Feller Institute and the Grande Ligne Mission
Thought I would write a few words about the above subject. I have noted on several occasions that Feller Institute was also referred to as being the same thing as Grande Ligne Mission. That is a misconception. The Grande Ligne Mission is quite separate from the school 'Insitute Feller', but Feller did belong to the Grande Ligne Mission. Feller was founded by Madame Feller, and Mr. Rossi for the purpose of filling a void in Quebec, as there were no French protestant schools for the families who converted from Catholicism to the Protestant faith. Feller also served as a place to train prospective pastors who might serve in some of the Quebec French Churches that belonged to the Grande Ligne Mission. My father, along with James Joly, and Emile Boisvert and also Albert Lefrancois, all attended Feller in the mid 1920's and did some theological studies there. This was before the 2nd World War. All three, Rev. Ernest Anex, Rev. James Joly and Rev. Emile Boisvert did go on to become ministers for several of the Grande Ligne Churches throughout Quebec, and of course you all know that Emile Boisvert also was principal at Feller for many years. Rev. James Joly was also Minister of the church at Grande Ligne for several years.
During the War, the government took over Feller to serve as a Prisoner of War Camp for German officers.. However the Grande Ligne Mission, which had its head office in Montreal, and had over a dozen churches throughout Quebec, did continue on. After the War, the government then returned Feller to the Grande Ligne Mission, and it was after much thought and discussion that the school was re-opened. Feller was always under the direction of the Grande Ligne Mission, and you will note that a Ministers was always the principal of the school; even some of the teachers were pastors of the mission. Several ministers also served on the school board, including my father. Feller itself never made any money financial, it always ran in the red, and it was heavily subsidized by the Quebec and Ontario Baptist Federation, but it did serve a purpose through the years. Unfortunately, it did not produce very many new new clergymen for the churches. The only other French Protestant school in the province of Quebec was just outside of Montreal, called Pointe aux Tremble, which was under the direction of the United and Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, but it also closed before Feller Institute. The Grande Ligne Mission still exists but has change it's name to L'Union des Elgise Baptist Francaise back in the early 1960's. I just thought I would put the record straight, and I'm sure that many didn't realize the background of Feller and the Grande Ligne Mission.
Lucy (Anex) Pelly