Spiritual Formation

The Master of Divinity in Spiritual Formation will facilitate the deepening of your love for God and others through the practice of spiritual disciplines, spiritual retreats, personal reflections, and communal worship. This program is geared towards teaching you the transformational process of how to become like Jesus, how to facilitate spiritual growth and discernment, how to hear God’s voice, and how to guide others to learn the same as a Spiritual Director.

Theologically and Practically Based

Upon completion, our graduates find employment in:
● Pastoral ministry
● Para-church
● Spiritual Direction
● Certified Spiritual Director
● Youth Ministry
● Missions
● Workplace settings
● Retreat Coordinator/Speaker
● Christian Education
● Academic/Research

Our faculty will give you a deep and formational learning experience focused on learning how to have a deeper relationship with God in your daily life. Our program explores Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, and Celtic church traditions with a focus on an evangelical perspective on Spiritual Formation. In addition to core academic courses, our program introduces you to off-campus spiritual retreats that integrate silence and solitude, spiritual disciplines, and spiritual exercises.

Internships

Our program includes two semesters of spiritual direction internships as well as courses in: Prayer and the People of God, Protestant Spiritual Traditions, and Finding Your Way: Principles of Spiritual Direction. Throughout the program you will be supervised by Certified Spiritual Directors.

Certified Spiritual Director Preparation

Our program prepares you with the educational requirements to become a Certified Spiritual Director (CSD) granted by the Canadian Council for Professional Certification. The combination of academic study and applied spiritual direction internships gives you the foundation to serve in various ministry or workplace settings.

Program Requirements:

Biblical Studies (5):

[BIBL 0501] Biblical Interpretation: Interpreting and Applying the Biblical Text
[OLDT 0511] Old Testament Theology and History
[NEWT 0522] New Testament Theology and History
One Old Testament Elective
New Testament Elective

Biblical Languages (3):

[NEWT 0321] Elementary Greek I or [OLDT 0611] Hebrew Grammar I
[NEWT 0322] Elementary Greek II or [OLDT 0612] Hebrew Grammar II
[NEWT 523] Greek Exegesis I or [OLDT 0711] Hebrew Exegesis I

Theology (3):

[THEO 0531] Systematic Theology I
[THEO 0532] Systematic Theology II
One Theology Elective

Christian History (2):

[HIST 0561] History of Christianity I
[HIST 0562] History of Christianity II

Ministry Formation (7):

[LEAD 0510] Leadership Development
[MISS 0782] Gospel, Church, and Culture
[SPIR 0700] Spiritual Formation
One Christian Education and Formation Elective
One Pastoral Care or Counselling Elective
[SPIR 0710] Spiritual Direction Practicum I
[SPIR 0711] Spiritual Direction Practicum II

Courses for Major in Spiritual Formation (4):

[SPIR 0609] Prayer and the People of God
[SPIR 0610] Protestant Spiritual Traditions
[SPIR 0601] Finding Your Way: Principles of Spiritual Direction
One other SPIR course

Electives (3)

Note: Those seeking CSD designation must use one of these electives for an additional SPIR course (see CSD program description below).

Total MDiv Courses: 27

» Spiritual Formation Department

Spiritual Formation combines both experience and theory. It invites those who have a desire for God, to practice the spiritual disciplines so they will have a deeper understanding and experience of God. Spiritual Formation concerns itself with one's place in the world. It is interested in renewing one's outlook towards all of life. This will create new structures in life that are based on a biblical foundation.

Program Coordinator

Dr. David Sherbino

Professor of Spirituality and Pastoral Ministry

dsherb@tyndale.ca
416-226-6620 ext. 6741 | Campus: Ballyconnor

BA, University of Ottawa, 1970
BTh, Tyndale College, 1971
MPS, St. Paul University, 1975
STM, McGill University, 1976
Diploma in Ministry, Presbyterian College, McGill University, 1976
Diploma in Spiritual Direction, Pecos Benedictine Abbey, 1976
DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary, 1986
CSD (Certified Spiritual Director), Canadian Council of Professional Certification, 1999
CT (Certified Thanatologist), American Association of Death Educators and Counselors, 2002
FT (Fellow in Thanatology), American Association of Death Educators and Counselors, 2009
CSDS (Certified Spiritual Director Supervisor), Canadian Council of Professional Certification, 2010

Areas of Specialization: Pastoral Counselling, Worship, Spiritual Formation, Leadership, Thanatology.

Dr. Sherbino has been a faculty member at Tyndale Seminary since 1987, serving previously as Chair of the Pastoral Ministries Department, Coordinator of the Worship and Liturgy program and Dean of the Chapel. He is presently coordinating the program in Spiritual Formation. Dr. Sherbino has served in several congregations in Canada and is presently the Senior Minister of Cornerstone Community Church (Presbyterian) in Kleinburg.

A commissioned officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, he served for four years as Regimental Chaplain to the Queen’s York Rangers. A popular speaker and church consultant, he regularly addresses various church and ministry groups in Canada and overseas. He has written many articles for church press publications and has recently published Foundations for Christian Living and Marriage Preparation Manual and Re:Connect Spiritual Exercises to Develop Intimacy with God. His work on spiritual formation has been produced on several videos. Dr. Sherbino is involved in adjunct teaching at various theological schools, including the South Asia Institute for Advanced Christian Studies (India), the Alliance Biblical Seminary (The Philippines), a BGST (Singapore), and at McMaster Divinity College (Hamilton, ON).

Program Faculty

Sandra Broadus

Director, Spiritual Formation Practicum

tasd@tyndale.ca
416-226-6620 ext. 2237 | Campus: Ballyconnor

Biography

BSc, University of Toronto, 1984
MDiv, Tyndale Seminary, 2001
Diploma in Spiritual Formation, 2003
CSD, 2005

Areas of Specialization: Spiritual Direction and Supervision

Sandra is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Tyndale Seminary, specializing in Psychology, Counselling and Spiritual Direction. She is a Certified Spiritual Director, heading up the Spiritual Direction Program at Tyndale Seminary, as well as the TASD Executive. She also has a private practice in Mississauga, where she offers both spiritual direction and supervision.

Spiritual direction is marked by sacred hospitality, as we discern God’s presence and desire for the directee. Sandra lives with her husband of 20 years and 2 teenage children.

Dr. Dennis Ngien

Director,ThM Program

Professor of Systematic Theology

dngien@tyndale.ca
416-226-6620 ext. 2763 | Campus: Ballyconnor

BA, University of Saskatchewan, 1982
MCS, Canadian Theological Seminary, 1984
MDiv, Lutheran Theological Seminary, 1986
STM, Lutheran Theological Seminary, 1988
PhD, St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, 1993

Areas of Specialization:
Systematic Theology, Martin Luther, Reformation Theologies, Christology, Soteriology, Trinity, Medieval Theology.

Dr. Ngien has been teaching at Tyndale Seminary since 1995. He has also taught at the Toronto School of Theology, McMaster Divinity College and several seminaries abroad. He is the author of The Suffering of God according to Martin Luther's Theologia Crucis (1995; reprint 2003 and 2005); Apologetic for Filioque in Medieval Theology (2005); Luther as a Spiritual Adviser: The Interface of Theology and Piety in Luther's Devotional Writings (2007); A Faith Worth Believing, Living and Commending (2008); Gifted Response: The Triune God as the Causative Agency of our Responsive Worship (2008). His articles appear in journals such as International Journal of Systematic Theology, Christianity Today, Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology, Evangelical Review of Theology, Themelios, Heythrop Journal, etc. He runs his Centre for Mentorship and Theological Reflection in Toronto, mentoring pastors and church leaders and assisting churches in advisory and teaching capacities.

Rev. Ray Simpson

Part-Time Lecturer, Spiritual Formation

raysimpson@ca-and-h.demon.co.uk
416-226-6620 ext. 0 | Campus:
The Community of Aidan and Hilda

Biography

Ray Simpson is the founding guardian of the international Community of Aidan and Hilda and the principal tutor of its Celtic Christian Studies programme. He lives on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, UK, where many pilgrims find rich resources at the Community's Open Gate Retreat House and library. He is a guest university lecturer and has pioneered workshops on Celtic models for emerging churches.

An Anglican priest, he was previously also a Free Church minister in a church plant sponsored by six church streams. A prolific author, his books have sold over 100,000 since his Exploring Celtic Spirituality was first published in 1995. High Street Monasteries: fresh expressions of committed Christianity was published in 2009. He writes a weekly blog on www.aidanandhilda.org

Talk to an Admissions Counsellor

The Seminary Admissions team would be pleased to answer any questions you might have about the application and admissions process, and they are also available to meet with you one on one. We look forward to talking with you.

Applying to Tyndale Seminary

Application Checklist for Full-and-part-time Degree-Seeking Canadian Students (not you?)

Use the following checklist to assist you:

1. ☑ Review our Admission Requirements

2. ☑ Prepare all required supporting documentation*:

Complete our application:

Online Application (Free) or
Download the Paper Application (mail it to Tyndale).

Have your references complete both the Pastoral/Character Reference form and the Academic/Employer Reference form either Online or by paper:

Pastoral/Character Reference Form and Academic/Employer Reference Form
Download the Paper Reference Forms (have references mail the forms to Tyndale)

Request all post-secondary institutions to mail your official transcript(s) directly to the Admissions Office
Complete any Application Supplements if your program is:

3. ☑ Make sure you meet the appropriate deadlines

4. ☑ Confirm and submit your application

Send reference forms and official transcripts directly to:

Tyndale Admissions Office
25 Ballyconnor Court
Toronto, ON M2M 4B3
Canada

*If applicable:

Send your TOEFL and TWE or IELTS scores to the Admissions Office.
Complete and submit your Residence Application and deposit.
Complete and submit Medical Form (this is mandatory for all international students and students applying for residence).

Applications for: DMin Applicants • International Applicants • Occasional Applicants

One Course at a Time

Apply as an Occasional Student, a Letter of Permission Student, or an Audit Student by following the instructions on the Visiting Student Application Form.

Visiting Student Application Form