Wycliffe Canada: Partnership with Rocky Mountain College

Wycliffe Canada, Rocky Mountain College Sign Memorandum

Oct. 6 /09

Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada and Rocky Mountain College (RMC), both located in Calgary, have signed a memorandum of understanding, which will enable both organizations to work together in equipping people to serve Jesus Christ around the world. This memorandum is the result of seven months of negotiations between the two organizations.

The purpose of the agreement is to help people to be effective in entry-level ministry positions with a global focus; to attain synergies from the cooperative efforts of Wycliffe and RMC working together; and to demonstrate Christian unity between Wycliffe and RMC.

“This is an answer to prayer,” says Wycliffe Canada President Dave Ohlson. “We’re really excited about participating with Christian training organizations here in Calgary that are preparing young people for engagement in cross-cultural ministry that includes Bible translation."

The partnership will benefit both organizations. RMC has a new two-year intensive, practically based global studies diploma program, headed by Prof. Cliff Wiebe, director of intercultural studies. The program is designed to prepare people to serve as part of a team in various intercultural ministry roles.

For its part, Wycliffe has opportunities for learners and needs workers as it pursues its mission of empowering indigenous people worldwide for spiritual, personal and social growth through Bible translation and other language-related ministries. Several tracks in RMC’s global studies programs—in particular the office computer and bookkeeping, project management, and English as a second language (ESL) tracks—provide skills that meet Wycliffe’s needs.

“We’re starting to see some real interest in this two-year global studies program that Cliff Wiebe is leading,” says Dr. Chris Elford, Vice President Academic. “Another feature of the program is an extended overseas mentored practical experience. [The students] will go over and ideally work with Wycliffe partners for several months. It’s also a time of discovery for them to see if God is calling them to missions.”

Wycliffe’s partner organization, the Canada Institute of Linguistics (CanIL), also provides training opportunities that prepare people to serve as literacy interns, language surveyors and language learners. RMC endorses these programs—which also meet Wycliffe’s needs—as suitable for its diploma. This agreement adds these tracks to RMC’s diploma. Later the two-year diploma can be used as a base from which to earn a degree.

“We’re trying to help people who want to get into intercultural service quickly, yet want to be well prepared with a specific skill that is going to be beneficial to the people they are serving,” says Elford. “Wycliffe and CanIL have professional expertise and experience that we want to partner with rather than duplicate. We’re partnering with [them] to give students entry level linguistics skills.”

“When students are in the field doing their internship,” says Wiebe, “if God calls them to stay, I tell them, ‘Don’t come back; we’ll mail you your diploma. If God calls you to stay, He will provide.’"

This newly signed memorandum will continue for a period of three academic years from the date of signing and may be renewed for a further term by mutual agreement between Wycliffe and RMC.