St Paul Bible College - Shield Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

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1 1916- 1 heSto1'y e er Rev. and Mrs. J. D. Williams, the founders of the St. Paul Blbla lnstltutu. CMuch of the following materia is taken from an article written by Rev. William Stuart McBirnie an alumnus of the St. Paul Bible Institute.j One hundred years ago there were no Bible Insti- tutes in America - there was no need for them. Frontier colleges and seminaries were yet in their infancy. The swing to liberal theology and sterile methods of Gospel propagation that gave rise to the Bible Institute had not yet taken place. When, however, it became apparent that the de- nominations were turning to modernism, those who vigorously championed the evangelical faith began to see the need of establishing schools that would train men and women with the aim of producing skilful soul winners and warriors that would be mighty in the Faith once delivered. And so it is this thrilling romance of conquest of the hearts of men by the Young Prince of Bethle- hem that is the story of the school that is now called The St. Paul Bible Institute. Listen to its story. It was the year 1916. Spring was in the air, although snow was on the ground-and there was spring in the hearts of Rev. and Mrs. D. Williams in spite of the cold Minnesota winter. The Williams had not been long in Minnesota for it had been only the previous year that the New York Board had appointed Mr. Williams to the Superintendency of the Northwest- ern District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. The Williams fitted well into their new responsibility and the Twin Cities soon became the focal point from which the work might radiate into the sur- rounding towns and states. Suddenly there was a knock heard at tl1e door of the Williams' home. There stood a young farmer, fresh from a quarter section of Dakota farmland. He began by saying- I must preach the Gospel! Teach me God's Word. What could this mean-thefe were no facilities for teaching anyone. But the young farmer would not leave. Weeks passed. Three other men joined the first one. They must have training! But how? There was no place to meet. The situation seemed impossible. But God had a way. He chose to honor a servant of His-a man by the name of New- ton Frost. Mr. Frost opened his home to be used as a meet- ing place for Bible classes - and so the Frost home became the first home of the St. Paul Bible Training School. There were four boarding students that first year. Because the arrangement was only temporary some place must be found that could be permanent, more adequate to meet the demands of the now increasing interest. After a time of prayer the hearts of the group were turned to the consideration of a grazing lot on the corner of Fry and Sherbourne Avenue. It was under a large oak tree on that lot that Mr. Iackson, Uncle Morgan, D. VVilliams and E. C. Swanson knelt in prayer and faith, in full confidence in God. Al- ready, writes Mr. Williams, we are daring to think that perhaps we could here establish a home for Bible training. God answered. On October 12, 1916, a foundation for a school building was laid. When the building activities began there was but S28 in the building fund. God miraculously supplied the need. A friend of the founder wrote one check for 355,000- then another for EB10,000, and yet more from time to time. God was gracious. Then the great day arrived - October 3, 1917. The new training school was opened and Z6 boarding stu- dents, with many iiight class enrollees, made the first real start of the St. Paul Bible Institute. During the first year such luminaries as A. B. Simp- son, Gregory Mantle, Charles Blanchard, Max Wert-

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553+- . Q gif' a.,,awfTP'Xlff'i?r It's been quite a job - this book I mean. Now that it is finished I feel sort of sentimental. The book is dedicated. The advisor is recovering. The stat? is still in bed. And Ilve been thinking. They say that editors may write what they want to in a book. If that is so then I am not taking too great a liberty. It is strange to think of graduating. It is difficult to realize that now we must go on to the work which the Lord has appointed us to - ditlicult yet glorious. All of us seniors will be somewhere in the service of the King next year, which means that most of us will be break- ing our final home ties. Some of us will be leaving those who have prayed for us since we were children, those who have placed their faith and confidence in us as children of the King and servants of the Nlaster. Others will be leaving those who do not know what it is to love the Lord lesus Christ with all their hearts, to walk with Him day by day and know that He will never lcavc them nor forsake them. I t is of these that we think. All of us love our parents . . . but oh, what a stronger bond of lovc there is when our hearts are united in the love of God! And so, as wc leavc the mothers and fathers who have given us such a wonderful heritage, we cannot but express to them our love and devotion, and ask that now they follow us with their earnest prayers that He might use us as witnesses of His grace and love and that young and old alike might learn to know Him as their Savior from sin and as their Coming King.

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T 'Be Forgot en r9.4 -47 heimer, Lion Tucker, WV. M. Turnbull, P. W. Phill- pott, Oswald Smith, and others, visited the school and the new Tabernacle which was opened Iuly 9, 1918 with a capacity crowd of 2,000. Because of these men the school gained more and more recognition. It became necessary in 1919 to add new teachers. Among those added was Ioseph Hogue, the Scotch Irish evangelist, and elderly Mr. Chindler. Harold Freligh, a student of 1917, returned in 1919 as a teacher in which position he remained for 13 years. The first graduating class was, of course, small since only four st-udents had begun as freshmen in that 1916 class. The name of the first graduate is Rev. Ezra Cerig, now nationally known as the pastor of the Church of the Great Commission, Portland, Ore. But now the size of the student body began to grow by leaps and bounds. In 1919 there were almost 50 students, in 1920 over 100, and in 1924, eight years after its founding, 152 students were enrolled. A large chapel, seating 400, and a dining room and kitchen, were added to the school at a cost of El515,000. Many new departments were added to the school. Mrs. Ger- trude Rutenber was added to the faculty as Instructor in Teachers' Training and History, in which capacity she served until 1943 when she became an honorary member of the faculty. One of the sources of inspiration came from the many missionaries who visited the school every year. Then, as now, it proved to be one of the most heart searching and glorious experiences of days at St. Paul. It gave practical results in that between 30 and 40 missionaries went forth from the school in the first 10 years of the school's existence. In 1922, in a period of two months, student activity in t11e Christian work had resulted in 234 souls saved and 948 calls made, and 73,000 tracts given out! Present day students will have to look to their laurels! Then, unexpectedly, a call came from the Annual Council of 1923, which met that year in St. Paul, for Rev. and Mrs. Williams to go to the Philippines to establish a training school for native workers. Wil- liam Christie was appointed as Superintendent for that period of their absence-one year, and Harold F religh accepted the position of Principal, And so St. Paul bade boodbye to a good and great man and his capable wife. Attendance for the next five years held to about 130-150. In 1926 the graduating class numbered 53, the largest yet in the ten years of the scliool's exist- ence. However, the depression years hit hard and the number of students dropped to 80. ln 1929 the num- ber of graduates had dropped to 30. At the depth of the depression the fortunes of the school were at their lowest ebb. The enrollment had dropped to 78 in the fall term. Then in August of 1932, Principal Freligh left the school to take further training in the East. Mr. Freligh's contribution to the school had been great. His Bible teaching left an impact on the lives of all the students and the school felt a keen sense of loss at his departure. Rev. C. D. Strohm, returned missionary from China and the Philippines, was the commencement speaker at the graduating ceremonies for the class of 1932, and the following summer was engaged in missionary conferences throughout the District. Whezi Mr, F religh resigned, the District Committee approached Mr. Strohm, then holding a convention in Duluth, with the call to the Deanship of the Bible School. And so it was that Rev. G. D. Strohm began his work as Dean. Immediately the results of his leader- ship became apparent. The next fall the enrollment was in the high 90's, the second semester there were over 100 and from there the enrollment climbed until in 1946 there were 248 students enrolled in the fall session of the day school and 79 in the night school. Mr. Strohm immediately began the program of restoring the school to the standing of earlier years. He arranged long tours during the summers, and shorter ones during the weekends, to the various The Ent permanent home of the St. Paul Bible Institute- 1635 Sherbourne Avenue.