to me for many reasons, of which I will mention only two. 1. A knowledge of the Bible, the study of which is at the very centre of the Bible College work, is basic in the life and work of the minister. It has been declared by many that "no one is educated until he knows his Bible." The minister may lack many qualifications; but to lack a knowledge of the Bible is unforgiveable. As yet, I know of no other institution of learning which recognizes, and endea- vours to meet, this prime need of the ministry as completely as the Toronto Bible College. 2. The friendly, devotional, and interdenominational fellowship of faculty and students is evidence of the basic unity of our Christian Faith, and might be termed a foretaste of the kind of life for which the world of humanity cries out today. I can truly say that one may lay well a foundation for the ministry in the Bible College course and fellowship. Rev. Horace Dulmage *34, Associate Professor of Philosophy, McMaster Univer- sity: Looking back over the ten years of ministry which have rolled around since graduation, I find the most important and continuing aspects of life at the College represented in attitudes of mind and spirit which when acknowledged have embodied effective principles of service. These attitudes are principally two in number. THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER The first attitude is toward God and His redemptive work, which when clearly recognized makes the minister aware that he is being used in an on-going process immeasurably greater than his own small efforts. When consciously held this attitude is the basis of morale and strength. It becomes also the foundation for a highly meaningful fellowship as a co-worker with God. The second attitude is toward the Word of God, which comes to men only as a redemptive revelation. To know God and His ways requires the sharing of His life. No man can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Spirit, who breathes upon man the breath of life. Ideas and abstract conceptions are of themselves inadequate to convey the meaning of life. They must be "filled out" by an experience of God before they can be significantly comprehended. This attitude makes high demands upon the minister of Christ who is not content with the words of man's wisdom alone nor with a merely verbal response. Yet when in his people he sees the Word working by the Spirit, he knows the joy of witnessing that breath of life and liberty among them which they receive from no other source. When this occurs the ministry reaches its highest level of effectiveness, provided of course that the movement is wisely guided. At this point also the two attitudes merge, for the minister sees himself as but the instru- ment in the great redeeming work of God. These two attitudes I find to be the most continuing and valuable. My inter- pretations of Gods Word, of life and salvation, have in some respects altered since leaving the College but the attitudes remain and arc now held, as I see it, with increasing rather than diminishing significance. Rev. Donald Stockford '34, Church of Christ, Lubec, Maine, U.S.A.: Looking back over a period of almost ten years since graduation from Toronto Bible College, the memory of the three years of rich fellowship and blessing glows with increas- ing richness. To set forth some main values received in the light of almost ten years in the active pastoral ministry is difficult, not from lack of such values, but from their abundance and variety. The unique ministry of T.B.C., with its particular type and setup of fellowship and teaching, has been of inestimable value. There comes to mind the most important matter of all as to vital Christian teaching and preparation for Christian service — that of the central place given to God's Word in the work of the college. An emphasis on the Bible as the Word of God, the divine message to man, without an endeavour to force any particular interpretation, and without criticism of those who do not follow certain definite theological ideas and trends, is a blessing one finds in all too few institutions for the training of the ministry. My alloted space is filling rapidly. A word must be said of the wondrous fellowship enjoyed with the faculty and the student body, representing many groups and shades of theological and doctrinal background. At T.B.C. is found that oneness in Christ so necessary to the on-going of the Church of Christ in the world. Under the guidance of a consecrated and devoted faculty, which in itself has representatives of various branches of the Church, we received that which has aided us to be helpful in the glorious march that leads to the oneness of Spirit prayed for by our Lord Jesus Christ. My space is more than gone. A word of appreciation and gratitude to the faculty, some now departed, consecrated. Christlike, and ever willing to help. These, under the guidance of the Spirit, are Toronto Bible College. THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER Rev, C. Alvin Armstrong '35, First Baptist Church, Sudbury, Ontario: 1 think the most valuable contribution the Toronto Bible College has made to my ministry is its methods of Biblical interpretation — letting the Book have the first and fullest opportunity to speak for itself. It is Commentary No. 1 on my bookshelf — the criterion of judgment for the rest of my library. After a thorough study of the text, the context, and its relation to the rest of the Book, if I have any time, I consult the other commentaries about possible applications of the Truth to this particular day or circumstance. But the light the Bible can shed comes first. This method has saved me time; it has saved me money; and, I think, it has often saved me embarrassment, for the latest commentary to be issued, if it goes beyond application, is apt to be in disagreement with the one that came out the year before! In the Bible College I learned that what the Bible needs is not so much re-writing as re-reading, not so much defending as declaring. Thanks to the Toronto Bible College, my ministry is (if I may use a rambling term) optimistically evangelical. There is an evangelicalism that is fundamentally pessimistic. It scowls at the world, berating the encroachments of evil and the indiscretions of church members. This is. doubtless, a legitimate pastime; but we must beware of sadism. The Toronto Bible College hammered the idea into me that, like Jesus, we are not sent merely to condemn the world but to save it. I have been everlastingly grate- ful for that emphasis. The world is wicked, certainly; it always was, and, so far as it is pagan, it always will be. How surprised we should be if, like Jonah, we saw Nineveh change overnight! Human nature in church members has sometimes an obstinate hangover from the unregenerate "night before." But — this is our emphasis — Christ is establishing His rule, here and now, in this kind of world, in hearts that at first are, in truth, no cleaner than a stable. He is the groomsman who sweeps the stable! He is greater in His up-puU than the world is in its down- pull! He is leading to victory! In my ministerial contacts I have found that more persons respond to salvation in terms of fulfilment than in terms merely of fire insurance. I am grateful to the Toronto Bible College for its emphasis on the positive side of salvation. Rev. Robert J. Chubb '36, Associated Gospel Churches, Toronto: In a very real sense, " we are a part of all that we have met," and to spend a period of three years within the sacred precincts of such an institution as the Toronto Bible College could not fail to leave its imprint upon the life of every student. A minister is a man of God, and therefore a man who should exhibit a God- like character to his congregation and the world at large. As students, and often as young and immature Christians, we entered College with a simple initial faith in Christ as Saviour, but with little more. Through the teaching, the fellowship and the prayer life of the College, we were daily adding to our faith the cardinal vir- tues of the Christian life as set forth by the Apostle Peter, "virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love." The sum total of these is Christian character, which is of major importance in equipping a man for the ministry. A minister is a man of books, but pre-eminently of "the Book," the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever. As embryonic ministers we were being schooled in "the Book," for during our College course we covered the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Paul exhorted Timothy as a young minister "to give atten- tion to reading, exhortation and doctrine." The "reading" here, might well cover the many books which we were required to read in college days. Looking back, we THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER can see that this was not only necessary, but definitely profitable, for it has been of untold value in helping to present spiritual truth from the Book of books. A minister is a man who ministers, a very obvious statement. This is a duty that requires preparation as well as piety, competence coupled with consecration. Our primary need is a love for God and a passion for the souls of men, but that alone would be comparable to zeal without knowledge. Our studies of Pastoral Theology, of means and methods of effective evangelism, of logical and orderly sermon construction, of Sunday School administration — these all have a place in our ministry to young and old alike. Most of us out of practical experience could add to what we have learned, but upon this original foundation we arc build- ing our ministry, which we trust will redound to the glory of God and the blessing of men. Rev. Earl Sigston '36, Anglican Chaplain with the Canadian Army: It is difficult for me to separate into phases the influence of T.B.C. and try to select one partic- ular phase that is more significant than others. As I look back beyond the chaplain's service, parish work in Western Canada, and Wycliffe College, the life of T.B.C. has had somewhat of a steadying influence upon my life very difficult to express. Attempting to describe this influence is much like trying to express one's innermost feelings of the workings of the Holy Spirit. It has not been so much like having been to college or school, but more like an experience which has become part of my makeup. Among the many things T.B.C. has meant to me is that I have been (particu- larly in the Chaplain's Service) able to meet any particular branch of the many branches of the Church Catholic with a better understanding, realizing fully that we have our common ground — one Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Rev. Arthur J. Greer '37, United Church of Canada, Canora, Saskatchewan: The majority of graduates from any institution of learning will be forever loyal to their Alma Mater. However, there must be a "something different" about the T.B.C, for numerous ministers, graduates of the approved theological colleges of Canada, have been known to ask our men such questions as these: "Where on earth were you taught to conduct meetings like that? Where did you learn to conduct singing.^ How did you become so familiar with the Bible? " The Toronto Bible College teaches its students to "do things." Book the- ology and theory are of inestimable value, yet a man may be immersed in them, and still be unable to inspire an audience. T.B.C. taught me, and then showed me how to apply what I had learned. May God be praised for the department of Practical "Theology! People always get wise eventually to the presence or absence of insincerity. I noted that the shallow, insincere student usually deepened, or else dropped out of T.B.C. before the conclusion of his second year, for a sincere love toward God and his fellow men is a requisite to fellowship within those walls. In Western Canada, almost any degree of allowance will be made for failings and inabilities, but people will always support and follow the minister who is genuine. Evangelism is probably the most discussed topic in our twentieth century Theology. Some have ruled it out as outmoded; others have made it a laughing stock by their extravagances; but T.B.C. taught us to be sanely, intelligently and intelligibly evangelistic — and it works! Best of all, T.B.C. taught us the Word of God — not some fallible person's interpretation of it, but the genuine Word itself; and it taught us to know the Incarnate Word Himself. God forever bless our Alma Mater! ^0 THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER Rev. Stanley Young, '37, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A. : The training I received at T.B.C. has certainly helped me to carry on in my small way the great work of taking the Gospel to needy and hungry souls. The value of souls and the assistance of the Holy Spirit in leading these souls to Christ, so much stressed at T.B.C, has over and over again proven the driving force that has kept us at work. Rev. Dow Sargeant '37, Mennonite Church, Singhampton. Ontario: Each day we derive some new blessing from our course at T.B.C. An enlarged vision of the need of a perishing world was ever kept to the forefront. We were taught how the world could be reached and saved. This practical phase of evangelism, visi- tation work in home and hospitals, assisting in various church activities, coupled with a permeating devotional atmosphere while at college, is now of great assist- ance in the ministry. Although not always a success, failure and disappointment turn to encouragement at the remembrance of some message from our beloved faculty. While we may have entered the college with a firm belief in Mennonite doctrines, through our college course those beliefs were strengthened and our love of all God's children was increased, as we learned that as it was in T.B.C. so will it be in heaven. Rev. George Clement '37, Hughson Street Baptist Church, Hamilton, Ontario: For a few years before entering College my Bible study ran into a few snags. I couldn't reconcile what I found in the Bible with what certain teachers were propagating, especially prophetically, and also regarding what they called, "rightly dividing the word of truth " dispcnsationally. How thrilled I was, when, in those delightful Bible lectures of our Principal, I found that the sound teaching based on the principle of allowing the Bible to interpret itself was daily giving me clearer sight until my soul was revelling in the spiritual treasures of the Word. The result was that I found myself appreciating more and more the grandeur of the Word. T.B.C lifted the Scriptures for me out of the petty realm of childish, foolish, mundane notions. The sound, evangelical teaching of T.B.C. "magni- fied the law, and made it honourable."' (Isa. 42: 21). I also am greatly indebted to the Homiletical Class, and the criticism they gave me one night after I had preached in one of our big campaigns. (We thought they were "big" then). That incident (I had let them down badly that night) taught me the necessity of constant preparation, of hard studying even when sure of your sermon and its material. T.B.C. meant to me everything that God saw was need- ful in my life work for the work He had planned for me. Rev. Leonard Self "37, Presbyterian Church, Norval, Ontario: The Church of Jesus Christ must emphasize the fact that the one Sovereign God is never known apart from Jesus Christ, and that the Holy Spirit, through the Scriptures, can and does reveal Him as God in human form, meeting us by sovereign grace in our need, and bringing eternal life and full assurance of salvation. The greatest contribu- tion the Toronto Bible College has given to my ministry is an emphasis on this and other truths regarding the unique character and work of Christ for a world lost in sin, which can never be brought into fellowship with God again apart from sovereign grace through faith. One other important contribution the Toronto Bible College is making, is the wonderful intimate fellowship that is to be had there between student and student, and between student and teacher, in things relating to "the unsearchable riches of Christ." There is a sound and gracious Christian leadership manifested THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER H there, with an emphasis upon the place the Holy Spirit occupies in the revelation of the unique Christ of the Cross, now raised and glorified, the one Mediator between God and man. Finally, the years at Toronto Bible College, regarded in their true perspective, are a necessary foundation for the further study of theology in the development of the man chosen and called of God to the ministry. Rev. Frank Swackhammer '37, Baptist Church, Montreal, Quebec: My establish- ment in the Christian way came late in life and in a cataclysmic fashion. I was twenty-two when Christ met me face to face on my self-centred road and revol- utionized my life. I had had a spiritual stirring early in my teens, but had wandered far from the Christian way. Now as I look back I can see how God in His good- ness has made all things to work together for good in my preparation for the Christian ministry. Even as He makes the wrath of men to praise Him, so out of my foolish wanderings He has given me something to help me understand what men are seeking outside of Christ. But the greatest blessing of my preparation for service came in His leading me to, and enabling me to finish, the course of studies in the Toronto Bible College. After a year at High School, to pick up what I had missed because of my instability, I entered the Bible College in the fall of '34 and thus belong to class '37. It was at Bible College that my Christian life became vital. The fellowship with students, staff and faculty, opened for me the joys of the Christian family. Prayer became a reality. The spiritual world was opened unto me, and as I fol- lowed the studies through.the unfolding of the Divine drama of Sacred Revelation, that world became real and near. It was here, too, that Jesus Christ became for me the Living Word and I began to realize the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. All of these, the fellowship, the prayer life, the unfolding of the Word, the nearness and reality of Christ, combined to give me that which has meant blessing and joy in my Christian life and ministry, and also a spiritual tone in my thinking. In my university course and in the ministry which followed, I have found that this shaping of my mind and outlook has helped me, more than I can say, to look upon things from the standpoint of the Word of God. As I look over my ministry, I find that my Bible College notes (now supported by the five volumes published by Dr. McNicol) have made up the backbone of my preaching and teaching. This means, thanks to the Bible College, that I am attempting to have a Bible centred ministry. Rev. Roy J. Irwin '39, United Church of Canada, Hamilton, Ontario: At our final class fellowship meeting we were witnessing to what T.B.C. had meant to us, and I testified that to me it meant a spiritual training and experience that was "to be continued" all through life. The seed that was sown during those three years must be cultivated and nourished in order that it may grow under the warm rays of the Sun of Righteousness. This has been true in my experience of life as a minister. I am profoundly thankful for this background of training for several reasons. First and foremost, because of the confident faith it gave me in a wonderful Saviour and a loving Father. Then the study of the Scriptures gave me a founda- tion upon which I have been building, and a revelation of the true nature of God's dealings with men. Another element was the prayer meeting, where I found the source of all spiritual power, and tapped the reservoirs of God for showers of blessing in answered prayer. Hospital and house to house visitation opened new avenues of service, thus bringing the mountain top experience into the valley of _12 THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER human needs. How grateful I am for this training in balancmg faith with works. Every detail of T.B.C. experience has, in some way or other, helped me in trying to be a true under-shepherd of the great Shepherd of the sheep. Rev. John Russell '39, Christie Street Baptist Church, Toronto: The Toronto Bible College has to be thought of as an institution which God founded and man admini- sters. It is possible to know the T.B.C. only through the thoughts it thinks, the truths it teaches, and the characters it forms. The proper conception cannot be gained by any isolated instance, but only as we see the results of its influence on its graduates throughout the world and the tremendous amount of evangelical enterprise carried on by them. I am proud to be numbered among them. My call from God has not been to the far fields. My work is scarcely a mile from the College grounds. But the Spirit who guides my pathway so near to home is the same One who guides those who are "the salt of the earth" in distant lands. Nearly every mission field has felt the impetus of a T.B.C. trained worker. The influence and inspiration of our student days lives on long after our college course is over, and we look back in gratitude to God for those pleasant days spent in searching the Scriptures. The Toronto Bible College has been a "day star" in my life ever since 1 became interested in spiritual things. Many of my friends enrolled and graduated long before I did. Their godly, fruitful lives influenced me greatly in my decision to choose the T.B.C. course as a preparatory move toward* the ministry. I was not disappointed in my decision. Throughout the years of study 1 learned to love the Bible in a new way. I was thrilled as new truths were opened to me. I finished my course more in love with Christ than ever. In these days of doubt it is gratifying to know that the T.B.C. graduates arc preaching and upholding the truths which have been delivered to them by a consecrated faculty, who really know and love the verities of the faith once delivered unto the saints and through the years have been loyal to the great fundamentals we hold so dear. Rev. James Taylor '40, Slate River Baptist Church, Fort William, Ontario: I would like you to imagine three T.B.C. graduates seated around a dining-room table. The conversation is centred around a verse of Scripture and its interpre- tation. Then someone says, "1 remember Dr. McNicol's explanation of that verse was . . .", and thus we are carried back to the morning Bible studies in the Assembly Hall. This is the practical help of the Toronto Bible College teaching in the every-day life of the graduate. Speaking as a minister of the Gospel, 1 say emphatically that 1 believe the best preparation for the ministry of the gospel is a sound knowledge of the Bible, and this teaching is received at T.B.C. I am also convinced that every person who is called to the ministry of the Word and who contemplates a university course, should take first of all three years at the Toronto Bible College. These years will prove an invaluable help in his university life and also in his work as a pastor. This I say, not from hearsay, but from experience; for while the university is an excellent discipline for the mind, too often it fails to reach the heart. As a pastor, I heartily commend and recommend the Toronto Bible College course. It was a great joy to me to know that so many of the young people of the Slate River Baptist Church have found their way there. I trust and pray that our Alma Mater shall go on from strength to strength. THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER 13 tlTfje f ubilee Conference anb Eefregfjer Course When the Jubilee of the College was first discussed, it was felt by all who are interested in its ministry and have the welfare of the College at heart, that the Alumni should have an important part in the program. At one of its regular meetings the Board of Gover- nors unanimously approved this sug- gestion, and the Alumni Association thereafter decided to expand its annual conference into a Jubilee Conference and Refresher Course. It was in the autumn of 1894 that the College opened its doors to its first student body, and it is fitting that in the autumn of 1944 the College should open its doors to the host of its graduates, who unite to thank God for the ministry of these fifty years. In the first student body were to be found representatives from all the larger denominations, among whom were several whose faces were turned toward the foreign field. The early student activities of the school were carried out in the atmosphere of prayer and dependence upon the leadership of the Spirit of God. Throughout the years these characteristics of Toronto Bible College life have been deepened and strengthened, until the name "Tor- onto Bible College" has become a synonym for the finest fellowship to be found within the church. Care has been taken to preserve these features of our College life in the Jubilee Conference. This is not to be a noisy, self-congratulatory gathering, but rather a solemn renewal of our vows unto the Lord and a waiting upon Him for guidance and approval as we cross the threshold into the beginning of the second half century of our ser- vice in His Name. The program contains the names of recognized leaders in all the denom- inations. They will lead us in import- ant discussions during the days of the Conference, and Dr. C. H. Benson of Moody Bible Institute, a fine represent- ative of our American cousins, will lead us each day in a discussion of Sunday School and Young People's work. In addition to the Missionary Conference to be conducted by Dr. John B. McLaurin, missionary rallies will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evening. Over twenty of our graduates are at present in this country on furlough, and it is our hope to have each one in attendance on the Thursday evening for the foreign section of the Missionary Rally. Special conferences will be conducted in the course of the week on the work of the Minister. Dr. H. H. Bingham will deal with the Minister as Evangelist, Dr. George Pidgeon with the Minister as Preacher, Rev. Wm. Thomas with the Minister as Shepherd, and Canon R. A. Armstrong with the Minister as Soul- Winner and Counsellor. Each day will begin with prayer. The hour from 8 to 9 has been set aside for this purpose, as it has throughout the years of the ministry of the College. From the prayer room we shall adjourn to the Assembly Hall for the study of the Word of God, in which we shall be led by Dr. McNicol, who for over 40 years has led generation after genera- tion of students in the study and mas- tery of the English Bible. The spirit of fellowship which has been a marked feature of the College life will express itself in class reunions at 11 and 5 each day; in the dining- room, where meals will be served at a nominal charge (missionaries and min- isters will be served free), and in the Jubilee Picnic to be held on Saturday afternoon, September 23. The Conference will close with a Jubilee Communion Service to be held in Walmer Road Baptist Church on Sunday evening, September 24, at 9 o'clock, where fifty years ago the first classes of the College were meeting regularly for instruction and fellowship. The friends and supporters of the Col- lege are cordially invited to attend all these services. ^ . _, D. A. B. 14 THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER NEWS OF THE T.B.C. FAMILY BIRTHS To Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Mills (Gertrude Musselman, '41), at Mt. Dennis, Ont., a son, Donald Robert Glenn. At Brantford on April 5 to Mr., '39, and Mrs. Frank Phillips, a daughter, Ruth Louise. A son, Douglas Victor, to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. McClelland (Dora BiUings, '31), in Toronto on May 6. On May 18 to Mr., '40, and Mrs. Lau- rence K. Chubb, a son, Kenneth Richard. On May 27 at New Credit, Ont., to Mr., '34, and Mrs. Ulf Cronhielm (Hazel Fulcher, '33), a daughter, Mary Sylva. To Mr., '40-'43, and Mrs. Andrew Donald (Marjorie O'Brien, '43), a son, David Andrew, on June 9, at Bancroft, Ont. On June 20 at Brampton, Ont., to Rev., '35, and Mrs. H. Edgar Burritt, a daughter. To Mr., '39, and Mrs. Andrew Mc- Kenzie (Isabel Robinson, '41), a daugh- ter, Joanne Ruth, on June 20. On August 1 to Mr. and Mrs. H. Lane (Clara Sullivan, '36), a daughter. MARRIAGES In Toronto on May 12, Betty God- frey, '39-'40, to Capt. Gordon N. Holmes, '39. On May 23 at Bancroft, Ont., Flor- ence C. Davy, '18, to George A. Robin- son. In Calvary Church, Toronto, Laura Marshall, '34, to Willard F. Hamilton on June 3. Violet Aitken, '4l-'42, to Norman Flawn, on June 10, in Silverthorne Bap- tist Church, Toronto. Rev. Fred Breckon, '34, officiated, and Evelyn Brown, '38-'39, was maid of honour. Olive E. Turner, '42, to Arthur E. Bazett- Jones, on June 17 in Calvary Church, Toronto. On June 17 in Toronto, Ethel I. Gil- bert to L.A.C. Carman L. Eckmier, '42- '43. Rev. Gordon W. Johnson, '33, solemnized the marriage. Mary B. Munro, '32-'33, to Herbert B. Brittain in Snowdon Baptist Church, Montreal, on June 24. Marjorie G. Matheson, '42-'44, to Sgt. -Pilot H. James Westman, R.C.A.F., on August 4 in Bethel Baptist Church, Kelowna, B.C. On August 8 in St. Anne's Anglican, Toronto, Marion Florence to Rev. George S. Honour, '39- DEATHS Rev. Charles G. Smith, B.D., E.C. '98, at Moncton, N.B., on June 27. Mr. Smith held several important pastorates in the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec. Mrs. B. E. Snyder (Etta J. Fletcher, 03) on February 24 in Lethbridge, Alta. Mrs. Snyder was unable to go to India on account, of her health, but took an active part in missionary work at home. Suddenly on July 25, Mrs. T. B. Hyde, at her summer home in Eastbourne, Ont., where the late Mr. Hyde used to spend the holidays. Dr. J. McNicol conducted the funeral service. THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER 15 PERSONALS Mrs. Wm. Windsor (Connie Brock '22) is now in Toronto on furlough from her field in China under the China Inland Mission. Marie Barham, '27, who has been in occupied China under the China Inland Mission, is now at Chungking, Szech- wan. Free China. Viola Brubacher, '26-'27, has been re- appointed as colporteur for the British and Foreign Bible Society in Winnipeg, Man. Fred Darnell, '30, has accepted a call to the Whitby Baptist Church, Whitby, Ont. Minnie Hoogstad, '31, and Mrs. E. G. Cook (Dorothy Wandland, '30-'31), missionaries of the Sudan Interior Mis- sion, have recently left to return to their fields in Nigeria. Mr., '31, and Mrs. Orville Thamer (Ethel Neale, '30) arrived in July on furlough from Nigeria, where they have worked under the Sudan Interior Mission. Rev. D. A. Timpany, '32, has entered the Chaplaincy Service and is now sta- tioned at Camp Sussex, N.B. Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Schultz (Marie Timpany, '33) and family are now on furlough from their work in Nigeria under the Sudan Interior Mis- sion. John Crook, '36, who has been labouring in China under the China In- land Mission, is home on furlough. Helena Gibbs, '36, missionary of the Presbyterian Mission Board, has re- turned on furlough from Yunnan Pro- vince, China. Annie Soper, '36, missionary in Peru under the Peruvian Inland Mission, has just returned for a furlough. Emil Gaverluk, '38, has undertaken full-time evangelistic work in northern New England States for the New Eng- land Evangelistic Association. Stephen Robinson, '38, was recently ordained an elder in the Central Presby- terian Church, Brantford, Ont. Helen Dickson, '38-'39, is at her home in Pambrun, Sask., on furlough from her work under the Sudan In- terior Mission. On June 29 William Leaton, '39, was ordained to the Baptist ministry in the Facer Street Baptist Mission, St. Cath- arines, Ont., where he continues as pastor. J. Campbell MacFarlane, '39, was or- dained to the Baptist ministry in Jepson Street Baptist Church, Niagara Falls, Ont. Mr. MacFarlane is the pastor of Glenview Baptist Mission in Niagara Falls. Andrew H. McKenzie, '39, is serving during the summer on the mission field at Holstein, Ont., under the Presby- terian Church. Rev. Stanley Medhurst, '39, has ac- cepted a call to the Baptist Church at Frobisher, Man., and begins his minis- try there on September 1. John D. Craig, '40, received the M.A. degree from Boston University on May 22. Mr. Craig is continuing the pas- torate at the Union Square Presby- terian Church, Boston, and is entering Princeton University in September. R. Maxwell Warne, '40, graduated from the Union Theological College, Vancouver, B.C., on April 20, and re- ceived his B.A. degree on May 12 from the University of British Columbia. On May 19 Mr. Warne was ordained in the Chalmers United Church, Vancou- ver, and he is now the pastor of Queen Charlotte City United Church and the Skidegate Indian Mission in British Columbia. Wm. Molnar, '38-'40, has accepted a call to the Hungarian Baptist Church, Toronto. Rev. Ernest Heal, '40-'4l, has been called to the Parklawn Road Taber- nacle, Toronto. 16 THE BIBLE COLLEGE RECORDER THE JUBILEE CONFERENCE AND REFRESHER COURSE Tuesday, September 19, to Sunday, September 24 Full particulars in inside pages. All friends of the College invited to attend. The College also opens September 19 At the closing exercises of the Mis- sionary and Deaconess Training School of the Presbyterian Church held on April 18, Orra Hunt, '40-'4l, received a graduating diploma. Miss Hunt was awarded a scholarship for general pro- ficiency and the Alumnae scholarship as the student showing the greatest pro- mise as a deaconess. On May 30 Barbara Small, '41, grad- uated from the Salvation Army Grace Hospital, Toronto. Dorothy Loveday, '42, has been ap- pointed deaconess to Central Baptist Church, Brantford, Ont. Robert Arnott, '44, has been awarded the John Stuart Prize in Introductory Greek at McMaster University, Chas. Einwechter, '44, has accepted a call to the Mimico Independent Baptist Church, Mimico, Ont. Isabel Hogan and Christine Makush, both '44, entered the nurses' training school at the Belleville General Hospi- tal, Belleville, Ont., in July. Olive Shell, '44, is completing her course in Linguistics with the Wycliffe Bible Translators at Bacone College, Bacone, Oklahoma. On May 9 George Simpson, '44, was ordained into the Baptist ministry at Benton Street Baptist Church, Kitch- ener, Ont. Rev. Glen Wardell, '13, gave the address of welcome into the ministry. Mr. Simpson will continue his work at the Ajax Baptist Mission. Alice Hilyer, '43, and Phyllis Kalb- fleisch, Gertrude McLaughlan and James Green, all '44, are on the staff of the Toronto City Mission Fresh Air Camp at Bronte. The following students have summer pastorates under the United Maritime Baptist Home Mission Board in N.S.: George Hadley, '43, at Westchester; Ferris Campbell, '44, at Mira, Cape Breton Island; Goldie Blakeney, '44, at Hall's Harbour; Gladys MacLean, '44, and Dorothy Mutch, '45, at Wolfville; Alice Gleason, '46, at Tusket. In addition to the names already pub- lished, the list of workers this summer with the Canadian Sunday School Mis- sion includes the following names: In Manitoba — Hazel Callaghan, '45, Aileen Chellew, '45, Lorecn Wrightson, '45, Edna Clymer, '46, and Dulcie Bell, '46; in the Thunder Bay District — Mary Zimmerman, '30, "Thelma Wild, '43, and Lydia Sorenson, '46; in the Algoma District — Sybil Franklin, '42; in the Peterboro District — Olga Whitmore, '43. MONTREAL ALUMNI CONFERENCE September 27 — October 1 Special Speaker: Principal McNicol For further information phone or write: Denzill Raymer, 169 Third Ave., Ville LaSalle; Rev. Frank Swackhammer, 1699 Graham Blvd., Mount Royal; or Mrs. Dixon H. Gordon, 4089 Westhill Ave., Montreal.