Enrolment Growth at Tyndale Seminary
This year, Tyndale Seminary has one of the largest enrolments in its history. This September, 771 Seminary students have enrolled, which represents a 23 per cent increase in enrolment over the last six years.
“What makes the enrolment increase particularly significant is that it counters the widespread North American trend of declining enrolment in theological schools,” says Dr. Janet Clark, Senior Vice President Academic & Dean of the Seminary. “But what’s more exciting than the enrolment numbers is realizing each one of these students has sensed a call to study and to be equipped for a life of faith and service to God, in whatever form that may take.”
Many factors have contributed to the enrolment growth, including a strong faculty, innovative programming and accessible scheduling and course delivery formats. Tyndale Seminary has been on the leading edge in Canadian theological schools in developing online learning. This fall, there are 262 registrants in online courses.
While walking through the seminary, one is immediately struck by the excitement of these students.
Rosemary Lai and Johnson Wong are both in their first year of the Master of Divinity: Counselling – Clinical Track. “I like how they incorporate Christianity into counselling,” says Johnson, who is interested in becoming a youth counsellor. He is most excited about his Personality Theories course and the skills he will learn that he can then use in the workplace.
Rosemary is also excited for Personality Theories, as well as her Spiritual Formation course. “It’s a class designed to help you seek after God,” she says. “It’s so cool that there’s a class for that.” Coming from a secular university’s psychology program, Rosemary loves how open people are about their faith at Tyndale. Students and professors pray before class and students study their Bibles in the halls. “It’s very different, but also very exciting,” she says. Rosemary was used to keeping her faith separate from her studies at a secular university, but now she has the freedom and opportunity to merge the two.
Mark Wahba, a Master of Divinity: Global Missions and Intercultural Studies student, is happy to be back in class. “What I like about the seminary is that I’m taking all the courses that I will enjoy taking.” He’s also looking forward to digging deeper into how the church can be influential in Toronto. “I’m hoping that what I learn will not only be personal, but also practical so that I will be able to share it with and teach people. That’s what I’m hoping to do – get the teaching so I can teach others.”