 The Mennonite Brethren Bible Institute (MBBI) began in the South Abbotsford Mennonite Brethren Church in 1936 and was called the South Abbotsford Mennonite Brethren Bible School.In 1943, a suitable building was moved to the South Abbotsford church site and the school was renamed Bethel Bible School.Three Mennonite Brethren churches - South Abbotsford, Clearbrook, and Matsqui - joined to support Bethel, which had 34 students that year.