# McMaster Divinity College

McMaster Divinity College, also known as MDC, is an evangelical Christian seminary located in Hamilton, Ontario, representing nearly 40 denominations. Located directly beside McMaster University, MDC is independent in governance and manages its own financial affairs. The mission of MDC is to develop effective evangelical Christian leaders for the Church, academy, and society through graduate-level education, spiritual development, and vocational formation.

## Programs

McMaster Divinity College offers the following programs: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Christian Theology, Master of Arts (MA) in Christian Studies, Doctor of Practical Theology (DPT), Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Arts (MA) in Theology and Ministry, Master of Arts (MA) in Counselling and Spiritual Care, Master of Arts (MA) in Global Christianity, and Graduate Certificates in Christian Studies (CertCS).
All programs are accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

## History

McMaster Divinity College's origin dates back to 1881 when Senator William McMaster, a wealthy merchant and banker, urged the creation of a theological Baptist College, situated in the city of Toronto. With McMaster's generous support, The Toronto Baptist College was born. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, the school prospered with a growing student body and impressive facilities, now the Royal Conservatory of Music on Bloor Street.
In 1887, with a new commitment of funds from Senator McMaster, a charter for an independent Christian university, incorporating the arts and sciences with the training of ministers, was secured. The name McMaster was adopted in honour of the chief benefactor, who died suddenly in 1888, and left one of the largest bequests to an educational institution in Victorian Canada.
In 1928, McMaster University made the decision to move from Toronto to Hamilton, Ontario, and a new facility was erected on Hamilton's west end bordering Cootes Paradise and the Niagara Escarpment, funded by gifts totalling $500,000 from alumni, member churches of the Baptist Convention of Ontario and Quebec (now Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec), and other generous donors.
In 1957, McMaster University was reorganized to become two entities: one a privately chartered, publicly funded secular university, and the other, McMaster Divinity College, a separately-chartered, affiliate of the University with its own degree-granting powers and Senate and Board of Trustees.
In 1960, with the help of donors and churches across Canada, McMaster Divinity College erected new facilities, including a beautiful chapel, whose internal appointments, including numerous stone and wood carvings were designed by the renowned artist William McElcheran. This chapel later was dedicated in memory of the first McMaster Divinity College Principal, Nathaniel H. Parker (1898-1982).
McMaster Divinity College remains in the original building to this day. In 2018, MDC launched a fully donor-funded renovation and expansion project to reflect the change in student body and technology requirements since the original building in 1960.

## Partnerships

Since its reincorporation in 1957, McMaster Divinity College has remained a separately chartered, affiliate college of McMaster University. McMaster Divinity College is accredited affiliate with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec, the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada and the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.