Pentecostal college embraces change
EDMONTON, AB-Following an intensive year-long process, the Alberta/Northwest Territories District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) gave overwhelming support to a proposal to change the name of the denomination's Edmonton-based Northwest Bible College to Vanguard College.
With a curriculum that features five major tracks of study, Vanguard offers bachelor degrees in theology, religious studies and music ministries as well as several one, two and three-year certificate or diploma programs in disciplines such as youth ministries and missions.
About half of the student body is studying for careers in professional ministry.
"At this point we do not intend to alter anything in our basic curriculum," says college president Stephen Hertzog. "Nor do we feel a need to change the primary mandate of the school, to develop innovative Spirit-filled leaders."
The district approved the name change in February and the school moved ahead on transitional details which are now complete-and ahead of schedule, Hertzog points out.
A new name isn't the only change to impact the school. After 50 years of sharing a building with Central Tabernacle in Edmonton it plans to relocate to a 72,000 square-foot former school building by mid-July.
"We're very optimistic about the move because it places us on a major bus route in a district where there is affordable housing for our students as well as numerous employment opportunities," says Hertzog.
The move also places the college campuse just three blocks from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), a move Hertzog says "bodes well for plans we have to eventually offer courses related to TESOL, languages such as Russian and Mandarin, evening computer classes and other strategies that will improve our university transfer capabilities."
The major changes at Vanguard's Edmonton operations come not long after the college launched another strategic initiative, a branch program in Calgary known as the Calgary Leadership Training Centre (CLTC).
"In the past, several of our Calgary pastors registered their concern that few of their students wanted to go to Edmonton to study at the denomination's school," says CLTC director William Raccah.
"After careful study, five years ago we began offering classes here based on a different educational model than the more traditonal college model that our Edmonton school operates on."
The model adopted by CLTC is one that requires students to be involved on a weekly basis in a local church or para-church organization in the course of pursuing studies related to three tracks of study: leadership, counseling and biblical studies.
"We are structured for our students to be in the classroom three mornings per week," Raccah explains. "We complement that with one week of modular courses off site-say a week of urban ministry in L.A. or Vancouver."
The balance of the curriculum promotes "hands on" experience in local churches or para-church organizations such as The Dream Centre, a housing and job development ministry of First Assembly Church in Calgary.
CLTC granted degrees to its first 18 graduates in April 2003, 17 of which have already been placed in ministry positions.
"We're tremendously gratified by our success to date," says Raccah. "Vanguard's combined enrollment now exceeds 200 full-time students in Alberta's two major cities. Most importantly, our churches are very pleased with the overall impact of the recent changes."
For more information visit www.vanguardcollege.com
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