Winkler Bible School - Morning Star Yearbook (Winkler, Manitoba Canada)

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Hildebrand, Dave Hildebrand, Henry Hildebrand, Laurence Hildebrand, Linda Hildebrand, Martha Hildebrand, Willie Hildebrandt, Jake Hildebrandt, Peter Hoeppner, Frank Huebner, Irmgard Hyde, Clara Hyde, Patricia Lepp, Edward Loewen, Abe Loewen, Aggie Loewen, Anne Loewen, Eva Loewen, Helen Loewen, Helen Loewen, Henry Loewen, Irene Loewen, John Loewen, Rudy Loewen, Ruth Isaac, Leona Isaak, Corny Isaak, Ernie l.saak, Hardy Janzen, Jan zen, Janzen, Janzen, Janzen, Janzen, Janzen, Janzen, Janzen, Janzen, Bernice Clarence Eileen Elsie Esther Henry Margaret Peter Rudy Ruth Kasdorf, Corny Kasdorf, Jake Kasdorf, Mary Kasdorf, Susan Klassen, Adina Klassen, Anina Klassen, Art Klassen, Doreen Klassen, Edward Klassen, Eric Klassen, Frieda Klassen, John Klassen, Linda Klassen, Marlene Klassen, Peter Klassen, Rose Klassen, Ruth Klassen, Walter Kliewer, Marianne Klippenstein, David Klippenstein, Susan Konrad, Esther Konrad, George Konrad, Katie Koop, Eleanor Koop, Frieda Koop, Irwin Krickhan, Henry Kroeker, Ronald Krueger, Frank Labun, Allan Labun, Arthur Labun, Norman Labun, Richard Lenzmann, Edwin Lenzmann, Louella Mann, Leonard Martens, David Martens, Edward Martens, Esther Martens, Harry Martens, Hilda Martens, Irene Martens, Jake Martens, John Martens, Peter Martens, Victor Muller, Magdalene Myron, Tony Neudorf, Jake Neufeld, Arnie Neufeld, Eliese Neufeld, Emma Neufeld, Hertha Neufeld, Kenneth Neufeld, Linda Nickel, Harold Nikkei, Betty Nikkei, Grace Nikkei, James Nikkei, John Nikkei, Lydia Nikkei, Peter Nikkei, Peter Olfert, Milly Paetkau, Amanda Pauls, Erika Pauls, Helga Pauls, Henry Pauls, Jake Pauls, John Pauls, Margaret Penner, Alfred Penner, Alvin Penner, Amy Penner, Betty Penner, Calvin Penner, Dave Penner, Dennis Penner, Doreen Penner, Edward Penner, Erwin Penner, George Penner, Henry Penner, Jake Penner, Kathryne Penner, Lome Penner, Marilyn Penner, Martha Penner, Nick Penner, Ronald Penner, Ruth Penner, Velma Peters, Ben Peters, David Peters, Eva Peters, Henry Peters, Irwin Peters, Ronald Peters, Tony Peters, Walter Poetker, Alfred Poetker, Bill Poetker, Elizabeth Poetker, Mary Poetker, Viola Pries, Margaret Rachul, Ronald Redekopp Jake Regier, Kay Reimer, Alvin Reimer, Belma Reimer, Ed Reimer, Henry Reimer, Jake Reimer, Pete Reimer, William Rempel, Betty Rempel, Elaine Rempel, Helen Rempel, Herbert Rempel, Herman Remple, Margaret Remple, William Rinas, Della Rossol, Hildegard Rcssol, Ruth Sawatsky, Nick Schellenberg, Alfred Schmidt, Martha Schmidt, Victor Schritt, Allen Schroeder, Robert Schulz, Annette Siebert, Helen Siebert, Jake Siebert, Lydia Stobbe, Corney Stobbe, Gertrude Stoesz, Beryl Stoesz, Esther Suderman, Betty Thiessen, Ben Thiessen, Betty Thiessen, Helen Thiessen, Henry Thiessen, Louise Thiessen, Margaret Thiessen, Rudy Thiessen, Waldo Toews, Bruno Toews, Edgar Toews, Esther Toews, Grace Toews, Margaret Trinke, Marjorie Unger, Elizabeth Unger, Lorraine Unger, Ruth Unrau, David Unrau, Esther Unrau, Harvey Unrau, Jake Unrau, Marlene Unrau, Ruth Unruh, Hanneliesel Van der Linde, Jacob Voth, Esther Voth, Gertrude Voth, Helena Voth, Herman Voth, Kay Voth, Maryanne Voth, Ruth Wagenmaker, Antonie Wall, Lillian Warkentin, Elizabeth Wedel, Henry Wiebe, Anne Wiebe, Delores Wiebe, Esther Wiebe, Henry Wiebe, Howard Wiebe, Irwin Wiebe, Margaret Wiebe, Pearl Wiebe, Pete Wiens, Edith Wiens, Helen Wiens, Menno Wiggins, Helen Worms, John Zacharias, Calvin Zacharias, George J. Teigrob, Dave Teigrob, Edward Thielman. Gertrude Thielman, Margaret TOTAL ENROLLMENT FOR EACH YEAR 1925-26 22 1936-37 61 1947-48 95 1958-59 41 1926-27 32 1937-38 100 1948-49 110 1959-60 64 1927-28 40 1938-39 101 1949-50 99 1960-61 62 1928-29 70 1939-40 106 1950-51 101 1961-62 73 1929-30 60 1940-41 103 1951-52 137 1962-63 92 1930-31 52 1941-42 116 1952-53 87 1963-64 69 1931-32 80 1942-43 129 1953-54 80 1964-65 86 1932-33 60 1943-44 113 1954-55 87 1933-34 75 1944-45 63 1955-56 69 Grand Total 3289 1934-35 88 1945-46 105 1956-57 76 1935-36 80 1946-47 131 1957-58 74 13

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J Cistoricci[ Shetch oj the WJinh[er f ihhe School 1925-1965 The first known Bible school mentioned in the Holy Scriptures was established by Samuel around the year 1150 B.C. (I Samuel 19:20). The purpose of that school was to train prophets. The best Bible school was founded by the omniscient teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ. In His school, approximately 1,935 years ago, apostles were trained for the great task of evangelizing the world (Matthew 28:19). Various individuals, denominations, or church bodies have followed the example of Christ and Samuel and have founded schools in order to meet an existing need of equipping spiritual workers for the immense task of making the Gospel known to an unbelieving world, and of establishing the faith of those who have appro¬ priated salvation. In 1918 the brethren in Russia opened the Krimer Bibleschule under the leadership of Bro. J. G. Wiens, and the brethren A. H. Unruh and G. J. Reimer as fellow-instructors. In Canada the formal Bible school movement in the MB Constituency was begun in Herbert, Sask., in 1913, under Bro. J. F. Harms. The founders of these schools clearly realized that no church body can long continue if the fundamental doctrines of the Bible are not implanted in its youth. For the same purpose The Winkler Bible School, “PNIEL”, was organized in Winkler, Manitoba, in 1925, with Bro. A. H. Unruh as founder and first teacher. Closely associated with the school in its beginning were five other brethren, G. J. Reimer, who joined the staff after Christmas of the first year, J. G. Wiens, who commenced teaching in the fall of 1926, and J. B. Dyck, J. A. Kroeker, and A. A. Kroeker, who served as co-directors. These six men, who may be regarded as the founders of The Winkler Bible School, set the tone for the school and drafted its first constitution, dated January 24, 1928. In due course, the school was also officially incorporated. In the fall of 1925, instruction began with 6 students in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Warkentin. The number of students increased to 22, and after Christmas instructions were carried on in two classes. The first concrete action came in the summer of 1926 with the erection of Pniel’s first administration building. This was made possible by the generosity of interested people in a Bible school. The building site was purchased from Bishop Jacob Hoeppner. In the year 1926-1927 the enrollment was 32; instruction was given in 3 classes by 3 teachers. Special stress was laid on the training of young people for the ministry. In regard to the curricu¬ lum, it was decided to adopt the curriculum of the Krimer Bibelschule in South Russia. However, a need was felt for the training of Sunday school teachers in the English language. To meet this need, a call was extended to Bro. A. A. Kroeker, who joined the staff in 1929. The program was now expanded to a four-year course. This extended course of studies created an ever-increasing interest in the school and thus it became an urgent necessity to enlarge the physical dimensions of the school. This project was carried out in 1933, when a second storey was built, and in 1938, when the building was doubled in size, whereby a suitable auditorium and 2 additional classrooms were provided. The number of students had now risen to over a hundred. New impetus was given to the Pniel Bible School through the influence and teaching of the brethren A. A. Unruh, G. D. Pries, A. H. Redekop, H. H. Redekop, and Miss Nettie L. Kroeker. Students, who already had re¬ ceived instruction under Bro. Reimer, were given the opportunity to extend their training under the music directors Ben Horch and Dietrich Friesen. During the course of the years, music instruction was offered privately to interested students by local music teachers. These years were characterized by moderate but steady growth and continuous improvements in curriculum and in quality of instruction. In 1936 The Winkler Bible School sent out students in Summer Bible School work for the first time, under the supervision of Bro. Pries, who directed this work for 10 years. As an outgrowth of this work, and upon the suggestion of Bro. H. H. Redekop, further steps were taken to promote work among the children of southern Manitoba. This led to the building of the Winkler Bible Camp at Burwalde in 1949, of which Bro. G. B. Dyck became the first camp director, and was succeeded by Bro. John Boldt. (This work was passed on to the churches.) The year 1944 was significant in that it marked the transition of the Winkler Bible School from private to conference ownership. The official transaction was made by the Brethren A. H. Uniruh, J. G. Wiens, A. A. Kroeker, A. H. Redekop, G. D. Pries and H. H. Redekop, who transferred the school with whatever spiritual values and material possessions it had to the Mennonite Brethren Conference of Manitoba. The pattern of administration was changed in some respects. The Board of Directors, elected by the Confer¬ ence, consisting of 9 members, assumed the responsibilities which formerly had been borne by its original owners. Brethren who have served as chairmen of this board are: H. S. Voth, H. P. Harder, F. H. Friesen. Simultaneously a change was made in the curriculum. For a number of years the Winkler Bible School had offered a fifth class. Upon resolution of the conference the fifth class of 1943-44 was offered on college level. This arrangement terminated when the conference voted to concentrate the college work in Winnipeg, as Mennonite Brethren Bible College. 15