Briercrest College and Seminary honoured its past while celebrating the accomplishments of its graduates during commencement last weekend.

A special breakfast was held to celebrate the school’s 80^th anniversary which included a time of remembering and highlighting the roles its past and current presidents have played during their time in office.

John Barkman, Paul Magnus, Dwayne Uglem and Michael Pawelke all shared what their biggest challenges in office were while also reflecting on their greatest accomplishments.

“These men are so wise, so experienced and they have travelled a road we can only begin to understand,” host Moira Brown said after the program. “We need to hear about their journey. We need to understand what it has meant, not only to them and to the school, but how that applies to our journey today. We are sitting on a goldmine … these living leaders.”

Briercrest Board Chairman Glen Werner agreed.

“I think an event like this is great and it is important for us to remember and to respect our history and there is a lot we can learn from our history and often it gets lost,” he said.

“A lot of what directs where we are going to go in the future is based upon where we come from, our culture, our history, our roots. An event like this really in a sense resets us, it is almost like pressing the reset button.”

The commencement ceremony Saturday afternoon saw 127 college and 23 seminary graduates honoured for their achievements.

“We are really pleased watching our graduates walk across the stage to receive their parchment, readying themselves for the next season of their journey and expression of their call as they seek to equip the church and engage the world,” President Michael Pawelke said.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to steward the responsibility we have as educators and we take that stewardship very seriously. So we’re really proud of our students, we’re really pleased for their accomplishments and we’re trusting great things as they step out in faith into the next chapter of their lives.”

Moira Brown, television host for Crossroads television, was blessed by the opportunity to host the program at the 80^th anniversary breakfast.

“The first blessing of this presidential breakfast happened before there was any food or program and in one sense it could have continued without the food or the program - and that was the fellowship,” she said.

She appreciated seeing the alumni, staff and students returning for commencement, and meeting some people that she had not seen since she left here in 1988.

“There wasn’t enough time to catch up with everyone. It was rich and truly I just felt like weeping before we ever said good morning,” Brown said. “Just everything was a hug from heaven.”

Having the four presidents sharing their thoughts on stage was especially moving for Brown.

“This was a moment in history,” she said, fighting back tears of joy. “These men are so wise, so experienced and they have travelled a road we can only begin to understand. We need to hear about their journey. We need to understand what it has meant, not only to them and to the school, but how that applies to our journey today. We are sitting on a goldmine and the beauty of seeing these living leaders,” she said, adding that if Dr. Budd and Dr. Hildebrand were still with us they “would have blended in just as warmly.”

She acknowledged that God’s hand was evident in the work of each of the presidents.

“When you look at the whole fabric through the years, individually it was potent, but when you see the whole fabric you start to see the greater work of God. And the brilliance of God in bringing the men He did, when He did.”

“We are part of a wonderful Briercrest family, what an honour and privilege.”