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Revision as of 05:03, 28 October 2020

43°43′31″N 79°20′13″W / 43.72528°N 79.33694°W / 43.72528; -79.33694

Canada Christian College and School of Graduate Theological Studies
TypeBible college
Established1967
FounderElmer S. McVety
AffiliationEvangelical Christian
PresidentCharles McVety (since 1993)
Academic staff
70
Address
300 Water Street
,
Whitby
,
Ontario
,
Canada

43°51′10″N 78°55′29″W / 43.85278°N 78.92472°W / 43.85278; -78.92472
Campussuburban
ColoursRed & black
Websitehttp://www.canadachristiancollege.com/

Canada Christian College and School of Graduate Theological Studies, commonly shortened to Canada Christian College, is an Evangelical Christian Bible college located in Whitby, Ontario, Canada.[1]

History

Canada Christian College traces its origins to Richmond College, which was founded in September 1967 as a Christian liberal arts college by Elmer McVety (1928-1993), Canadian evangelist John Wesley White (1928-2016) who served as chancellor, and his brother, Hugh White, who served as the first dean. The college, which expected to have 100 students in its first year, was originally located on a 7-acre site at Lake Shore Boulevard and Dixie Road leased from the federal government that was formerly a Canadian Army arsenal. Its degree-granting powers were based on a letters patent from Manitoba rather than a provincial charter from Ontario.[2] McVety was "removed from the board" of Richmond College in June 1969 following a dispute but remained chairman of the Canadian Non-Denominational Association for Education and Evangelism, the organization he founded in Manitoba in 1963 under which the college issued its degrees.[3][4] In 1974, the Canadian Non-Denominational Association for Education and Evangelism launched a theological school named Canada Christian College, with classes being held at space rented from McMaster University in Hamilton[5] until 1980,[4] while Richmond College continued to offer arts programs at its campus at Leslie Street and Steeles Avenue. In 1981, when Richmond College closed, custody of student records was assigned to Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia.

In 1982, the right of the Canada Christian College to grant degrees was revoked by the Ontario Ministry of Education.[6] The revocation followed allegations from provincial officials that BA and MA degrees offered by Canada Christian College were "misleading" because they implied a general arts education. They also alleged they were "useless" for further study or teaching jobs in recognized universities and that the religious studies degrees were similarly suspect as the school was not accredited by any recognized religious educational body. At the time, the school had 300 students. According to Elmer McVety, most of the college's courses were prepared by the Christian International University in Phoenix, Arizona,[4] an unaccredited institution[4] whose programs were considered "academically substandard" by the state of Texas.[3]

After having its Ontario degree granting authority revoked, Canada Christian College continued issuing theological degrees under the authority of its Manitoba letters patent. However, in 1991 an official at the Ministry of Colleges and Universities stated that the Canada Christian College's granting of degrees appeared to contravene the Degree Granting Act of 1983.[7] Minister of Colleges and Universities Richard Allen agreed that the college was not authorized to grant degrees and pledged the college would be made to comply with the law and only grant diplomas and certificates.[8] In 1998, the ministry ordered the school to close.[9] That year, a private members bill introduced by Progressive Conservative MPP Jim Brown, sought to grant the institution degree-granting authority in Ontario; the bill died on the order paper without being voted upon.[10][9] The next year, in 1999, Progressive Conservative MPP Frank Klees introduced a successful private members bill (Bill PR-4) securing degree-granting authority for the college in Ontario.[9]

Elmer McVety died in 1993 and his son, Charles McVety, took over leadership of the college.[9] As of 2020, over 6,500 people have graduated from Canada Christian College.[11]

Campus

Beginning in 1979, Canada Christian College rented classroom space in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) building (but had no affiliation with OISE) at 252 Bloor Street West, near the University of Toronto campus, as well as classroom and office space at 5799 Yonge Street in Willowdale.[4][5] In June 1985, Canada Christian College acquired space at 455 Huron Street in Toronto. In 1991, it relocated to a 50,000 square foot facility at 245 Dalesford Road in Etobicoke. In the summer of 1995, the college purchased and moved to a 110,000 square foot campus at 50 Gervais Drive in Don Mills.[5][12] In 2018, Canada Christian College acquired and renovated a new lakefront campus in Whitby, Ontario with an approximately 200,000 square foot building, 600 feet of lakefront and 12 acres of land with a projected value of $43.8 million.[11]

Academic programs

Canada Christian College houses five primary degree-granting departments: Ministry, Sacred Music, Christian Counseling, Business, and Religious Education. Across these five departments, the college offers 14 Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees as well as 3 one-year Certificates (Worship Leadership, Bible, or Christian Counseling). The full list of academic degree offerings is as follows:[13]

Ministry

  • Bachelor of Theology (general)
  • Bachelor of Theology, Creative Pastor
  • Bachelor of Theology, Leadership and Community Development
  • Master of Theological Studies
  • Master of Divinity
  • Doctor of Ministry

Sacred Music

  • Bachelor of Sacred Music
  • Master of Sacred Music
  • Doctor of Sacred Music

Christian Counseling Department

  • Bachelor of Christian Counseling
  • Master of Christian Counseling
  • Doctor of Christian Counseling

Business Department

  • Bachelor of Theology, Business and Communications

Religious Education

  • Bachelor of Religious Education

Korean Department

In addition to the above English-speaking degree streams, Canada Christian College also has a Korean Department offering many identical degrees for Korean-speakers.[14] The Korean Department of Canada Christian College was recently listed by the Korea Research Foundation (a non-profit grant organization supported by the South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism) as the institution offering the 4th most doctoral degrees to Korean citizens living in Canada (the top three are the University of Alberta, McGill University, and University of Toronto; #5-10 (in order) are University of British Columbia, Northwest Baptist Theological College, University of Waterloo, University of Calgary, University of Ottawa, and McMaster University).[15] Moreover, the college also offers new Canadians the opportunity to take ESL courses.[16]

Online Studies

Canada Christian College also has an active online department which allows international students to obtain three of the above degrees and two of the above certificates. Students may complete the Bachelor of Theology, Bachelor of Christian Counseling, Master of Christian Counseling, and 2 one-year certificates (Bible, Christian Counseling) completely online.[17]

Additional offerings

In addition to the five primary degree-granting departments, Canada Christian College has smaller departments which contain core courses for all degree offerings, including the Modern Israel Studies Department and the Executive Leadership Department. Courses housed in these departments include History of Israel, The Jewish Roots of Christianity, The Spirit of Leadership, the Philosophy of Leadership, Servant Leadership, Practical Leadership, and Advanced Leadership Dynamics

Proposal for university status

The college is currently an accredited private degree-granting institution listed by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities and is permitted only to grant degrees "in the field of religious studies and research in higher Christian learning."[18]

In 2020, the government of Doug Ford introduced a bill in the Ontario legislature which, if passed, would give the institution university status with the power to confer Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. Former Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne criticised the proposal, asking, in reference to college president Charles McVety, “Why (would) this government ... extend the mandate of the most publicly and vocally homophobic man in Ontario?”.[19] Wynne stated that “McVety is a man who has repeatedly made vile comments about the LGBT community, about Islam and has propagated hatred.”[20] Ford was accused of giving McVety a quid pro quo and granting the Canada Christian College university status as a reward for McVety's past political support of Ford's leadership campaign as well as of his Progressive Conservative government with Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath alleging "a backroom deal" between Ford and McVety.[20] and Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner saying "This is the most blatant example of political back-scratching in Ford's tenure" and Ontario New Democratic Party MPP Catherine Fife calling the proposal "an attempt to do a favour for a political ally."[21]

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations stated in a letter to Premier Ford that they are "alarmed that your government is intending to discreetly pass legislation that would allow the Canada Christian College to call itself a "university" and award degrees," adding that "The Ontario government should not grant accreditation and degree-granting privileges to institutions that do not meet the anti-discriminatory and anti-hate speech principles outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code,"[21] The government was also criticized for introducing the bill without the Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board having completed review of the college's request to create new Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs or its request to change its name to the Canada University and School of Graduate Theological Studies.[22] Liberal leader Steven Del Duca said “it certainly looks suspicious, which is troubling” that the government would introduce enabling legislation before the college has even been approved by the PEQAB.[20]

Response from Canada Christian College

McVety responded to the objections, saying that “the college, its president, staff, and faculty value all individuals, including the LGBTQ community.” He stated further that “this Ontario legislation is based upon fairness, not favouritism. It is an initiative that does nothing more than correct a systemic problem plaguing some long-standing degree-granting institutions that are called colleges, and not universities."[19]

Speaking about the proposed name change, he stated that “It is unconscionable for students, the majority of whom are visible minorities or new Canadians, to have their hard-earned Bachelor, Master and Doctoral degrees marginalized due to outdated naming practices.”[23]

Concerning political opposition, he said that “it is sad that the NDP and MPP Kathleen Wynne would recklessly damage the lives of hundreds of students and thousands of graduates with mindless, hateful name calling, all while reading directly from a disreputable source, Wikipedia.”[19]

Past controversies

The president of the college, Charles McVety has a history of making controversial remarks regarding homosexuality and Islam.[24] In 2019, Canada Christian College organized a protest in support of Chick-fil-A amid its controversial relationship with LGBT people.[25]

Department of Jewish Studies

In 1991, the college was the subject of complaints by the Canadian Jewish Congress for its plans to have a "Jewish studies" department which, it was alleged, would teaching classes meant to train students to convert Jews to Christianity. Bernie Farber of the CJC said of the college "We will take on any group whose aim is to destroy Judaism, philosophically, spiritually or directly." Rev. Malvern Jacobs and Rev. Edward Brotsky were the dean and vice-dean of the new department and were described as messianic Jews.[26] Jacobs later served as dean of Canada Christian College.[27]

In 1998, the Canadian Jewish Congress opposed a private members bill that would have conferred degree-granting status on Canada Christian College alleged the college's Jewish Studies Department had been promoting the proselytization of Jews. The CJC withdrew its opposition after the college agreed to disband the department.[9][10] McVety told Canadian Jewish News, "We want to make it very clear that the Canada Christian College does not approve of or engage in any process to convert Jews to Christianity."[28]

In 2003, McVety joined with B'nai Brith to participate in its countermissionary campaign and voiced his opposition to groups such as Jews for Jesus.[29] "As a committed Christian I support the idea of preaching Christianity, but preaching Christianity under the guise of Judaism to those who are in fact seeking Judaism, is plainly wrong," said McVety.[30]

In 2008, Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B'nai Brith Canada, was appointed the Chair of the newly inaugurated Department of Modern Israel Studies; he was promoted to dean in 2015 and remained with the college until 2019.[31]

College president Charles McVety is national chairman of Christians United for Israel - Canada, a pro-Israel advocacy organization and the Canadian affiliate of the American Christian Zionist organization led by John Hagee.[32] The college also houses the Canadian seminary outreach program of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, one of the foremost humanitarian organizations operating in the Middle East.

Muslims

In 2011, Canada Christian College invited and hosted Geert Wilders, an anti-Islam politician[33] who has called for the banning of the Koran. During his speech, Wilders said that moderate Islam does not exist,[34] and that Canadian Muslims were a danger to democracy.[35]

Charles McVety, president of the Canada Christian College, has said,

Islam is not just a religion, it’s a political and cultural system as well and we know that Christians, Jews and Hindus don’t have the same mandate for a hostile takeover.[33]

The Toronto Muslim community rejected the above comment, stating they had no intention of any hostile takeover.[33] Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations also expressed concern at the remarks made by McVety.[36]

In December 2017, the auditorium of Canada Christian College was rented to host Pamela Geller, who is known for her anti-Muslim views, to speak at an event.[37][38]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Canada Christian College". Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Evangelicals split over new college", Toronto Daily Star, 18 Mar 1967: 12.
  3. ^ a b "Religious group sued", Toronto Star (1971-2009); Toronto, Ontario, 27 Apr 1977: A5.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Bible college may lose its right to give degrees", Toronto Star, August 12, 1982, pgs A1 and A8 (retrieved via ProQuest)
  5. ^ a b c https://web.archive.org/web/20000528110158/http://www.canadachristiancollege.com/history.htm
  6. ^ Williams, Robert (October 20, 2020). "Canada Christian College president Charles McVety. WATERLOO REGION NDP calls proposed university accreditation for Christian college a 'political favour' from Ford". Kitchener-Waterloo Record. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  7. ^ "Jews question status of college", Toronto Star (1971-2009); Toronto, Ontario [Toronto, Ontario]30 Nov 1991: A10.
  8. ^ "Canadian Jewish Congress worried over bill that would upgrade status of Bible college [to academic degree-granting institution]", Csillag, Ron. Canadian Jewish News; Don Mills, Ont. [Don Mills, Ont]19 Nov 1998: 3.
  9. ^ a b c d e McDonald, Marci (December 5, 2006). "Stephen Harper and the Theo-cons". The Walrus. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
  10. ^ a b "Canada Christian College drops Jewish studies", Csillag, Ron. Canadian Jewish News; Don Mills, Ont. [Don Mills, Ont]03 Dec 1998: 3.
  11. ^ a b "History | Canada Christian College | Canada Christian College". February 25, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  12. ^ "History | Canada Christian College | Canada Christian College". February 25, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  13. ^ "Departments | Canada Christian College | Canada Christian College". March 9, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Korean Department | Canada Christian College | Canada Christian College". March 9, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  15. ^ "통계정보". dr.nrf.re.kr. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  16. ^ "Faculty | Canada Christian College | Canada Christian College". March 9, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  17. ^ "About | Canada Christian College | Canada Christian College". March 9, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  18. ^ https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-36/session-3/bill-pr4
  19. ^ a b c Benzie, Robert (October 22, 2020). "Tories under fire for granting university status to evangelical college". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  20. ^ a b c Benzie, Robert (October 27, 2020). "Doug Ford accused of 'backroom deal' to reward controversial evangelist Charles McVety". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  21. ^ a b Crawley, Mike (October 22, 2020). "Backlash grows over Ford's move to grant Charles McVety's religious college university status". CBC News. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  22. ^ "How Doug Ford's COVID-19 legislation helps advance his party's agenda". CBC News. October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  23. ^ "McVety won't get special treatment in school accreditation process: Ford". Toronto Sun. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  24. ^ Steven Zhou (December 10, 2018). "Doug Ford headlines Christmas concert with controversial evangelical pastor".
  25. ^ "Christian group plans counter-protest in support of Toronto Chick-fil-A".
  26. ^ McAteer, Michael, "Jews question status of college", Toronto Star, November 30, 1991
  27. ^ van Rijn, Nicolaas, "Jewish cemetery refuses educator's body --- Man rejected because he abandoned faith, rabbis' council rules", Toronto Star, June 28, 1999
  28. ^ Lowes, Carol "Jews for Jesus campaign exposes growing tensions", Christian Week, September 30, 2003
  29. ^ Scrivener, Leslie, "Jewish leaders take on evangelical promoters; Vow opposition to Jews for Jesus 'Fighting them on street corners'", Toronto Star, August 24, 2003
  30. ^ "Jewish and Christian leaders launch countermissionary campaign", Jerusalem Post, August 28, 2003
  31. ^ "A Word from the Dean". Canada Christian College. Canada Christian College. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  32. ^ "https://cufi.ca/zion/". cufi.ca. Retrieved October 20, 2020. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  33. ^ a b c Jessica Hume, Anti-Islamic political leader Geert Wilders comes to Canada, National Post, May 5, 2011.
  34. ^ Ahmed al-Rawi. Islam on YouTube: Online Debates, Protests, and Extremism. Springer. p. 72.
  35. ^ JOHN MICHAEL MCGRATH. "Five stupid things Geert Wilders said during his stay in Toronto".
  36. ^ Ask Federal Leaders to Condemn Anti-Muslim Views of Visiting Politician Geert Wilders Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, CAIR-CAN, May 06, 2011.
  37. ^ ""World's top Islamophobe," Pamela Geller, to speak at Jewish Defence League event in Toronto". Now Toronto.
  38. ^ Bernie Farber and Mira Sucharov. "We must overcome Islamophobia in 2018". Toronto Star.

External links

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