In 1945, forty-four high school students gathered in two rented classrooms at the Mennonite Brethren Bible College under the guidance of a Principal who also served as the fledgling school’s only teacher.
The dream for this new school sprung from within the Winnipeg Mennonite Brethren (MB) churches as parents and church leadership looked for ways to prepare young people for success and opportunities in the changing post-war world.
The previous decades had been difficult, including two World Wars and the Great Depression, made even more challenging for some who had arrived in a Canada as German-speaking refugees.
Within the wide-spread optimism of 1945, Winnipeg’s MB community envisioned a school; accredited education would open doors for their children, while the careful guidance of teachers from within their own community would protect the treasures of faith and the German language.
From this humble beginning, MBCI has grown, persevered, and thrived for more than 75 years. The school has responded to and been shaped by the shifting historical and cultural context over this period, and also by changing attitudes within the school, leadership, and community about how best to prepare students for post-secondary learning and for life. Today – with over 530 students and 65 staff and a community much more diverse than in its early years – MBCI continues to adapt and innovate, preparing students for the 21st century context while building on our original foundation.
MBCI’s first Board of Directors and founding families chose 1 Corinthians 3:11 when establishing the school: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” This commitment remains the same as MBCI provides Christ-centered education for Grades 5-12, focused on learning, growth, faith in Jesus Christ, leadership and community, helping students acquire the tools and develop the character to live a Life Well Learned.
MBCI is a Christ-Centered middle and secondary school, equipping students to learn, love and engage with the world.