Accession 2011.019
Title and Physical Description
Swift Current Bible Institute fonds. – 1946-1997. – 1.2 m of textual records.
Administrative History
The Swift Current Bible Institute (SCBI) was founded in 1936 by N. Banmann with the support of leaders of the General Conference of Mennonites in Canada. The Institute was located at 512 Cheadle Street, Swift Current where, over the years, three buildings were erected. They provided administrative and classroom space, dormitories and a teacher’s residence.
The Institute offered training for Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, choir members and conductors, catechism classes and courses in Mennonite history and missions. It operated in winter for about five and a half months, usually with three teachers and support staff.
After the closure of the Rosthern Bible School in 1961, interested students from the Rosthern area were encouraged to attend the Swift Current Bible Institute. The Conference of Mennonites in Alberta decided, in 1966, to amalgamate its Bible School, the Menno Bible Institute in Didsbury, with the Swift Current Bible Institute. Thereafter SCBI was administered by a Board whose members were appointed by the Conference of Mennonites of Saskatchewan and the Conference of Mennonites in Alberta
Land was acquired and architectural drawings commissioned in 1980 for the development of a new campus on the eastern edge of Swift Current, adjacent to Highway 4 and the railway. Construction of the new campus resulted in a temporary increase in student enrolments, but by the mid 1990s it dropped sharply. As a result, the supporting conferences withdrew their support. Efforts to reorganize the school as an independent but conference supported Marpeck School of Discipleship failed, and SCBI was closed in 1996.
Custodial History
The material accessioned as 2011.019 was put into temporary storage in Swift Current after the school was closed. Henry Goerzen, historian of Mennonite Church Alberta (formerly the Conference of Mennonites in Alberta) picked up the records and stored them on his farm. There he divided the fonds into two parts. Material which Henry Goerzen thought related mainly to Saskatchewan was sent to the archives of the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. The remaining material was donated to the archives of the Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta in 2011.
Scope and Content
The fonds only includes material related to the last decades of SCBI’s existence. It includes school constitutions, by-laws, policy statements, board minutes, reports, correspondence, architectural drawings and plans for the new campus, financial and student records, documentation pertaining to the closing of the school, admissions applications, class lists and reports of intern assignments completed by students and staff.
Source of Acquisition
Donated by Henry D. Goerzen
Access Restrictions
Access to student records may be restricted in accordance with Alberta privacy legislation and MHSA privacy policies.
Related Material
Many of the school’s yearbooks are in the MHSA Library. See also the Menno Bible Institute Collection in the MHSA archives. Information on the Mennonite Bible Schools in Western Canada is available in Bruce L. Guenther, “Training for Service: The Bible School Movement in Western Canada.1908-1960,” Ph. D. Thesis, McGill University. See also Bruce Guenther, “The Origin of the Bible School Movement in Western Canada: Towards an Ethnic Interpretation,” Historical Papers, 1993, Canadian Historical Society of Church History (n.p.: Canadian Historical Society of Church History).
File List
Accession 2011.019
Box 1
1 – 1a List of SCBI Files transferred to the Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta Archives – [ca. 1997]
1 – 1b List of SCBI Files transferred to the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan Archives – [ca. 1997]
1 – 2 SCBI Constitution
1 – 3 SCBI Board minutes, correspondence and supporting documents. – 1966-1973
1 – 4 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1968
1 – 5 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1979
1 – 6 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1980
1 – 7 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1981
1 – 8 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1982
1 – 9 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1983
1 – 10 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1985
1 – 11 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1984
Box 2
2 – 12 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1985
2 – 13 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1986
2 – 14 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1987
2 – 15 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1988
2 – 16 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1989
2 – 17 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1990
2 – 18 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1991
2 – 19 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1992
Box 3
3 – 20 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1993
3 – 21 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1994
3 – 22 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. – 1995
3 – 23 SCBI Board minutes and correspondence and supporting documents. 1995
3 – 24 SCBI Joint delegate conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1986
3 – 25 SCBI Conference of Mennonites of Saskatchewan and Alberta annual joint delegate meeting. – 1986-1988
3 – 26 SCBI Joint delegate conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1987
3 – 27 SCBI Joint delegate conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1988
3 – 28 SCBI Joint delegate conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1989
3 – 29 SCBI Joint delegation conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1990
3 – 30 SCBI Joint delegation conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1991
3 – 31 SCBI Joint delegation conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1992
3 – 32 SCBI Joint delegation conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1993
3 – 33 SCBI Joint delegation conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1994
3 – 34 SCBI Joint delegation conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1995
3 – 35 SCBI Joint delegation conference correspondence and supporting documents. – 1996
Box 4
4 – 36 SCBI Conference pastors and leaders. – 1984-1985
4 – 37 SCBI Conference of Mennonites of Alberta correspondence and supporting documents. – 1987
4 – 38 SCBI Conference of Mennonites of Saskatchewan correspondence. – 1987-1995
4 – 39 SCBI Conference of Mennonites of Manitoba. – 1989
4 – 40 SCBI Policy manuals
4 – 41 SCBI Policy manuals. – 1987
4 – 42 SCBI Student handbooks. – 1984-1993
4 – 43 SCBI Community handbook. – 1994-1996
4 – 44 SCBI Architects, construction planning meetings
4 – 45 SCBI Personal resume
4 – 46 SCBI staff meetings. – 1978
4 – 47 SCBI staff meetings. – 1979
4 – 48 SCBI staff meetings. – 1980
4 – 49 SCBI staff meetings. – 1981
4 – 50 SCBI staff meetings – 1986-1987
4 – 51 SCBI staff files. – 1984-1988
4 – 52 SCBI staff lists. – 1995-1996
Box 5
5 – 53 SCBI student list. – 1994
5 – 54 SCBI student lists. – 1976-1996
5 – 55 SCBI student workday lists. – 1981-1982
5 – 56 SCBI Yearbook
5 – 57 SCBI Alumni lists
5 – 58 SCBI Music holdings
5 – 59 SCBI task force Bible education of Mennonite youth Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta. – 1991
5 – 60 SCBI Seminar on wheels
5 – 61 SCBI Marpeck School of Discipleship proposal admin business plan. – 1995
5 – 62 SCBI Marpeck proposal to board and by board of directors by Ray Friesen. – 1994
5 – 63 SCBI Marpeck School of Discipleship by laws. – 1995
Box 6
6 – 64 SCBI Evaluation Committee. – 1985
6 – 65 SCBI Closure. – 1996
6 – 66 SCBI Organization for the future. – 1993
6 – 67 SCBI Board structure. – 1995-1996
6 – 68 SCBI Incorporation and by laws. – 1995
6 – 69 SCBI Appraisal and sale of SCBI. – 1996
6 – 70 SCBI Property development. – 1980-1988
6 – 71 SCBI Finance. – 1997
6 – 72 SCBI Sale. – 1996
6 – 73 SCBI Property and titles. – 1997
6 – 74 SCBI Management Committee. – 1997
6 – 75 SCBI Applications. – 1946-1947
6 – 76 SCBI Applications. – 1947-1948
6 – 77 SCBI Applications. – 1948-1949
6 – 78 SCBI Applications. – 1949-1950
6 – 79 SCBI Applications. – 1950-1951
6 – 80 SCBI Applications. – 1951-1952
6 – 81 SCBI Applications. – 1952-1953
6 – 82 SCBI Applications. – 1953-1954
6 – 83 SCBI Applications. – 1954-1955
6 – 84 SCBI Applications. – 1955-1956
6 – 85 SCBI Applications. – 1956-1957
6 – 86 SCBI Applications. – 1957-1958
6 – 87 SCBI Class lists. – 1946-1958
Box 7
7 – 88 SCBI Intern lists. – 1975
7 – 89 SCBI Intern lists. – 1976
7 – 90 SCBI Intern lists. – 1977
7 – 91 SCBI Intern lists. – 1978
7 – 92 SCBI Intern lists. – 1979
7 – 93 SCBI Intern lists. – 1980
7 – 94 SCBI Intern lists. – 1981
7 – 95 SCBI Intern lists. – 1982
7 – 96 SCBI Intern lists. – 1983
7 – 97 SCBI Intern lists. – 1984