A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

hurch with three teachers — President H. W. Lohrenz, P. C. Hiebert, and P. P. Rempel — and thirty-nine students. Before the year was over the enrollment reached 102, and three more faculty members were added. A long-cherished dream of many Mennonite Brethren had become a wonderful reality. Early History of Tabor The early aims of the college as stated by H. W. Lohrenz, Tabor's first president, were to offer a liberal arts education in a Christian setting, to prepare young men and women for spiritual leadership in the church, and to provide a program of vocational training. According to Wesley Prieb, present Dean of Tabor College, it was "the special concern of the Association, of the Board, and of the teachers that the school be a seminary of'real Christianity, where the spirit of prayer could prevail, and where souls could become better grounded in the spiritual life." 38 The period from 1908 to 1918 was one of gradual expansion. The academy and the preparatory school dominated the early years of the program. The enrollment steadily increased until it reached 176 in 1920. It was only in 1926 that the college surpassed the academy in enrollment. By 1918 the faculty (for academy and college) had expanded to fifteen and the student body to 200. Influential faculty members during these first years (besides those mentioned above) were D. E. Harder (K.M.B.), B. E. Ebel, H. F. Toews, and A. A. Groening. Proper leadership is of special significance for a small Christian TRAINING FOR LIFE AND SERVICE 271 M<>. Tabor College administration building- Inset: II. W.Lohrenz. first president college. A. E. Janzen gives the following character profile of Tabor's first president: From the very outset . . . the movement enjoyed the outstanding ability, educational preparation, sincere devotion, counsel, guidance and purposeful leadership of a qualified head. The election of H. W. Lohrenz to the first presidency of Tabor College was a formal acknowledgement and recognition on the part of the Board and the constituency that God in His providence had provided one who qualified to focus the educational interests and to harness sufficient support within the Brotherhood to bring into being the long looked-for school. . . . '" Testings and Trials April 30, 1918, was a dark day in the history of Tabor College. On that day the school building and practically all of its contents were destroyed by fire. But it also was the day on which a new and larger college was born. "The ashes were still glowing," according to L. J. Franz, "when the student body, faculty, alumni, local merchants, and interested friends gathered to launch a drive to rebuild the college. By noon the next day they had subscribed 10,000 dollars." 40 A new fire-proof three-story building and a dormitory known as the Mary J. Regier Ladies' Home were built." Two years after the fire, Tabor was once more in its own home. In the meantime classes