Administrative History

At the 1948 convention of the General Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, a proposal was made to begin a Mennonite Brethren Seminary to train future church workers. In 1955, after years of studies and organization, the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary (MBBS) opened in Fresno, California. The first year of courses were offered at Pacific Bible Institute (now Fresno Pacific University). The following year (1956), the Seminary moved to a six-acre campus on the outskirts of the city.

The Seminary received accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in 1972 and from the Association of Theological Schools in 1977. In 1975, after twenty years of support by the U.S. conference, the sponsorship of the Seminary was transferred to the General Conference of MB Churches. At this time the Canadian and U.S. churches were given equal representation on the board of directors.

In 1995, the B.C. Centre of MBBS began to offer seminary classes on the campus of Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford. MBBS jointed ACTS (Associated Canadian Theological Schools) in 1999 as one of six schools partnering in offering seminary degrees in the consortium on the campus of Trinity Western University in Langley. Then in 2002, MBBS expanded to offering seminary courses also on the campus of Canadian Mennonite University.

In 2010, MBBS divested to separate national seminaries. The Fresno campus became part of the graduate studies program at Fresno Pacific University and was renamed Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary. The Canadian seminary program on the campuses of Trinity Western University (Langley) and Canadian Mennonite University (Winnipeg) became known as Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Canada.

Bruce Guenther became president of MBBS, Canada in 2012, a position he held until 2016. During his time of leadership he successfully secured a charter from the B.C. provincial government in 2013, establishing MBBS, Canada as a fully-accredited degree-granting institution. Mark Wesner is the current president (2016– ).

In 2014, the conference ministries were re-framed as "services" and reorganized around four headings: Building Community, Multiplying Churches, Developing Leaders, and Financial Ministries (renamed Resourcing Ministry in 2016). MBBS fits in the Developing Leaders service.

See (click here) 2016 video describing CCMBC's four services model.

In 2018, CCMBC launched a vision for the collaborative model where the Provincial church conferences worked together to shape and direct the vision and delivery of services across Canada. The result was the formation of the National Leadership Team and the National Faith and Life Team.

See (click here) 2018 video describing CCMBC's vision for a collaborative model.

To view copies of the convention yearbooks, now published every two years, click here.