The M.Div. degree, the most widely recognized and accepted degree for ministry professionals, is designed to prepare students for ordained and other forms of ministry in Christian churches in Canada and abroad. Through this degree students gain knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith and gain the ability to interpret the Gospel within the contemporary world. The program stresses growth in personal faith as well as development of skills and competencies required for effective pastoral ministry within the congregation or other forms of ministry.
The M.Div. degree offered by MST is ecumenical and inclusive: traditionally, the main student body is composed of Anglican, Presbyterian and United Church seminarians, but many students of other Christian denominations have joined MST over the years. This brings a rich variety to the educational experience. The majority of courses are taken together, while assuring the denominational specificity through each college’s denominational courses and college life (worship, community building, retreat etc.).
Through participation in a community of scholars dedicated to teaching and research, students receive a solid foundation in theology. The final year of the M.Div. program is an intensive year of supervised pastoral formation, during which students integrate theology and ministry, dividing their time between the study of pastorally-oriented disciplines and the exercise of ministry.
All of this takes place in an enchanting urban context where the French and English-speaking cultures of North America meet and mingle. Added vitality is contributed by the rich diversity of ethnic and religious communities in and around Montreal. Native communities, located nearby, remind us of the heritage and aspirations of the aboriginal population. Canada’s distinctively bi-national character as well as the problems and opportunities of North American urban life are experienced here at first hand.