CHS Society rejects church “amalgamation” proposal

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This article was published 24/10/2024 (392 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Christian Heritage School (CHS) Society voted at a meeting Monday against continuing discussions on the amalgamation plan proposed by Cities Church, school board president Michel Latreille said.

“After some discussion amongst the society, the motion to reconvene at a later date for a time of receiving feedback and asking further questions of Pastor Ben and the CHS board was defeated,” Latreille said in an email. “This means that no further discussions or actions will be taken to pursue this proposal any further.”

He told the Sun the society rejected the proposal and decided not to revisit it at another meeting.

Cities Church senior pastor Ben Karuhije had announced the amalgamation plan during a recent Vision Night meeting, streamed via YouTube, revealing that the name “Brandon Christian Academy, home of the Warriors” had tentatively been picked for a rebranding of the school. The church would take on a leadership role while maintaining separate entities, with the church appointing members to the school’s governing board.

If the CHS Society voted against the amalgamation, Karuhije had said before Monday’s meeting, the church would still move forward with an education initiative, launching its “church-based school pilot program possibly in the fall of 2026.”

Despite the rejection of the amalgamation plan, Latreille said the board is still committed to tackling the school’s financial challenges.

“We as the board are still convinced that an ‘all-in’ commitment and alignment from a local church(es) is a promising way forward, and we will work alongside the CHS Society to explore ideas to grow the school,” he added.

Latreille acknowledged the strong community support for the school: “I was very happy to witness the society, passionate parents, and stakeholders rally together around the future plans of our great school.”

He expressed the board’s gratitude to Karuhije and the Cities Church congregation for their support of the school and commended them for “being bold enough” to present the amalgamation plan aimed at promoting excellent Christian education in Brandon.

While no immediate alternative solutions were outlined at the meeting, the president said, the board remains open to forming partnerships that could offer long term support for the school, which has been an integral part of the community for nearly five decades.

Founded by some Christian parents, who sought to instill biblical teachings in their children’s education, on Sept. 8, 1975, Christian Heritage School started teaching 18 students in a duplex on MacDonald Avenue and since has a long history of providing faith-based education to families in Brandon.

The school moved to its current location on 26th Street in 1989 and now offers a kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum that integrates Bible teachings with the standard provincial curriculum.

CHS sets itself apart from other schools in the area by incorporating half-hour Bible classes into every school day, alongside daily chapel services for the entire student body. The school receives 50 per cent of its funding from the provincial government, with the remaining costs covered by tuition fees.

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