*Excerpt from Reuban Butchart's "The Disciples of Christ in Canada Since 1830", Chapter 11*
Prince Edward Island furnishes the first attempt at education. At the home of the veteran preacher, Donald Crawford, near New Glasgow, P.E.I., was begun the tutoring of young men in the Bible and the development of such talents as might assist the spread of the reform ideas desired. Its date was conjecturally in the winters of 1870-1875. Crawford built his home amply to provide accommodation for students, which he furnished. Their academic studies were pursued in nearby New Glasgow schools; as student-preachers they came under the influence of a powerful spirit for reform on N.T. grounds. The early pupils were local men--Rufus W. Stevenson, Henry A. MacDonald, and F. T. O. Norton. The first served as Montague's first preacher. H. A. MacDonald was a preacher known in Ontario churches, and F. T. O. Norton became a distinguished Greek scholar and served in institutions in the U.S.A.Â
These men received mainly groundwork in Disciple interpretation which was reinforced abroad. This is the pattern familiar to such schools; the students' alma maters were found in Bethany, Drake, Lexington. Others who followed were Everett Stevenson, G. Nelson Stevenson, also Alex. W. Simpson, who are all referred to appropriately in churches described herein. Robert E. Shaw of New Glasgow, P.E.I. contributes the following: "Crawford's leadership training group did not amount to a college but from it came at least three ministers, three elders, and several others who have contributed much to the life of the Brotherhood in Prince Edward Island" (Letter Sept. 3, 1942).