Laura Hunter is a living reminder of

Transcription

1 FOCUS ON EDUCATION FOCUS EDUCATION FOCUS EDUCATION Educating Leaders to Make a Difference Theological education fosters inquiry, passion, and a sense of holy wonder Laura Hunter is a living reminder of why The United Church of Canada is committed to providing excellent education for its leaders. She went back to school when she was 39, living with a partner, two young children, and a full-time job. Nothing about making such a choice held any logic, she says. Nevertheless, her call brought her to the Centre for Christian Studies in Winnipeg, where she prepared for diaconal ministry. She was settled in 2004 to a three-point pastoral charge in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and now serves as the justice and stewardship minister for Maritime Conference. Theological education helped me to be a stronger person and to live more courageously, says Hunter. For Debra Kigar, another graduate of the Centre for Christian Studies, being courageous and strong in ministry is tied to the ongoing guidance of community. The diaconal and other learning communities that I became part of have become essential and reliable for me to access at any time for resources and support, she says. Life-changing conversations Theological education helped me to be a stronger person and to live more courageously Sometimes this study provides God with the opportunity to call people in directions they did not expect. Robin McGauley graduated from the Vancouver School of Theology in I arrived at VST thinking that my call was to be a worship leader. By the time I left VST I had recognized more fully my gift as an educator which has significantly influenced where I now live out my call to ministry, she says. McGauley now serves as the Program Director at Five Oaks education and retreat centre near Paris, Ontario. Agnes Spence has been around church since she was a child, as she was raised by her grandfather, an ordained minister. While she initially trained as a social worker and With 10 schools and four education centres stretching from British Columbia to Atlantic Canada, the United Church has a strong history in education. Its communities of learning continue to prepare inquisitive and passionate people for lay, ordained, and diaconal ministries. While the shape and the nature of the church is constantly changing, God in our midst and the call of the gospel to love and do justice remains, says Lorne Calvert, Principal at St. Andrew s College in Saskatoon. To study God s presence and will for our time is as important today as ever before. Laura Hunter presents Darren Liepold with a Mission and Service stole made in Maritime Conference.

2 counsellor, in 2004 she felt a strong calling to ministry. Having overcome concerns about time and money, she graduated last April from the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Resource Centre, one of the founding schools of the new Sandy- Saulteaux Spiritual Centre near Beausejour, Manitoba. Spence is now in outreach ministry in Thompson, Manitoba. She says her education provided her with a sense of balance as well as lifelong mentors. Perhaps not surprisingly, our world of increasing secularization and consumerism is also witnessing a growing interest in spirituality and religion. The United Church s theological schools and education centres are responding to this renewed interest. Dianne Crewe, from Newfoundland and Labrador, graduated from the Atlantic School of Theology in April Crewe says, The world is continually changing and the church is not any different. It is through theological education that one can be exposed through lectures, readings, and class discussions to how God might be calling us as a people in our time and place. Through their years of vocational formation and beyond, students learn to have lifechanging conversations about the presence of God in people s lives. John Young, Interim Academic Director at Queen s School of Religion, says, That requires strong theological preparation on one s own part and a commitment to ongoing theological education, both in terms of a regular discipline of reading and conversation with colleagues and in terms of formal continuing education. Emmanuel College in Toronto puts a great emphasis on continuing education for both lay and ordered ministers. Through certificate and degree programs, students are encouraged to critically engage with theological questions facing our church and world. Principal Mark Toulouse explains, Through whatever work they engage with when they leave our halls, we hope our students will live out the meaning of rigorous theological inquiry, contextual analysis, and a commitment to both justice and inclusive practice. At The United Theological College/Le Séminaire Uni in Montreal, where there is a special focus on intercultural and French ministries, Principal Philip Joudrey knows

3 A love affair with the church and the world students will discuss challenging issues and gain a set of important skills. Perhaps more than this, though, he wants students to gain the spiritual capacity to be open to seeing and engaging God s call in their communities to be able to sit with the deepest questions of faith in their lives and in the lives of those with whom they minister. A commitment and a blessing Theological education does not promise to give students all of the answers. Instead, leaders are equipped with the pastoral skills to care for God s people, tools of analysis to name what is true, a deep knowledge of the living biblical story, and a sense of holy wonder. In what is both a summary of why The United Church of Canada remains committed to theological education, and a blessing upon it, Lorne Calvert says he hopes students enter into leadership confident in their skills and understanding, prepared to adapt to and foster change, filled with a passion for justice, deep in their faith, and in a love affair with the church and the world. The United Theological College / Le Séminaire Uni Venez étudier chez nous, dans une communauté étroitement unie, dynamique et bilingue, et obtenez un Certificat en Ministère bilingue, en plus de notre MDiv. Possibilité de soutien financier important. Affilié à l Université McGill et l Université de Montréal et partenaire de l École théologique de Montréal Le Séminaire Uni est un ministère inclusif de L Église Unie du Canada Study with us in a vibrant, close-knit bilingual community and earn the Certificate in Bilingual Ministry in addition to your M.Div. Significant financial support is available. Affiliated with McGill University and Université de Montréal and partner in The Montreal School of Theology UTC is an Affirming Ministry of The United Church of Canada The United Theological College / Le Séminaire Uni 3521 rue Université, Montréal, QC Canada H3A 2A9 (514) (1-888) admin@utc.ca Transformative learning in a dynamic interfaith environment. Programs include: Doctor of Ministry Master of Psychotherapy and Spirituality (Specializations in Art Therapy or Pastoral Counselling) Master of Theological Studies Lay Worship Leader Certificate St. Stephen s College (University of Alberta campus) Edmonton ualberta.ca/st.stephens/

4 A Diverse Network of Schools and Ed Centres Preparing for church leadership is anything but cookie cutter education There was a time when theological education looked much the same whether you were studying in Vancouver, Saskatoon, or Halifax. No longer. The United Church of Canada s 10 theological colleges and four education centres now form a vital network that is educating, training, and growing leaders. But they do not offer a one size fits all approach to education. Each environment offers different learning strategies, courses, and practical experiences. Rather than the traditional classroom format, learning circles are a key element in both the Designated Lay Ministry Program at Calling Lakes Centre in Saskatchewan and at the Centre for Christian Studies in Winnipeg, where students prepare for diaconal ministry. The Aboriginal students attending the Sandy- Saulteaux Spiritual Centre near Beausejour, Manitoba, learn together in the oral tradition of the community sharing circle that long predates recorded history. Students who wish to complete their Master of Divinity degree in two years, instead of the usual three, can do so thanks to an intensive course of study at the Queen s School of Religion. On-campus academic study is not the best fit for everyone, however, either in terms of their preferred learning style, or because family commitments make it impossible for Study Theology at the School of Religion Queen s University Kingston ON Canada Offering programs for ordained ministry, chaplaincy and lay work, as well as academic, research-focussed study of Christianity. Master of Divinity (MDiv) Options for study 24 month (fall, winter and summer ), full-time for 3 years (usually fall & winter), or part-time Master of Theological Studies (MTS) Options for study full-time (4 semesters) or part-time. Generous bursary assistance for students in all degree programs. For more information, visit or contact Rev. Dr. John Young Chair of Theology john.young@queensu.ca x74327 Are we part of your journey? Your journey is leading you toward ordained ministry, chaplaincy, theological reflection or continuing education. Get there with our M.Div., MTS, STM, D.Min., and Diploma programs. Flexible, generous academic programs let you set a course that can be part of your journey. Our new pathway to ordination offers: A four-year integrated program. And salary and benefits during the integrated internship. And a full year of tuition paid by friends of the College. See all the ways we put the and in St. Andrew s at St. Andrew s College Justice-driven education for Christian leadership 1121 College Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0W

5 them to relocate and live without a steady income for two to three years. The five-year Summer Distance M.Div. Program at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax could be ideal for some students. Or perhaps the best option is the St. Andrew s College five-year M.Div. program that integrates online study, residential courses, and months of serving a pastoral charge. The Sandy-Saulteaux Spirituality Centre and the Centre for Christian Studies also offer their own versions of such in-ministry programs of study. Diverse styles and circumstances Learning circles work best for some students, while others thrive listening to lectures. And an increasing number of online courses are being offered that make it possible to learn from home. Regardless of the educational model As much as theological studies promote critical thinking, they are equally about educating the heart. each school or education centre employs, every one of them is focused on preparing women and men for effective leadership and faithful ministry in the world so beloved by God. Their hope is simple: that disciplined learning will equip students to become leaders who are hopeful, encouraging, upholding, valuing, supporting, loving, inviting, and being excited about ministry, says Jody Clarke, Academic Dean at the Atlantic School of Theology. Sarah Chapman was already excited about ministry when she chose to go to AST. She did so for very practical reasons: the college was close to her home and its Pine Hill Divinity Fund offered her full tuition because she was a candidate for ministry. She also loved that it was an ecumenical school and her colleagues would be from United, Anglican, and Catholic

6 Student/faculty retreat at The United Theological College/Le Séminaire Uni, fall backgrounds. Looking back, though, Chapman would choose it again for how it shaped her day-to-day ministry. My education allowed me to dismantle what I believed faith, God, theology, and justice to be, and then gave me the tools to reconstruct my thinking, she says. As much as theological studies promote critical thinking, they are equally about educating the heart. At the Vancouver School of Theology, and The United Theological College/Le Séminaire Uni in Montreal, students are required to have a spiritual director. Karen Bridges, now in team ministry at Robertson- Wesley United in Edmonton, felt this was a key element in her learning. VST was a place to reflect and nourish my own spirituality, Bridges says. In our officially bilingual country, the United Church prepares leaders for ministries in French. Cathy Hamilton was ordained in 2009 after studies at Le Séminaire Uni. She is grateful to the college for motivating her to explore Franco-Canadian ministry. Settled to Christ Church United in Deux-Montagnes, Quebec, where the worship is still in English, her work with the community is predominantly in French. Living in the highly secular context of Quebec, it is important for her to highlight the movement of the Spirit in everyday life. Theological education encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and have the biblical and theological vocabulary to reflect on my experiences, Hamilton says. Your MISSION contributions ANDto the Mission and SERVICE Service FUND of the church support United Church theological schools and education/retreat centres.

7 Many ways to mend the world The network of diverse United Church schools and education centres also offers training in a wide variety of specialized ministries, equipping leaders to work in institutional chaplaincies, community development and social justice, lay worship leadership, youth ministries, restorative and eco justice, rural and urban ministries, music ministries, and healing and teaching ministries. The University of Winnipeg s Faculty of Theology, for instance, offers a masters in Spiritual Disciplines and Ministry Practice. It also recently began a two-year diploma in Indigenous Spiritual and Pastoral Care, designed for Aboriginal students who want to become spiritual care workers in hospitals, correctional facilities, and missions. St. Stephen s College in Edmonton recently developed a new program called Spiritually Informed Art Therapy. One of its students is an Anglican priest from Rwanda looking for ways to help his people live through the aftermath of genocide. Emmanuel College in Toronto offers an especially wide spectrum of basic and advanced degree programs as well as several certificate programs, including the recently developed Canadian Certificate in Muslim Studies. Preparing people for lay, ordained, and diaconal ministries in The United Church of Canada is anything but cookie cutter education. Its creative diversity is a response to the diverse needs of students, ministry contexts, and contemporary Canadian society. This is, ultimately, a diversity with purpose. In the words of Terry Hidichuk, Dean of Theology at the University of Winnipeg, In an everchanging world where people are seeking and yearning for spiritual nurture and knowledge, theological education is one way to empower students to participate in the mending of a broken world. Carrying the wisdom and experience of our elders, we move forward into the future. The Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre A national theological school providing community-based education for Christian ministry for Aboriginal people Contact us at: Box 210, Beausejour, Manitoba R0E 0C0 Phone: Fax: sansau@mymts.net The Faculty of Theology at the University of Winnipeg in the heart of the city in the heart of the country Graduate education offering the following degrees: B.Th., M.Div., MA(Theology), MA(Spiritual Practices), 1 year STM Also a 2 year Diploma in Indigenous Spiritual and Pastoral Care

8 Come away to a sacred place... United Church Education and Retreat Centres welcome you to rest and reflect to be challenged and to grow to seek renewal and tranformation Tatamagouche Centre Five Oaks Centre Calling Lakes Centre Naramata Centre Tatamagouche, NS tatacentre.ca Paris, ON fiveoaks.on.ca Fort Qu Appelle, SK callinglakes.ca Naramata, BC naramatacentre.net