Bruce L. Guenther

Portrait of Bruce L. Guenther

Associate Dean (Langley) and Associate Professor of Church History and Mennonite Studies

604-513-2133
bruce.guenther@twu.ca

Education

B.A., Providence College; M.C.S. Regent College; Ph.D., McGill University; Present Position, 1999-

Mission Statement

As a professor, I strive for excellence both as a competent scholar within the discipline of church history, and as a capable communicator and guide to learning in the classroom. I have a particular passion for helping students to think critically about their faith experience without becoming cynical, to historicize their church tradition without discrediting it, and to recognize the symbiotic relationship in the life of the church between cultural/human forces and the work of the Holy Spirit. Especially satisfying for me are teaching experiences in which professor and students learn from each other, and where learners begin to "see differently" and thereby apprehend a fuller understanding of Christian faith and practice. As a Christian, I strive to support my role as a professor by living a life characterized by integrity, honesty, joy, faithfulness in Christian disciplines (worship, prayer and witness), holiness and humility.

Background

In 1999, Bruce Guenther became the first MBBS faculty appointment within the ACTS consortium at Trinity Western University (Langley, BC). After graduating from Winnipeg Bible College (now Providence College) in 1982, he worked as a staff worker with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in Saskatchewan for four years. The ministry with IVCF nurtured a broader intellectual interest, which led to further education at both Regent College in Vancouver and McGill University in Montreal. Prior to coming to MBBS at ACTS Bruce taught as a sessional lecturer in numerous schools including Briercrest Seminary, St. Andrew's College, University of Saskatchewan, Bethany Bible Institute and McGill University. In addition to his educational credentials and ministry experience, Bruce brings a variety of unique interests, life experience and skills to his position including time spent as a camp director, free-lance writer and researcher, and a farmer. During the past decade he has been actively involved as a lay person in several Mennonite Brethren churches as well as in the larger political arena. Although his initial understanding of the Mennonite story was shaped by his early childhood and adolescent experience as a part of an Old Colony Mennonite family, it was his entry into the Mennonite Brethren denomination in 1994 that helped nurture a keen interest in understanding the evangelical-Anabaptist identity of the denomination. He has been married to Lois Guenther since 1982; they have three children who are full of life and fun: Cameron (born in 1988), Karyn (born in 1989) and Kyle (born in 1994).

Books and Articles

Articles in Journals

  • “’From the Edge of Oblivion’: Reflections on Evangelical Protestant Denominational Historiography in Canada.” Presidential address presented to the Canadian Society of Church History, University of British Columbia, 1-3 June 2008. Revised version in Historical Papers: Canadian Society of Church History (forthcoming in 2009).
  • “Evangelicalism within Mennonite Historiography: The Decline of Anabaptism or a Path Towards Dynamic Ecumenism?” Paper presented at “State of the Art of North American Mennonite History” Conference, 1-2 October 2004, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB. Revised version in Journal of Mennonite Studies 24 (2006).
  • “The ‘Enduring Problem’ of Christ and Culture. ” Direction 34, No. 2 (Fall 2005): 215-227.
  • “The Road Less Traveled: The Evangelical Path of Kanadier Mennonites Who Returned to Canada.” Paper presented at the “Return of the Kanadier: A History Conference on a Migrant People,” University of Winnipeg, 3-5 October 2002. Revised version in Journal of Mennonite Studies (2004): 145-166.
  • “Slithering Down the Plank of Intellectualism? The Canadian Conference of Christian Educators and the Impulse Towards Accreditation Among Canadian Bible Schools During the 1960s. ” Historical Studies in Education 16, No. 2 (2004): 197-228.
  • “’Training for Effective Christian Service’: The Contribution of Covenant Bible Institute in the Life of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Western Canada.” Covenant Quarterly 61, No. 2 (June 2003): 2-26.
  • “’Wrenching Our Youth Away from Frivolous Pursuits’: Mennonite Brethren Involvement in Bible Schools in Western Canada, 1913-1960.” Crux 38, No. 4 (December 2002): 32-41.
  • “The Historical Roots of Bethany College.” Mennonite Historian 28, No. 3 (September 2002): 1-2, 4.
  • “’Monuments of God’s Faithfulness’: Mennonite Brethren Bible Schools in Western Canada, 1913-1960. ” Direction 30, No. 1 (Spring 2001): 21-32.
  • “Populism, Piety and Politics in Western Canada.” Paper presented at the Canadian Society of Church History, University of Alberta, May 2000. Revised version in Historical Papers: Canadian Society of Church History (2000): 93-112.
  • (with Doug Heidebrecht) “The Elusive Biblical Model of Leadership.” Direction 28, No. 2 (Fall 1999): 153-165.
  • “The Convergence of Old Colony Mennonites, Evangelicalism and Contemporary Canadian Culture--A Case Study of Osler Mission Chapel (1974-1994).” Paper presented at the Canadian Society of Church History, University of Calgary, June 1994. Revised version in Journal of Mennonite Studies 14 (1996): 96-123.
  • “The Origin of the Bible School Movement in Western Canada: An Ethnic Interpretation.” Paper presented at the Society of Church History, Carleton University, June 1993. Revised version in Historical Papers: Canadian Society of Church History (1993): 135-173.

Articles and Chapters in Books

  • “Ethnicity and Evangelical Protestants in Canada.” In Christianity and Ethnicity in Canada, eds. Paul Bramadat and David Seljak (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008).
  • “Pentecostal Theological Education: A Case Study of Western Bible College (1925-1950).” In Canadian Pentecostalism: Transition and Transformation, ed. Michael Wilkinson (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, forthcoming).
  • “Mennonites in Canada.” In HarperCollins Encyclopaedia of Religions in Canada, ed. James Beverley (forthcoming).
  • “Rediscovering the Value of History and Tradition.” In Out of the Strange Silence: The Challenge of Being Christian in the 21st Century, ed. Brad Thiessen (Winnipeg: Kindred Productions, 2005), 187-202.
  • “Bible Schools in Saskatchewan,” "Briercrest Schools," “Bethany College,” "Central Pentecostal College," “Mennonite Brethren,” "Evangelical Mennonite Conference," “Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference,” and “Old Colony Mennonites.” In Encyclopaedia of Saskatchewan: A Living Legacy, ed. David A. Gauthier. Regina: Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina, 2005.
  • “’I Want to Become a More Efficient Worker for the Lord’: Mennonite Bible Schools in the Central Fraser Valley.” Paper presented at the “First Nations and First Settlers in the Central Fraser Valley Conference,” University College of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, 5-7 June 2003. Revised version in First Nations and First Settlers in the Central Fraser Valley: 1890-1960, eds. Harvey Neufeldt, Ruth Derksen Siemens, and Robert Martens, 206-228. Kitchener: Pandora Press, 2005.
  • “Evangelicalism.” Encyclopaedia of Protestantism, ed. Hans J. Hillerbrand (New York: Routledge, 2003): vol. 2, 709-711.
  • “John Hunter,” "Ralph Horner," “Alessandro Gavazzi” and “Prayer/Movements of Prayer in North America,” in Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, vierte Auflage, eds. Hans Dieter Betz, Don S. Browning, Bernd Janowski, und Eberhard Jungel (Tubingen: J.C.B. Mohr [Paul Siebeck], 1999).
  • “Living with the Virus: The Enigma of Evangelicalism among Mennonites in Canada.” Paper presented at the Conference on the Canadian Evangelical Experience, Queen’s University, May 1995. In Aspects of the Canadian Evangelical Experience, ed. George Rawlyk (Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1997), 223-240.
  • “Was Canada Ever Christian?” and “How Did We Lose Our Biblical Centre?” Written for Brian C. Stiller as chapters in From the Tower of Babel to Parliament Hill, by Brian C. Stiller (New York: Harper & Row, 1997).
  • “Herbert Beaver,” "Maskepetoon," “James C. Cochran,” "John T. Twining," and “Robert T. Rundle.” In The Blackwell Dictionary of Evangelical Biography: 1730-1860, ed. Donald M. Lewis (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1995).
  • (with Paul Laverdure) “Canada: Religious Development to 1950” and “Canada: Religion in the Contemporary Period.” In Encyclopaedia Americana (1994): Vol. 5, 417-422.
  • “Advocate of the Young.” In Jesus 2000 (London: Lion Publishing, 1989).

Miscellaneous Papers and Presentations

*"ACTS Seminaries Preaching Pastors Survey: Comparative Insights." Presentation at ACTS Seminaries Denominational Leaders Day, 30 November 2007.
*"The Mennonite Brethren and Culture: From Isolation and Ethnic Homogeneity to Acculturation and Multicultural Diversity." Keynote address at the “Culture, Gospel and Church” Mennonite Brethren National Study Conference, 11-13 October 2007, Bakerview MB Church, Abbotsford, BC.
*""Models of Christian Spirituality that have Influenced the Mennonite Brethren." Presentation at BC Mennonite Brethren Conference, 5 May 2007.
* “Evaluating the Impact of the Bible School Movement on Churches and Communities.” Public Lecture for the Mennonite Historical Society of Alberta, Didsbury, AB, 25 November 2005.
*"’Wrenching Our Youth Away from Frivolous Pursuits’: Evaluating the Legacy of Mennonite Bible Schools." Public Lecture for the Mennonite Historical Society of British Columbia, Abbotsford, BC, 5 March 2005.
* “MB History Tour.” A series of four articles in the MB Herald 44, No. 9 (1 July 2005): 9; 44, No. 8 (10 June 2005); 44, No. 7 (20 May 2005); 44, No. 6 (29 April 2005).
* “Americanizing Evangelical Theological Education: The Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges and the Impulse Towards Accreditation Among Canadian Bible Schools During the 1960s.” Paper presented at the American Society of Church History, Seattle, WA, 7-8 January 2005.
* “The Canadian Bible School Movement--Its Story and Significance.” Presentation at Association of Canadian Bible Colleges Conference, 27-29 May 2004, Summit Pacific College, Abbotsford, BC.
* “The Meanings of Membership.” Paper presented at the “Rite and Pilgrimage: A Study Conference on Baptism and Church Membership,” 22-24 May 2003, Winnipeg, MB.
* “Understanding Fundamentalism and the Mennonite Brethren Experience in Canada.” Presentation at BC Mennonite Brethren Conference, 2-3 May 2003, Abbotsford, BC.
* Compiled and edited a collection of papers entitled, Gifts of the Earth An Ecumenical Forum Report and Proceedings. Winnipeg: Canadian Foodgrains Bank, 2001.
* (with John Valk). “The Definition of Religion in Canada.” Position Paper for the Social Action Commission, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, October 1999.
* (with Pat Sonntag, et al.) “Serendipity? A Case Study of Local Collaborative Leadership.” Presentation at Rural Education: Opportunities for Excellence in the New Millennium, Fourth National Congress on Rural Education, 14-16 April 1999, Saskatoon, SK.
* “Populist Models of Christian Engagement in Western Canada.” Paper presented at EFC Consultation on Christian Engagement in a Pluralized Canada, 5-7 March 1999, Toronto, ON.
* (with John Hiemstra) “Gambling: A Bad Bet.” Position paper for the Social Action Commission, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, 1997.
* “The Growth of Christianity in Canada: From New France to Modern Canada,” The Paul R. Waymann Memorial Lecture Series. St. Lambert United Church, 14 October-11 November 1992.
* “Dominion from Sea to Sea: Canadian Evangelicalism in the 1980s.” Paper presented at “Religion in North America” Conference, 01 November 1991, Plymouth State College, New Hampshire.

Reviews

  • Numerous reviews in Fides et Historia, ARC, Religious Studies Review, Crux, Canadian Evangelical Review, ChristianWeek, Mennonite Brethren Herald.

Courses

History of Christianity I
History of Christianity II
The Church in Canada: Retrospect and Prospect
Anabaptist/Mennonite Brethren Studies
The Cultural Character of the Evangelical Tradition
Christianity and Culture Seminar

Research Interests

History of evangelicalism and fundamentalism; history of theological education in Canada; Mennonite history.

At Your Service

All MB Biblical Seminary faculty members are available for preaching and are prepared to lead a seminar on calling out leaders for training and ministry. Bruce L. Guenther will consider teaching classes or seminars on topics in addition to those listed here, please contact him for more information.