A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

y debt for transportation [Reiseschuld] which they endeavored to pay off as soon as possible to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, which had extended this "credit" to them. The economic problems were accentuated by the general poverty of the settlers and the Depression which overtook them before the transportation debts were paid off. The Depression of the thirties did not only affect the new settlements, but also the older and more established Mennonite Brethren congregations who had extended a helping hand to the brethren from Russia upon their arrival. This economic situation gave rise to a new effort in city missions. Since many girls found employment in cities like Winnipeg, Saskatoon. Calgary, and Vancouver, "Girls Homes" (Maedchenheime) were established in these centers. In some cities "homes" were operated on an inter- Mennonite basis, in others the Mennonite Brethren established their own. Perhaps the best known among the latter is the Mary-Martha Home established in Winnipeg in 1925, in which Sister Anna Thiessen served as matron for twenty-two years." Although these "homes" were not accepted as Canadian Conference projects, they received partial financial support from the conference. 42 The Mennonite Brethren who came to Canada in the 1920s gave new impetus to Bible school education. In a few years the Herbert Bible School, which had been established earlier, had a number of sister institutions. Mennonite Brethren founded Bible schools at Winkler (1925), Hepburn (1927), Coaldale (1929), Yarrow (1930), Gem (1933) and Virgil (1938). These schools, although not administered by the Canadian Conference, enjoyed the moral support of the brotherhood and submitted reports to the annual conferences. The desire for Christian training found expression also in the founding of private high schools. During the thirties these aspirations could not be realized because of the stronger financial base required for such ventures. With improved economic conditions at the end of World War 11, Mennonite Brethren high schools were established in Clear- brook, in 1944, in Yarrow, Winnipeg and Virgil in 1945, and in Coaldale in 1946. Here again the conference did not assume financial or adminis- ORGANIZATION KOR UNITED ACTION 207 Lrative responsibility for these institutions, but gave its moral support Lo these schools. Of greater significance for inter-conference relations was the founding of the Mennonite Brethren Brethren Bible College in Winnipeg in 1944 as an institution for higher theological training of the Canadian Conference. Although a few brethren had through the years gone to Tabor College for such training, it was felt that the Canadian Conference needed its own school to prepare teachers for Bible schools and Christian high schools as well as for the training of workers in expanding home missions programs. Perhaps it is significant that in that same year the conference also publicly exp