阿基狄亞大學及神學院簡介 　　　　　　　中文版

A Brief introduction of Acadia University and Acadia Divinity College

Acadia University, Canada
Acadia Divinity College
Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6
Email:adcinfo@acadiau.ca
Web site:http://ace.acadiau.ca/divcol

As early as 1828, Canadian Baptists in Nova Scotia founded Horton Academy for the purpose of training Christians who were called for pastoral ministry, and a "department of pious scholars" was established in 1830. With the founding of what was to become Acadia University in 1838, a Department of Theology came into being in 1852. Until 1932, the School of Theology was put on a more formal footing. Since then many Canadian Baptists did not need to go south to the U.S.A. for theological training. In the past many Canadian Baptist students went south to the U.S. for theological training and were called by various churches there once they completed their training. The founding of School of Theology (Acadia University) was due to a large group of Baptist forefathers who had the vision for spreading the Good News in response to the Great Commission. Quite a few were sent off from the Atlantic Provinces to Ontario and Western Canada. In order to be self-supporting they fished in the winter and farmed in the summer though many of them were learned Christians. They spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ from Atlantic Canada across Ontario and the Prairies to British Columbia. In the Canadian church history they have left many beautiful footprints as the Scripture says: "As you go, preach this message: the Kingdom of Heaven is near" (Matt. 10:7).

　　When Acadia University was organized in 1966, by Bill 76 of the Nova Scotia Legislature, the Board of Governors increased to 36, but the Convention of Atlantic Baptists could only appoint 14 members, so the University was under Provincial control. The School of Theology under the name of Acadia Divinity College was operated by an Act of the Provincial Legislature on June 1, 1968. A special meeting was called on August 31, 1968 on the inauguration of Acadia Divinity College. The Divinity College has its own Senate and exists as the official Seminary of the Convention of Atlantic Baptists. Acadia Divinity College continues as the Faculty of Theology of Acadia University, and the University awards all theological degrees. Acadia Divinity College continues functioning, carrying on its biblical, evangelical tradition and is an accredited full member of the Association of Theological Schools in the U.S. and Canada. Furthermore, Clinical Pastoral Education in Canada was first taught and established at the School of Theology of Acadia University.

　　In 1951, professor of Theology and Pastoral Care the Rev. Dr. Charles Taylor pioneered the Clinical Pastoral Education in Canada on Acadia University and promoted this movement to the Maritime Provinces, which led to the formation of the Institute of Pastoral Training in the Atlantic Provinces. This movement in Clinical Pastoral Education has fully developed today and becomes the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education.