Index
A Brief History
Victoria University and Theological Education
Relationship of Emmanuel to Knox College
Emmanuel Since Union
Emmanuel College Within the Toronto School of Theology
Emmanuel College and the Association of Theological
Schools in the United States and Canada
Emmanuel College and its Alumni/ae
Senate of Victoria University
Board of Regents of Victoria University
Emmanuel College Council
Emmanuel College came into being in 1928 as a result of the formation of The United Church of Canada in 1925. It continues traditions of theological education established long before that time by Canadian Methodists and Presbyterians.
Victoria University was founded at Cobourg by the Wesleyan Methodists of Canada under charter of King William IV in 1836. Its immediate purpose was to provide higher education free from religious tests, and from its inception it was open to students of all denominations. It was emphatically a church college, however, and the education it imparted was consciously based on Christian principles.
Early Methodist ministers normally secured their theological education by reading assigned books in the saddle. From the outset, however, the church encouraged its candidates to obtain a good education, and in 1871 a faculty of theology was added. In 1890 Victoria University became a federated member of the University of Toronto. After that time, therefore, Methodist theological education benefited from the resources and shared in the problems of a large provincial university.
Knox College was founded in 1844 as a result of the disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843 over the issue of state control. At this time a number of Canadian ministers and congregations severed their connections with the Church of Scotland and formed a synod of the Free Church to which they gave the name of the Presbyterian Church of Canada. Queen's College in Kingston, which had trained Presbyterian ministers since 1841, decided to remain in connection with the Church of Scotland. The Presbyterian Church of Canada responded by establishing Knox College to educate its clergy.
In 1926, when the property of the Presbyterian Church of Canada was apportioned in consequence of church union, the Ontario legislature awarded Knox College to the non-concurring Presbyterians. Those who entered The United Church of Canada, consisting of the entire board and faculty and eighty percent of the student body, thereupon formed an interim organization known as Union College.
In 1928 Union College united with the Faculty of Theology of Victoria University. The new college took the name "Emmanuel" from the words under the figure of John Wesley in stained glass in the Victoria College Chapel: "The best of all is God is with us." Another factor in this selection was the evangelical and often dissenting tradition of Emmanuel College in Cambridge University.
The Calendar for 1927-28 of Emmanuel's antecedent, Union Theological College, described the College as "an organ by which the Church trains its young men for the ministry and promotes theological learning." Much has changed at Emmanuel since that time. The young men have become men and women, some young and some not so young. The concept of ministry has been broadened to include many forms of Christian witness both through the church and directly to the world.
The United Church of Canada recognizes Emmanuel as one of its theological colleges and contributes towards its support. The College provides instruction in the beliefs and practices of the United Church, seeks to equip students for effective ministry through it, and serves as a centre of worship, theological inquiry and community within its tradition.
Through Victoria University, of which Emmanuel is a constituent college, students share the library, residential and social facilities of a larger institution. The Senate and Board of Regents of Victoria are the principal governing bodies of the College. Matters relating to theological education are the particular concern of the Emmanuel College Council, in which alumni/ae, administrative officers, faculty and students participate.
The University of Toronto, of which Victoria is a federated university, contributes the intellectual stimulus of a wider community of study and makes available the resources of many faculties and departments. A new relationship with the University was established in 1978 when it agreed through the Toronto School of Theology to award conjoint degrees with the T.S.T. member colleges.
The United Church no longer educates for ministry in isolation but cooperatively since 1969 in the Toronto School of Theology. T.S.T. is a federation of seven theological colleges in Toronto and one affiliated college in Hamilton. It is itself fully accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, of which Emmanuel College is a charter member.
T.S.T. offers a full range of professional and academic degrees, each designed for a specific purpose within the framework of theological education. The member colleges in Toronto award their M.Div., M.R.E., M.Rel., Th.M. and Th.D. degrees conjointly with the University of Toronto, under a Memorandum of Agreement between the colleges and the University in effect since 1978. The M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are awarded by the University of St. Michael's College through its Faculty of Theology and the D.Min., M.P.S. and M.T.S. degrees are awarded by the individual colleges.
T.S.T. represents an unparalleled undertaking in ecumenical theological education. Bringing together a wide variety of Christian traditions, this federation offers an exceptional opportunity to study and understand the complexity of the Christian religious experience in an environment that combines academic excellence with preparation for effective ministry. Within this rich environment the purposes of Emmanuel remain what they have always been: education for ministry and the promotion of theological learning.
As a charter and fully accredited member of the Association of Theological Schools we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of education for ministry and theological research. Our standing with the A.T.S. is strengthened by the fact that T.S.T. as a whole has been similarly accredited; thus, the academic standing of Emmanuel graduates is recognized by A.T.S. schools throughout North America.
Emmanuel College has over the years sought to foster continuing relations of mutual benefit with its alumni/ae. Representatives of alumni/ae play an important role in the administration and oversight of College life and programs. The Alumni/ae Association hosts an annual public lecture and banquet and conducts its brief business meeting to coincide with Convocation day each May. It has taken several other initiatives, including development of: the Emmanuel Newsletter; an annual Open House for prospective students, candidates for ministry and interested others; and a fall barbecue, worship service and program for alumni/ae to meet new and returning students and faculty.
Included in the Senate are Emmanuel College tenured faculty, elected students, and alumni/ae. The Senate exercises oversight of Victoria and Emmanuel Colleges within Victoria University with respect to academic matters.
This is the supreme governing body of Victoria University. With its representatives of both Victoria and Emmanuel Colleges and The United Church of Canada, it gives expression to Victoria's status as a church-related institution in the University of Toronto. It is primarily concerned with non-academic matters.
The Emmanuel College Council is composed of faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and students. It deals with matters related to Emmanuel College and reports on other matters to the Senate and Board of Regents of Victoria University.
Return to Index