“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring” (James 4:14).
Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring (James 4:14).
These words from the book of James took on new meaning for all of us at Heritage College & Seminary on March 13, 2020. That was the day we made the decision to close the Heritage campus.
Before March 13th, the school year had been rich with blessings and milestones. We had celebrated God’s goodness in enabling us to become debt-free, eradicating a 3.7-million-dollar debt. We had been pledged $10 million dollars to build a new home for the seminary. We had seen God’s Spirit working in the lives of many students, moving them to pro-actively bring the gospel to people in the surrounding community.
Then the pandemic hit, and life changed.
Unexpected Changes
On March 13th, we informed the students on campus that residence halls must be closed, and all classes immediately transitioned to an online format. Thankfully, we utilize a cloud-based platform that made the shift from on-campus to on-line possible. I was grateful for the mature way our faculty, staff, and student body responded to the news and made the necessary adjustments. We rejoiced when virtually all students successfully completed the semester. Still, we carried a sense of sadness that graduation ceremonies had to be postponed.
By late spring, like many other ministries and businesses, we were facing serious financial challenges. In our weekly Zoom prayer meeting, our faculty and staff asked the Lord to guide and provide for the school. We sent out a video update to friends of the school and partner churches. They responded with great generosity, even in the midst of their own challenges. We received some government assistance through the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy program (CEWS). We rejoiced when, instead of ending our fiscal year on June 30th with a deficit, we finished with a surplus that helped us through the summer months.
Throughout the spring and summer, we heard that colleges and universities should expect decreased enrolment in the fall—up to 30%. We hoped to do a bit better but still budgeted for a 10% drop in fall enrolment. However, when we relaunched in September, we had a higher enrolment than the previous year. In fact, it was one of the highest in recent years.
We are now in the home stretch of the fall semester. We’ve been able to have a reduced number of college students in residence halls. College courses are offered live on campus, with a livestream option for students who aren’t on campus; seminary courses are all delivered online. While we definitely prefer live, on-campus courses, I’m thankful students are still receiving quality, biblical instruction through our professors.
As I write this update, we are thanking the Lord that we’ve not had cases of COVID-19 on campus. While we continue to follow safety protocols, we realize our ongoing need for God’s protection and grace. As Psalm 127:1 reminds us, “Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”
Unexpected Blessings
While COVID-19 continues to bring significant challenges, we can already see some unexpected blessings. We’ve fast-tracked some technological upgrades that enhance our online effectiveness. We’ve developed new capacities that strengthen our online Master of Theological Studies degree. We are currently upgrading the digital part of our library to better serve students wherever they are located.
The pandemic has also given us time to pause and reflect on what kind of building we should construct as the new home for Heritage Theological Seminary. We are currently in the redesign phase, incorporating insights gained over the past eight months. We hope to proceed with the construction of the building in the coming year.
While much has changed in recent months, the most important aspects of Heritage College & Seminary remain unchanged. We remain steadfast in our confidence in God’s inspired, inerrant Word. We have not wavered in our commitment to Christ, His Church, and His mission in the world. We continue to focus on our mission of partnering with local churches to train pastors, missionaries, and church leaders. We retain a strong sense that the Lord is entrusting Heritage with an expanded ministry assignment.
James 4:14 reminds us how little we know of the future. In spite of this sobering reality, James 4:15 invites us to make plans for the future in full dependence on the Lord: “Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” As Heritage College and Seminary steps into an unknown, uncharted future, we are relying on the One who knows and controls the future.
To learn more about Heritage College or Heritage Theological Seminary, contact us through our website here.
