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History of the Christian Teachers’ Association of B.C. (CTABC)
by Johanna Campbell
The CTABC had its inception in 1960 when a group of principals and teachers of fledgling Christian schools of the Lower Mainland met together for the first time to discuss mutual areas of concern, spend time in prayer and rejoice in what God was doing in their classrooms.
Mr. Stadt, one of the pioneer principals who had begun John Knox Christian School in New Westminster (now Burnaby) as well as being the first principal at the John Calvin Christian School in Victoria, opened the inaugural meeting with a word of welcome, prayer and a Bible reading. One of the major concerns of the initial board of the CTABC was to set up a standardized Bible curriculum and a required memory work list, as the minutes of the April 29th, 1961 board meeting indicate.[1]
‘Conventions’ were soon organized for teachers so they could grow professionally, encourage one another and be inspired to continue teaching God’s children. The morning section of these ‘convention’ Saturdays was often devoted to business, while the afternoon offered an inspirational address by one of the local Christian Reformed pastors. These pastors spoke on issues such as the authority of the teacher, education of covenant children and the privilege of discovering God’s creation.
During the summer of 1967, a summer school session for Christian teachers was organized near Vernon, BC, with Dr. Hendrik Hart from the Association of the Advancement of Christian Studies (now Institute of Christian Studies in Toronto) as first lecturer. He spoke to the teachers on the educational theories of John Dewey and included a discussion of curriculum for Christian schools as well. Speakers from this Institute stressed the Dooyeweerdian approach of the fourteen modalities of reality. Creation was filled with God’s laws in every aspect and it was up to the Christian scholar/teacher to discover them. All stressed the integration of faith and learning. It is no wonder that, in 1968, these pioneer teachers started to discuss how to teach all subjects from a Christian perspective; subject committees were set up to that end.
Not only did this professional association come together for fellowship, growth and encouragement, they also began organizing sports days and music festivals for their Christian schools. These educators saw the necessity of educating the whole person, since they saw each child as Imago Dei. Sports days were annual events held at the different Christian schools of the Lower Mainland (Fraser Valley). The music festivals included choir competitions, public speaking, art work and recitation as well as writing of poetry. Adjudication was done by teachers who taught these subjects; the final choir festival and presentations by the winners was held during the evening of the day of the festival. These were exciting days for both teachers and students of these small, but constantly growing Christian schools.
The Calvin Christian School of Victoria was always invited; the Lower Mainland teachers would help defray the cost of ferry travel for the Island teachers (teachers were all very poor; membership in the CTABC was $1.00 per year). The two northern Christian schools (Houston and Smithers) whose teachers belonged to the CTABC, were always prayed for and kept up to date on happenings in the south, but were unable to participate in these two events until much later. Later, Christian schools were established in Terrace, Vanderhoof and Prince George.
Starting in 1963, the Christian Teachers Association of BC met with their counterparts in Washington, USA. (Elementary students from Abbotsford Christian School were sent to Lynden Christian High in the early 1960s). Close cooperation existed among these Christian school teachers and eventually a Convention Planning Committee was established, ruling that conventions were to be held two years state side and two years on the Canadian side of the border.
From early beginnings which showed attendance of twenty-five to thirty teachers in the 1960’s (on a Saturday), these joint conventions have grown to two day affairs with 1200 teachers or more. In 2005, a joint convention was held with teachers from the CTABC and Christian teachers from the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) at Pacific Academy in Surrey, BC. There were two keynote speakers, one from each group, with over 1700 teachers in attendance, the culmination being the singing of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”, celebrating the unity in Christ of all Christian teachers in British Columbia and Washington. Another such joint convention is planned for 2010.
In 1978, the CTABC was incorporated as an official organization through the Society’s Act of BC; in 1992, the CTABC hired its first executive director, Liz Tolkamp. She was followed by Margaret Venema (1995), who was replaced by Johanna Campbell (1996-2007). The current executive director is Peter VanHuizen. From its early beginnings in 1960 this organization has grown to over one thousand teachers who interact in all subject areas, who emphasize professional and spiritual growth, who seek to integrate their faith, learning and teaching and who mutually support one another in all aspects of their work.
[1] Minutes of the Christian Teachers’ Association of BC, April 29, 1961. (Langley, BC: CTABC Archives).
2 CTABC minutes of November 5, 1961.
3 CTABC minutes of March 10, 1968.
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