Ogema Bible School
Ogema, Saskatchewan, 1932 - 1935
            The Ogema Bible School was launched in December 1932 and was the first winter Bible school held in Saskatchewan. Following the success of Minton Bible School in July 1931, J.C. Bailey recognized the need for extended Bible study and Christian fellowship for young people on the Canadian prairies. The Ogema Bible School ran for three consecutive terms, and then moved to Radville where it continued under the direction of J.C. Bailey and Wilfred Orr. The winter Bible schools became a permanent fixture on the prairies and led to the formation of Radville Christian College, which is now Western Christian College.
            In September, 1932, J.C. Bailey announced his plans for the Bible school in the Christian Leader, an American periodical. He stated that rates would be very low and invited all interested parties to write to him at Ogema. The Bible School opened in December of that year, and on December 19, 1932, he reported that there were seventeen in attendance for the first week of Bible School. Attendance picked up, and by the end of the session there were twenty-eight full time and seventeen part time students.
          J.C. Bailey was the principal and was assisted by D.W. Dryden Sinclair. The first year, the Bible school was located in the Brock house. A large room served as the classroom, and rows of chairs were set up for the students. The boys usually sat in the back three rows, and the girls sat in front of them. Courses included Old and New Testament, Church history, Homiletics and Christian Evidence. Bailey was a demanding teacher who expected perfection from students when it came to memory work and accuracy in their textual studies. Students received grades for their work, and Bailey created a competitive atmosphere that encouraged students to work hard. Each day the students were anxious to see who managed to make it onto the "Top Five" list.
          Bailey's brother, Cecil, recalls that he was in stiff competition with Claude Perry for a top place in the class. However, Cecil was hindered by his responsibilities at the Bible school. He taught vocal music and how to read shaped notes. He was also responsible for a young man who suffered from epilepsy, which deprived him of sleep each night. In the end, both were bested by Robert Sinclair, who was the valedictorian for the Bible School.
          A "fun night" was organized towards the end of the term, and the staff and students played a game of Bible Geography. The Bailey brothers were team leaders, and each team took turns naming geographic locations that began with the last letter of the name posed by the other team. Cecil recalls that the game was rather competitive, and ended unpleasantly. However, aside from this incident, the Bible school was a success and students enjoyed themselves.
          The students made a yearbook to commemorate their time at Ogema. The yearbooks were made from photo albums, and each full time student had his or her own page. Photos of students were accompanied by handwritten poems, and each student signed his or her own page. A list of visitors was included on the last pages of the album.
           The second session of the Ogema Bible School took place in the winter of 1933-34. As the previous Bible school had been such a success, it was extended from three months to four months in duration, and started in November. J.C. Bailey was the principal of the school and was assisted by Wilfred Orr. Lillian Torkelson taught secular studies alongside the Bible studies. For the second term, the Bible School was moved to an empty building on Main Street, which had been a hardware store. It was a large, two storey building with a large, comfortable classroom and a kitchen and dining area on the first floor. The girl’s dormitory was located on the second floor, and the boys stayed in a nearby house.
           Clifford Anderson, Clifford Elford, George Ilovind and Manley Jacobs rode all the way from Horse Creek, Saskatchewan, in a Bennett Buggy. On the first night of their trip, they camped on the open prairie, and on the second night, they stayed with a family who took them in. On the way, Manley Jacobs shot three coyotes and sold the pelts to pay his tuition. Clifford Elford raised money for his tuition by selling a matched pair ol'Percheron horses to a man in Ogema. Muriel and Evelyn Goodwin paid their tuition with a side of beef, which was sent by their father, Mervin Goodwin.