The Alliance Journey
The Christian and Missionary Alliance's (C&MA’s) commitment to higher education dates back to the vision of its founder, Dr. A. B. Simpson, who established North America’s first Bible school in New York. This educational emphasis resulted in the addition of two educational institutions in Canada during the 1920s.
A fuller expression of these values led to the founding of Canadian Bible Institute (CBI) in 1941, with an initial class of 50 students meeting in the lower auditorium of the Alliance Tabernacle in Regina, Saskatchewan. Under the direction of the first president, Rev. Blackett, CBI commenced its primary task of training men and women for worldwide ministry and Christian living.
Early growth and the need for a student residence led to relocation in August 1945 to a refurnished hotel in Regina's downtown. In 1949, CBI was chartered by the Saskatchewan government and renamed Western Canadian Bible Institute (WCBI). Continued growth in the post-war years prompted the purchase of a 16-acre site in northwest Regina. Construction began in 1955, with occupancy of the first new buildings in this location on October 1, 1956. WCBI became Canadian Bible College (CBC) of The C&MA in 1957.
The first degree program, a Bachelor of Theology, was initiated in 1959 and CBC was granted institutional accreditation by the Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges in 1961. With these changes came a new name, Canadian Bible College (CBC).
In the late 1960s, in recognition of the growing need for graduate-level ministry training, the College worked to develop a seminary program, which opened with an initial enrolment of twenty students in the fall of 1970. Canadian Theological College was approved as an affiliate of the University of Regina in June of 1973. In 1989, the seminary program was granted full accreditation with the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and became Canadian Theological Seminary (CTS).
A strategic planning process in 1997 envisioned revitalizing the College and Seminary programs and proposed that a Christian Liberal Arts program be added. The plan also called for a renewal of the campus facilities. Work to implement the plan led to the conclusion that a new location would be advantageous and initially a site adjacent to the University of Regina was considered.
A feasibility study investigated various possibilities. Calgary emerged as the location most likely to provide the demographic, financial, educational and legislative environment conducive to pursuit of the CBC/CTS mission. The Board of Governors decided in March of 2000 to relocate to Calgary, Alberta.
When the decision to move to Calgary was made, CBC committed itself to work with the existing institutions of Christian higher education in the area to ensure a smooth transition and to strengthen the witness and contribution to the Christian community in general. Discussions between Nazarene University College (NUC) and CBC began while CBC officials were investigating options for its future location. NUC welcomed full cooperation with CBC and this became one of the strong attractions of relocation to Calgary.
In October 2002, the Boards of Governors of both CBC/CTS and NUC endorsed a memorandum of agreement that would see them integrate their academic offerings, commencing in fall 2003. Collaborative programming offered students a wider selection of programs and courses than could be offered by independent operation. The ultimate goal was the establishment of programs in a full range of academic disciplines, as befits a comprehensive private University College.
In February of 2004, CBC/CTS was approved by Alberta's Minister of Learning to offer Bachelor of Arts degrees accredited by the Private Colleges Accreditation Board. To reflect this broader range of programming, Canadian Bible College/Canadian Theological Seminary changed its name, once again, this time to Alliance University College (AUC).
AUC's School of Ministry offered programs leading to professional ministry within churches and other faith-based organizations. These programs were integrated into the University College and take full advantage of the academic resources of AUC-NUC. The distinctive feature of these degrees was their clear focus on developing skills for professional ministry. An essential part of this ministry formation was field education experience, including an internship for academic credit.
Canadian Theological Seminary continued to be an integral part of AUC, offering ministry and spiritual formation for students who have already earned a bachelor's degree.
AUC and NUC became a single entity in May 2007. Ambrose University College now is the official Canadian school of both the Christian and Missionary Alliance and the Church of the Nazarene. Ambrose also serves the wider Christian community.
With the merging of the university colleges into one entity, the campaign for the new campus, "Seizing Today … Shaping Tomorrow" became a shared project and is now known as the "Campaign for Ambrose."
The new campus was completed in time for classes to begin in September 2008.