Our History

Overseas Council for Theological Education and Mission (OC) was founded in 1974 in Greenwood, Indiana, with an initial vision to provide scholarship assistance for students in a theological seminary in Seoul, Korea. A Canadian affiliate, known as Overseas Council Canada (OC Canada), started up in 1979 in Calgary, under the leadership of a group of Alberta businessmen and Dr. Charles Spicer, the founder of OC International in the USA.

While Korea was the initial focus, through the 1980’s and 1990’s OC Canada broadened its vision in response to the needs of Bible Colleges and Seminaries around the world, and by the 1990’s OC Canada was partnering with Overseas Council affiliates in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Europe to provide strategic funding for campus development, libraries, faculty and student scholarships and related programs. William (Bill) Armerding became President of OC Canada in 1993. Under his leadership OC Canada gave particular focus to theological schools in Eastern Europe (newly opened from Communism) as well as the Philippines, Hong Kong, Latin America and the Caribbean.

From June 2003 through the end of September 2012, Dr. Gordon T. Smith served as President. During his tenure, OC Canada was renamed reSource Leadership International (reSource). Gordon brought tremendous experience in academic administration, having served as the Dean of three theological schools, including Regent College in Vancouver.   He was influential in the formation of the Conrad Grebel Theological Seminary in Holguin, Cuba, and the Hanoi Bible College in Vietnam.  Gordon left reSource to assume the position of President of Ambrose University College and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta.  Board member Pete DenHaan was appointed by the reSource board to the position of interim President while the search committee considered the role and requirements of a new president. On March 5, 2013, the board of directors was very pleased to appoint Pete DenHaan as President. Pete brings a wealth of experience in fundraising and capital campaigning along with a passion for God and His work in the majority world.

reSource works closely with partner schools around the world to provide theological education, training leaders for church and society. We are full partners within the “Overseas Council Network”, working closely with our affiliates in Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and the United States, to serve these schools. A historic focus of both the Armerding and the Smith eras was faculty education and library development in the majority world, and these remain at the heart of what reSource is doing in the 21st century.