Introduction

Ladies and Gentlemen, esteemed faculty, beloved students, and honored guests,

It’s my honor to join as we celebrate the academic achievements, personal growth, and spiritual development of our students. Before we hear an exhortation and award our students, I want to take a few minutes to acknowledge where GLBC came from, some of the work we’ve done, and where we’re going.

Where We Come From

I’ve always been interested in stories. When I started working with Great Lakes Bible College, I was eager to hear about its history, and I was pleased when Geoff Ellis shared his 1996 proposal to reactivate GLBC. This proposal followed economic challenges in the early 1990s. Here are some paraphrased highlights from that proposal, and comments on where we’ve come since then:

• Vision: GLBC was initially envisioned as an institution serving the church at the junior college level, emphasizing Bible study.
• Rationale: An opportunity existed for post-secondary Bible education to train future leaders for Christian service. Today, we celebrate students who actively participate in ministry experience credits as part of their local congregation, equipped for Bible Study, personal ministry, preaching, and teaching.
  
• Emphasis: The emphasis was on providing basic coursework in degree programs, with modest resources and personnel.Today, we continue to provide regular undergraduate level courses but also seek to serve in other ways. Last year, we sponsored the Young Adult Weekend at Camp Omagh to deepen young people’s desire for study. In October, we hosted a congregational workshop on practical areas like navigating charitable giving.
  
• Students: An average of five full-time students was considered acceptable, with education by extension as an option using audio, video, and “online technologies”. In 1996, I imagine this meant corresponding by email. Today, many of our students take 1 or 2 classes at a time. This past school year, we served about 50 students, equivalent to about 5 or 6 full-time students. Online technologies are essential for us.
• Facilities: Modest classroom requirements were supplied by the local congregation in Waterloo, with computer capacity and an extensive book library. We’ve been thankful for the wonderful support of the Waterloo Congregation over the years. The hospitality of the church there has been a blessing in terms of space (though our library, housed in a portable, is on borrowed time), and to our students, whom have witnessed warmth and care and loving mentorship over the years. Today, we continue to function because of the good will of congregations that we serve. As you can see, we are hosted in church buildings and living rooms of the church across Canada.
• Funding: A self-funding concept was pursued with modest fees, and hope to be tuition-free for students from the supporting constituency. Today, we’ve collapsed many scholarships to establish our GLBC Sponsorship Fund. In the last two years, we’ve awarded more than 10 bursaries for students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to take classes. We have also had the opportunity to improve our invested funds, drawing on wills, estates and excess operational funds.
• Constituency: Integrating GLBC into the awareness, interest, and involvement of local congregations was a prime objective “… acting as a servant to the church constituency”. Today, nearly 30 years later, the environment has changed, and our congregations look different. About 60 percent of congregations in Ontario have a part-time or full-time minister, but we continue to serve the church in whatever season she finds herself. In recent years some of our students have gone into full-time vocational ministry, but many are simply serving and ministering where they are. The point is they’re involved in serving wherever they find themselves.

Themes and Future Vision

Between the initial plan and today, there’s a story of GLBC as a whole. If we were to keep digging, there would also be the stories of faculty, congregations, and importantly, the students, that have come together to impact and be impacted by GLBC. We would see a deepening appreciation for God’s word, more nuanced understanding of personal mission, and reconciliation to Christ.

Since 1952, 1996, and today, the environment around us has changed in ways we couldn't foresee. The average age of our students has gotten older, the places from where they come has gotten wider, technology has improved leaps and bounds, and shifting societal values have impacted the world around us.

However, throughout her history, GLBC has lived up to that original hope: Acting as a servant to the church. Today, I’m pleased to report that we continue to enjoy God's blessings and provision through the local church, equipping students for impact as part of their local congregation and beyond.

As we look towards the future, we remain steadfast in our mission to provide exemplary education grounded in biblical principles. We will continue to innovate and adapt, ensuring our students navigate the complexities of the modern world while staying true to their faith.



I’m certain that there will be things that we can’t predict, but I thank you for playing your role in the story of GLBC, and more importantly, the stories of, and as, God’s people.

Conclusion

Congratulations to our graduates on their achievements. Your journey has been one of hard work, resilience, and faith. As you step into the next chapter, remember the teachings and values imparted by your instructors and fellow students.

Before I hand things over to our keynote speaker, Art Ford, may I offer this:

As you remain faithful to Him, may God bless you abundantly in your future endeavors. May your story continue to give Him glory.

Thank you, and congratulations once again.