An Open Letter to Say Thank You

Dear friends,

A century-old vision is finding fresh expression.

Thank you.

Christian higher education is undergoing profound change. Across North America, colleges and seminaries are reconsidering how they serve students, steward resources, and prepare leaders for the church.

Thanks to you, over the past two years MCS and Horizon have been able to model a way forward that prioritizes partnership – sharing resources, strengthening programs, and innovating theological education embedded in the local church.

That local church innovation is also a return to our roots.

The PAOC’s first national Bible school opened at Calvary Temple church in Winnipeg, 1925. A decade later, in 1935 Horizon began out of the church in Star City, Saskatchewan, and in 1939 MCS launched in Ontario, operating for the next ten years from church-hosted spaces.

From the beginning, our vision has been with the church, for the church.

Today, that vision is taking fresh shape through Church Hubs: a growing network of Canadian churches partnering to provide accessible, church-based theological education and leadership development. Students can remain rooted in their communities, learn alongside ministry mentors, and put their formation into practice while they study.

Sometimes innovation looks remarkably like remembering who we have always been.

Since MCS and Horizon began working together:

• The Church Hub network has grown from a handful of Prairie churches to more than 30 hubs with active students. More than 80 churches have now formalized partnership agreements.
• Enrolment has grown to over 300 students across our undergraduate and seminary programs.
• Students now join us from Newfoundland and Labrador, the Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.
• Participating churches range from congregations of fewer than 75 people to churches with Sunday attendance exceeding 3,000.
• We’ve expanded our Seminary programming to train leaders, adding Biblical Studies and Psychotherapy to our existing MAs in Ministry Leadership and in Pastoral Counselling, as well as our MDiv.

This renewed momentum has also inspired an extraordinary vote of confidence. Generous donors have stepped up to back a 2-to-1 matching initiative, where every eligible dollar from a new or increased gift unlocks two additional dollars. This triples the impact for preparing future leaders.

But the numbers are not the heart of this story.

Every Church Hub represents a local congregation choosing to help call, form, and send leaders.

Every college and seminary student represents someone responding to God’s call and preparing to serve.

Every dollar translates to fulfilling our mission and keeping costs low for our students.

As Spirit-empowered leaders are formed and sent, churches are strengthened, communities are served, the gospel advances, and darkness retreats.

This is why MCS and Horizon exist: to prepare Spirit-empowered leaders with the church, for the church.

So this is, first and foremost, a letter of thanks.

Whether you have prayed, given, mentored a student, opened your church, recommended someone to us, encouraged our team, or simply continued to believe in this ministry – thank you.

Your partnership has helped MCS and Horizon do more than endure. Together, we are renewing a vision for forming leaders and extending it to churches and students across Canada.

What a privilege it is to serve in this ministry with you.

God is not finished with this work. We look forward with faith and with gratitude to what He will do next.