This past Saturday, on January 4th, marked Providence’s 95th birthday. I wonder what our founder, Rev. H. L. Turner, would think of Providence now, since he first started the Winnipeg Bible Training School in 1925, and put everything into motion.
Providence has more than 10,000 graduates. We’re not only offering accredited seminary courses, but university degrees in Arts, Science and Business with a wealth of programs such as Aviation, Biology, Communications & Media, Health Sciences, Music, Sociology and Psychology (etc.).
Could Rev. Turner have imagined almost a century later where we are now? Our purpose has remained the same since the beginning – to prepare students to be difference makers in their churches, communities and the world. And our graduates are indeed making a difference globally.
“God continues to bring us students from all over the world who are leaving with greater knowledge and confidence to do the work that God has called them to do,” discloses Stan Hamm, Providence’s Dean of Seminary. “I’ve visited alumni in North America, SE Asia and Eastern Europe and seen firsthand the difference that they are making in their communities.”
Some of Providence’s graduates have gone on to: operate tech startups in Germany, train lab technicians in Kenya, establish a Bible college in Myanmar, teach TESOL in SE Asia, start a counselling centre in Rwanda, work as a journalist and educator in Belize, run a 20-acre wellness center in Texas, minister to victims of sex trafficking in Ontario, and serve in addiction agencies here in Manitoba.
Our graduates are working with organizations such as: the Africa Inland Mission, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Gospel Missionary Union, Native Gospel Ministries of Canada, Operation Mobilization, Royal Canadian Air Force and Wycliffe Bible Translators to name a few. A Providence education prepares students for the careers they’re dreaming about, no matter where in the world it takes them.
Hamm shares that Providence has “a significant global outreach which is especially unique due to our size.” Providence has a lot of unique things to offer. Some of our distinctives include smaller class sizes, a beautiful Southern Manitoba location, strong sense of community and evangelical tradition and faith. Providence offers more than academics but a place to live, learn and belong. Embracing a Christ-centered approach to learning, the gospel narrative is interwoven into classes, friendships and life at Providence as students study and prepare for their careers/lives after graduation.
Seminary Dean Stan Hamm believes that it is God’s faithfulness and our rich history that sets Providence apart from other higher educational institutes. In fact, Providence is one of the oldest post-secondary institutions in Manitoba.
1925 Winnipeg Bible Training School was founded & located on 580 Spence Street
1964 full degree-granting privileges attained
1970 new location at the vacant St. Joseph’s College, a Roman Catholic high school, in Otterburne
1972 seminary was formed
1991 name change to Providence College and Theological Seminary
2011 addition of ‘University’ to our name as we’re granted official university status
2013 Mile Two Discipleship School started
2015 Impact 2020 Campaign launched with a goal of raising $12.5M
2016 Buller School of Business & a newly renovated Welcome Centre opened
2017 Men’s residence, Bergen Hall, burned down
2018 Impact 2020 surpassed its $12.5M goal, and pushed onward to new $14.5M goal
2019 Two new programs – a 2-year diploma in Business Administration and a 4-year science degree in Health Sciences
2020 Construction of the Living & Learning Centre is completed and officially opened to students
As one of the leading Canadian Christian universities, rurally placed and community driven, Providence is uniquely positioned to help transform the aspirations of students into careers that will make a difference for Christ in a changing world. We encourage our current students to forge ahead and follow the footsteps of other Providence graduates who’ve launched into exciting careers in Canada and around the world.
It all starts here. At Providence. Watch our Impact 2020 video below.
