ST. JOHN’S, NL—The Pentecostal Assemblies of Newfoundland (PAON) has decided to “discontinue its partnership” with Masters College and Seminary (MCS) in Toronto, Ontario.

MCS and its predecessor, Eastern Pentecostal Bible College in Peterborough, Ontario, have been the official training institution of PAON for more than 50 years.

The decision came as PAON members gathered in St. John’s May 31to June 4 for their annual general conference.

Conference delegates voted 80 per cent in support of a resolution to sever their longstanding ties with the Ontario institution. They also “empowered” the PAON’s general executive to find a different theological training institute to partner with in preparing Christian workers for ministry.

The vote accepted the recommendations of a report based on the PAON’s two-year study of MCS’ “fiscal viability” and “the relevance of its training in the Newfoundland and Labrador context.”

The study committee concluded, “MCS cannot survive, given its long-term debt and other problems which the committee deemed systemic and irremediable.” The resolution referred to “insurmountable financial challenges,” and cited recurring deficits, eroding equity and declining enrolments—among others.

It also issued a rebuke to the administration of Masters, stating: “in our experience the governance culture is seemingly impervious to remediation input andinfluence.”

PAON general secretary Clarence Buckle led the discussion of issues raised by the report at the gathering. MCS board chair David Shepherd, who also serves as district superintendent of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada Western Ontario district, answered questions on behalf of MCS.

Calls from ChristianWeek to Shepherd, MCS president Evon Horton and other college spokespersons were not returned. Buckle also declined to comment.

Last February, the Association for Biblical Higher Education (an accrediting agency) placed Masters College on probation, “a period of time, not to exceed two years, after which an institution must demonstrate that specified deficiencies have been corrected.” A July 7 notice indicated Masters “has not exercised its right to appeal to the next level.”