The Montreal School of Theology is an ecumenical body consisting of two autonomous theological colleges and a theological program affiliated with one of Canada’s leading universities, McGill University. Students of the School are registered at one of the denominational colleges (either the Presbyterian College or the Montreal Diocesan Theological College). Students in the M.Div. program also have to register at McGill University.
Our Mission
The mission of the Montreal School of Theology is equipping faithful leaders for ordained and lay ministries in the church and the world.
OUR VALUES
We are committed to building a consortium that values:
- Diversity
- Being rooted in one’s own theological traditions
- Building and being part of the larger church of Christ
- Creativity and innovation
- Engagement in the world
- The intersection of scholarship and ministry
OUR VISION
Our vision is to support a faith-based learning community within a collaborative ecumenical partnership, that encourages:
- Biblical interpretation and theological reflection
- Exploration of the Christian faith
- Competency for missional leadership in a changing world
- Integration of learning with life and witness
- Personal faith development and spiritual formation
- Personal integrity and authenticity
- Understanding and respecting the faith of others
- Engagement in the larger society in the Quebec context and beyond
- Inter-disciplinary study
- Life-long learning
We serve students and lay people from various Christian traditions and from around the world. We are committed to building a faculty with strong academic formation as well as ministerial and leadership experience.
Over 100 years ago, in 1914, a major ecumenical initiative in theological education was created in Montreal – we believe it was the first in North America and one of the first two or three in the world.
A group of colleges associated with McGill University came together, under the encouragement of lay business leadership, to provide education to future Christian leaders. These colleges – Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational – kept their own identities, but worked together to provide strong teaching capabilities – it was therefore a consortium, in which even to this day, students can be educated in their own denominational tradition, but with exposure to the traditions of other churches.
Over the years, membership has changed, and until 2022 it included the Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church seminaries. From 2022, there are two affiliated colleges (Presbyterian and Anglican) where the Anglican college offers a United Church Studies program.
The consortium from the beginning has been affiliated with McGill University – students take their first two years of study in the highly regarded McGill School of Religious Studies, and then spend a final year in their own College.
The relationship with McGill has also evolved over the years, with the roles and responsibilities of the various parties most recently clarified and defined in a Memorandum of Agreement signed in 2016.
Building on this unique and successful heritage, the school looks forward to the future with renewed enthusiasm and vigour.
In 2023, the Montreal School of Theology was approved by the Association of Theological Schools to offer the Master of Theological Studies. This professional, 45-credit program is delivered entirely in French and is designed to form and equip persons with a previous undergraduate degree in theology to lead as missional practitioners for the evangelical Francophone context of Quebec.
100th anniversary celebration
The Montreal School of Theology is an ecumenical consortium of theological colleges working in collaboration with the School of Religious Studies of McGill University. The Board consists of the Principals of the Member Colleges, three representatives appointed by each of the Member Colleges, one student enrolled in an MST-degree program appointed by the student body of each Member College, and the Director of the School of Religious Studies.
2025/2026 Board Members:
- Jessica Stilwell (Chair) | Email: [email protected]
- Rev. Dr. Jesse Zink (Honorary Treasurer, Principal, Diocesan College)
- Dr. Glenn Fox (Honorary Secretary)
- Erika Liang (Student Representative)
- Rev. Dr. Roland De Vries (MST Director, Principal, Presbyterian College)
- Dr. Mikael Bauer (Director, McGill School of Religious Studies)
- Rev. Cathy Hamilton
- Romulus Rhoad (Student Representative)
- Dr. Yaw Nyampong
- Donald Walcot
- Colleen Lowrie
The Montreal School of Theology is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada (ATS) since 1989. The following degree programs are approved by the Commission on Accrediting: Master of Divinity, and Maîtrise en Études Théologiques (théologie pratique).
ATS is a membership organization of more than 250 graduate schools that conduct post-baccalaureate professional and academic degree programs to educate persons for the practice of ministry and for teaching and research in the theological disciplines. The mission of The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada is to promote the improvement and enhancement of theological schools to the benefit of communities of faith and the broader public.
Statement of Educational Effectiveness (Updated 2026)
The Montreal School of Theology (MST) publishes this public Statement of Educational Effectiveness in accordance with the Standards of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). MST is a full member of ATS, which accredits programs of graduate theological education in the United States and Canada.
The mission of the Montreal School of Theology is to equip faithful leaders for ordained and lay ministries in the church and the world. In fulfillment of its mission, MST offers a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) program designed to prepare people for professional ministry within a variety of contexts such as congregational or parish ministry, chaplaincy or spiritual care in institutional contexts, and outreach or community ministries.
In addition, in 2023, ATS approved MST’s offering of an associated program, the Maîtrise en Études Théologiques (théologie pratique), in conjunction with The Presbyterian College. While early learning assessments are promising, given that this is only the second period of assessment since the program started, we look forward to presenting a Statement of Educational Effectiveness update in 2027.
Each year, the Montreal School of Theology evaluates learning outcomes and assesses student satisfaction with their educational experience using a variety of tools including a comprehensive learning effectiveness assessment program (LEAP), course evaluations, student-self evaluations, and the Graduate Student Questionnaire administered by ATS.
Graduate Student Survey
Between 2023-2025, graduating students were asked to evaluate the educational effectiveness in facilitating key skill areas. The highest ranked skill areas were:
- Ability to think theologically (4.7 out of 5)
- Ability to use and interpret Scripture (4.7 out of 5)
- Knowledge of Christian ethics (4.7 out of 5)
- Ability to preach well (4.6 out of 5)
- Ability to conduct worship/liturgy (4.6 out of 5)
- Awareness and appreciation of the globalized context in which ministry is practiced (4.6 out of 5)
According to students, field education at MST developed the following capacities particularly well:
- Better ideas of my strengths and weaknesses (5 out of 5)
- Improved pastoral skills (4.9 out of 5)
- Greater self-understanding (4.9 out of 5)
- Greater self-confidence (4.8 out of 5)
Students were surveyed about their satisfaction with school services and resources. Among the highest ranked areas of satisfaction were:
- Class size (4.9 out of 5)
- Student debt and/or finance counselling (4.9 out of 5)
- Quality of teaching (4.7 out of 5)
When students were asked about their overall experience during their theological program, some of the highest ranked elements included:
- I gained greater vocational clarity within my program (4.9 out of 5)
- My faith is stronger than when I came (4.9 out of 5)
- I have made good friends here (4.9 out of 5)
- Individuals of other faith traditions have been respected (4.8 out of 5)
Between 2023 and 2025, 46% of our students finished their program in three years, while a majority (85%) finished the program within four years. The overall graduation rate between 2023-2025 is 82%.
Time to Complete the Program
Between 2023 and 2025, 46% of our students finished their program in three years, while a majority (85%) finished the program within four years. The overall graduation rate between 2023-2025 is 82%.
Low-level of incurred Indebtedness of our Graduates
A significant accomplishment of the Montreal School of Theology is that its graduates incur almost no debt during their studies. According to the GSQ surveys conducted among our graduates between 2023 and 2025, over 90% of our graduates incurred either no or less than $10,000 of debt during their studies. The absence of additional educational debt contributes greatly to a successful and worry-free beginning of their vocational placements.
Vocational Placement of our Graduates
The Montreal School of Theology is a partnership between two denominational schools (Anglican, Presbyterian) serving students from a diversity of denominational backgrounds, with an additional program for students of the United Church of Canada. Most but not all our students enter our program as candidates for ordained ministry from these denominations; thus, almost all our students are ordained shortly after graduation and find employment in a congregational setting in their home denomination. Some of our students complete a year-long denominational internship after graduation and are ordained the following year.
- Graduates between 2023 and 2025: 75 % were employed in a ministry setting within one year of graduation.
Assessing Educational Effectiveness
In 2015, MST began a new learning effectiveness assessment program (LEAP) to assess how effectively it was meeting learning outcomes for the program. In 2022-23, this assessment program was streamlined, making it even more effective for institutional self-reflection and curriculum review.
Data from analysis of student learning indicates overall effectiveness, which also correlates with student responses to questions about the program. The overwhelming majority of students for whom data is available meet or exceed core program learning outcomes. Therefore, it is clear that MST is successful in fulfilling its stated learning outcomes.
The Montreal School of Theology is affiliated with the School of Religious Studies (SRS). This affiliation takes form throughout the M.Div. program and is reflected in the administrative and decision-making structure.
The first two years of the M.Div. correspond with the last two years of the Bachelor of Theology program at McGill (for details on the structure of the program please see M.Div. program structure).
The principals of the three theological colleges each have a seat on the B.Th. committee at McGill as well as on the Senate of McGill; the chair of the B.Th. committee and the Director of SRS have a seat on the Board of MST. The Director of SRS also has a seat on the MST Academic Committee.
In virtue of their respective charters, each of the member colleges of the Montreal School of Theology has authority to grant the Master of Divinity degree. In practice, however, none of the colleges exercises its right to grant the degree independently of the concurrence of the other two colleges. This concurrence is guaranteed through the cooperation of the colleges in the Montreal School of Theology. The Montreal School of Theology functions as the administrative body through which the colleges work together in the design, delivery and assessment of the educational program that leads to the M.Div. degree. It is, therefore, the Montreal School of Theology that determines whether a student has successfully met the requirements for the M.Div. degree. MST informs the student’s college to that effect. The college then approves the awarding of the degree to its own student(s) and concurs with the awarding of the degree to students of the other colleges.
Students studying at the Montreal School of Theology who have an active McGill ID card and are currently McGill students (M. Div. I and II students) have access to all electronic resources (on campus and remotely) and services (including borrowing privileges and Interlibrary Loans) available through McGill Libraries.
M. Div. III students and students who are not registered at McGill (such as those taking certificate/online courses) have different privileges. See below for more information about library access for each of these groups. Please also see our “Other library resources” section for more options for those not registered as McGill students.
M. Div. III Students
Electronic resources: you can access McGill’s e-journal, e-book and database collection on site with a guest login at a McGill Library. No remote access is provided, however.
Borrowing books and other services: As per the “Borrowers from Other Quebec Universities” page, “Faculty members and 3rd year Masters of Divinity students of the Montreal School of Theology who don’t already have a McGill ID may request a McGill Library Borrowing Card on presentation of a letter from the School.” This letter will be presented to you at orientation and will allow you to borrow books and other physical materials from McGill libraries (including the Birks Reading Room) as well as the Rev. Dr. Joseph C. McLelland Library at the Presbyterian College.
Consultation with a McGill librarian: you can contact a McGill librarian or the Religious Studies Librarian.
Certificate/Online Course students
Electronic resources: if you are in Montreal, you can access McGill’s e-journal, e-book and database collection on site with a guest login at a McGill Library. No remote access is provided, however.
Borrowing books and other services: in order to borrow materials from McGill Libraries you will have to purchase a McGill Library Borrowing Card.
Consultation with a McGill librarian: you can contact a McGill librarian or the Religious Studies Librarian.
Other Library Resources
In addition to the resources mentioned above, you may also have access to other resources, specifically:
- BANQ
- Alumni resources
- Public library resources