History - Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary

There are two leading principles that have guided CRTS throughout its history. The first is that training for the ministry should be provided by the churches. The second is that future ministers of the Word should receive the best possible training.

Here are some significant moments in our history.

In 1954 the first synod of the Canadian Reformed Churches, held at Homewood, Manitoba, already saw the necessity of a theological school for the churches and decided to begin raising funds for a seminary. Since then this training has been on the agenda of almost every subsequent synod.
In 1962 Synod Hamilton set up a provisional training and appointed men to teaching positions while they continued to serve their congregations. A bachelor’s degree was required for admission. A fund for a library was established.
On Wednesday, November 20, 1968, Synod Orangeville decided to establish a full-fledged Theological College of the Canadian Reformed Churches and to appoint three full-time professors and two lecturers.
On Wednesday, September 10, 1969, the “Theological College of the Canadian Reformed Churches” was officially opened in Hamilton, Ontario. During the opening ceremony our first principal, Dr. J. Faber, gave an inaugural address entitled “The Catholicity of the Belgic Confession.”
In 1981 the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario adopted the Canadian Reformed Theological College Act. This Act empowered the Senate to grant, among others, the Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree.
In 2010 Synod Burlington agreed to change the operating name of the Theological College of the Canadian Reformed Churches to Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary while retaining the former as its legal name.
In 2011 CRTS became a member of the Association of Theological Schools, and its MDiv program became fully accredited through ATS in 2013.
In 2013 Synod Carman agreed to appoint a fifth full-time professor. In its forty-five-year history, the Seminary faculty grew from three to five full-time professors and several adjunct lecturers.

In over fifty years of history so far, CRTS has conferred the MDiv degree on over 170 graduates, most of whom have become pastors. Over 20% of these graduates have gone on to further postgraduate education of some kind. These facts show that, under God’s blessing, CRTS continues to meet its goal of high-caliber pastoral training.