Booth College

From Sawiki

History Of Booth College

The establishment of Salvation Army universities for training men and women in the science of humanity was proposed by William Booth, The Salvation Army’s co-founder, at the beginning of the 20th century. It would not be until the penultimate decade of the century, however, that this dream would be realized. The Salvation Army, since its inception, has operated Training Colleges for its officers or clergy. There are several such colleges around the world. However, throughout the Army’s first century there was no centre of higher learning devoted to the education and training of the laity.

Because of the vision of Commissioner John D. Waldron and others, the Canada and Bermuda Territory of The Salvation Army announced, on February 16, 1981, that it would establish a college in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Major Earl Robinson was appointed to coordinate a Task Force charged with the establishment of the College and the development of an educational program open to Christians of all denominations and directed particularly to the education of laypersons.

Early in 1982, The Salvation Army purchased a building in downtown Winnipeg as the site for its new College. This building was intended to be a temporary facility. At the same time property was secured near the University of Manitoba for the development of a permanent campus for the College. The dedication of the downtown building and sod-turning at the new property took place in conjunction with the Centenary Congress conducted in Winnipeg in June 1982. That same month Major Earl Robinson was appointed the first President of the College. It was decided that the institution would be called Catherine Booth Bible College, named after the co-founder of The Salvation Army.

Catherine Booth Bible College received its first students in September 1982. Because the temporary facilities quickly proved inadequate for the needs of a growing student enrollment, an adjacent building was purchased early in 1984 for residential accommodation. In 1986 additional office space was secured in order to serve the developing needs of the College. In 1987 the College acquired the present campus at 447 Webb Place in downtown Winnipeg, directly across from the University of Winnipeg. This seven storey structure has classrooms, a chapel, gymnasium, offices, dining room and residential rooms. In 2005 the library was moved to 290 Vaughan, a short two-minute walk from 447 Webb Place, and now serves the needs of both Booth College and the new Winnipeg College for Officer Training.

On August 18, 1983, Bill 52, “An Act to Incorporate The Salvation Army Catherine Booth Bible College” received royal assent after passage by the Thirty-Second Legislature of the Province of Manitoba. The Act provides legal authority for the College’s existence and governance. The Act includes the Constitution and Bylaws of the College and gives the College the power to grant certificates, degrees and diplomas. The Act was amended to change the name of the College to The Salvation Army William and Catherine Booth College, taking effect on May 15, 1997. A further amendment to broaden the degree-granting powers of the College was passed by the Manitoba Legislature and given royal assent on August 9, 2002.

The College was accredited by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges (now the Association for Biblical Higher Education) as a full member in 1991 and in the following year became an Approved Teaching Centre of the University of Manitoba. In 1997 the College name was officially changed to William and Catherine Booth College.

At its 20th anniversary Graduation Exercises on April 28, 2002, Booth College conferred its first honorary degree, a Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa), upon Colonel Earl Robinson in recognition of his role in the establishment of the College and his contribution to the theology of The Salvation Army internationally.

Programs of the College have continued to expand throughout its history. From its early days, officers of The Salvation Army took courses at the College. In 1989 a degree completion program for officers of the Canada and Bermuda Territory was developed. In September 2000 cadets at the Colleges for Officer Training in this territory became Booth College students and were enrolled in a unique Bachelor of Arts program delivered jointly by the Training Colleges and Booth College. In cooperation with the USA Eastern and USA Western territories of The Salvation Army, the College offers Bachelor of Arts degree completion programs for officers of these territories. In January 2001 the College offered its first online distance education course with students from seven countries registered in the course. Course offerings and programs available to students through Extended Learning continue to grow.

As Booth College enters its 25th anniversary year in 2006-2007, it is positioned for continued growth and transformation into a new kind of institution of higher learning. The College now faces the opportunity and calling to serve Winnipeg, Canada, and the world in new ways through new means. Our strategic plan calls for us to grow and transform the present College into a liberal arts institution with curricula that prepare students to have a positive impact in the world. We shall gain wider recognition of the quality of the education we offer. We shall achieve a size that is large enough to offer excellence while intimate enough to have an impact upon every student. Our plan is to offer programs that reflect our core commitments to faithfulness to our Christian heritage, excellence in educational quality, perseverance in the pursuit of truth, and the determination to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. After 25 years, Booth College is on the cusp of realizing William Booth’s dream for the establishment of a university of humanity.

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