Master of Divinity Pioneer

On the one hand, existing “inherited” churches need to be helped to become “missional.” That is, they need to understand that their calling is to take part in God’s mission to redeem the world through Christ, and to organise themselves accordingly. This is one half of the mixed economy.

On the other hand, there are places in society—subcultures, geographical areas, and social networks—where there is no church and no Gospel witness, and where existing churches are unlikely to make a connection. In those places, the church needs to nurture “fresh expressions of church,” new Christian communities rooted in the local culture among local people.

This second half of the mixed economy requires a different approach to mission, and a different skill-set in Christian leaders—more entrepreneurial, more adept in relational evangelism, more comfortable in secular culture, and with the ability to start new things.
For some years now, Wycliffe College has been reshaping its programs to prepare graduates for the cultural realities of this era. In particular, we have sought to shape leaders who can work in the first half of the mixed economy and help existing churches turn outwards in mission.

Then, in 2010, the College added a “pioneer stream” to its Master of Divinity to prepare students to minister in the second half of the mixed economy.

Students in the pioneer stream take many of the same courses as other M.Div students, but have additional courses and specialised placements which focus on the distinctive skills they need.

Together, the two streams hold promise of an effective witness to the Gospel in our post-Christian world.

For more information about pioneer training, please contact the Director of the Pioneer Stream, Rev. Dr. Judy Paulsen at judy.paulsen@wycliffe.utoronto.ca

For course requirement see the 2014-2015 M.Div.P Worksheet.

To apply to the MDivP, please fill out our online application.

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Description

• Study the process of theological, personal, and vocational formation.

• Develop professional competencies.

• Grow in your understanding of God and your knowledge of yourself.

Who It’s For?

You want to train for ordained ministry.

Time to Complete

Three years

Details about Completion

• You are encouraged to take the entire program on a full-time basis (four to five courses a term in the fall and spring for three years, plus one or two courses in each of the two intervening summers). 

• There is a minimum requirement of two terms as a full-time student. 

• Note that ordination and employment rest solely with your Church or denominational leadership

Components

• There are three units of supervised field education. Two units are part of academic courses WYF3010H and WYF3030H.

• Each of the courses includes an academic year-long placement requirement of 10 hours per week (September to April).

• In addition there is a summer internship (WYF3020Y) usually lasting a minimum of three months, full-time placement and worth two academic credits.

• It’s possible to complete the internship on a part-time basis over six months. All placements are organized through the Director of Field Education.

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Comprehensive Exams

After 2 years, all M.Div. students will take comprehensive oral and written assessment exams. 

Anglican Master of Divinity Students

Anglican Master of Divinity students must take courses such as Anglican Liturgics & Intro to Anglican Theology. Students from other denominations can take other appropriate courses and electives.

Honours Program

M.Div. students with an average of at least A- in their first year may opt for the Honours degree but must maintain an A- average throughout in order to stay in the program. 

Additional Requirements:

• Biblical language course

• Research paper.

• 2nd year honours colloquium course called "The Image Of God"  which includes an original group research project.

Language Requirements if Preparing for Doctoral Studies

M.Div. students planning to pursue doctoral studies should keep in mind the follwing details about the language requirements:

• Provide evidence of reading competence in one ancient or modern language necessary for your field of research. This can be demonstrated by a two-semester university level courses in the last 4 years.

• If the primary sources of your research is in a language other than English, applicants must provide evidence of compentency in one language and/or reading proficiency in one language. For instance, if you are focusing on a biblical text, you would be required to demonstrate proficiency in Greek or Hebrew, and competence in either the other biblical language or a modern research language.

• You can take language courses as free electives during the M.Div program in consultatino with, and approved by, your faculty advisor. 

(Once admitted, all PhD students will need to give evidence of their research language(s) by taking a TST Language Exam or by passing a TST Language Course before registration in September).