The Heritage College & Seminary is a theological institute in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. It is affiliated with the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada.
History Central Baptist Seminary was itself formed out of a split in fundamentalist Baptist ranks when, in 1948, firebrand Baptist leader Thomas Todhunter Shields, then head of the Union of Regular Baptist Churches of Ontario and Quebec, dismissed Dean W. Gordon Brown from his seminary. Brown and 50 students then went on to begin a new seminary holding more moderate positions under the direction of President Jack Scott.Brackney, W.H. (2006) Baptists in North America. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 167 The first number of years the seminary was housed at Forward Baptist Church in Toronto, Ontario. In 1950, the seminary acquired a new building at 225 St. George Street, Toronto.Haykin, Michael A.G., Baiyu Andrew Song, and Paul Andrew Grey Gillespie (2019) "Behold, the Lamb of God": A centennial history of Forward Baptist Church, Toronto, 1919–2019. Forward Baptist Church. p. 71 In its formative years, CBS provided undergraduate and graduate theological education until the mid-1980s. In later years the seminary was moved to Gormley, Ontario (north of Toronto).
London Baptist Seminary began in 1976 in London, Ontario.Heritage College & Seminary, History, discoverheritage.ca, Canada, retrieved May 5, 2023 The school provided undergraduate and graduate theological education. In 1981, the school's name changed to London Baptist Bible College and London Baptist Seminary (LBBC & LBS). In 1991, the Ontario legislature officially recognized the seminary as a degree-granting institution through the passage of "An Act to Incorporate the Heritage Baptist College and Heritage Theological Seminary, 1991, 1991".
Heritage was founded in 1993 through the merger of the former London Baptist Bible College and Seminary of London, Ontario and Central Baptist Seminary of Toronto, Ontario.Gordon L. Heath, Dallas Friesen, Taylor Murray, Baptists in Canada: Their History and Polity, Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2020, p. 78William H. Brackney, Historical Dictionary of the Baptists, Scarecrow Press, USA, 2009, p. 214
Administration Heritage College and Seminary is governed by a Board of Governors composed of distinguished Christian leaders from across Ontario. Heritage has adopted a Carver Policy Governance model for the Board of Governors and the institution. Heritage College and Seminary is affiliated with the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada (Central Region), to whose churches the school serves with other like-minded evangelical churches, organizations, and denominations.College Academic Catalogue, 2025–2026
Accreditation As an institution granting both undergraduate and graduate degrees, all of Heritage's degrees are accredited by The Association for Biblical Higher Education. The graduate school is also accredited by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada.Heritage College & Seminary, Accreditation, discoverheritage.ca, Canada, retrieved May 5, 2023
Academics, philosophy and faculty For the college and seminary, the educational mission is "to glorify God by partnering with churches and parachurch organizations in providing a biblically based education equipping people for life and ministry in the church and in the world. More specifically, the College has its mission statement as: "to provide an evangelical, faith-based, university-level education to equip students for life and serve in the church, community and the world."College Academic Catalogue, 2021–2022, p. 2 The Seminary's mission statement is: "to equip people for biblically and theologically grounded leadership and ministry to serve the mission of Christ and his church through their involvement in evangelical churches, denominations, mission agencies, and parachurch ministries.Seminary Academic Catalogue, 2021–2022, p. 4
With eight core faculty and twenty-four adjunct faculty, the college offers undergraduate-level certificates and degrees in a range of disciplines. All Heritage bachelor's degree programs are Bible and Theology majors consisting of 30+ credit hours in Bible/Theology and Biblical Studies. In addition, the Bachelor of Church Music and the Bachelor of Religious Education––Honours degree programs are double majors consisting of the specific degree major in addition to the Bible/Theology major. Current undergraduate programs include Biblical Care & Counselling Ministries, Children & Youth Ministries, Intercultural Studies, Music & Worship Studies, and Pastoral Studies.
Heritage Seminary currently has seven core faculty and nine adjunct faculty. The Seminary offers graduate-level programs in biblical and pastoral studies. Degrees include: Master of Divinity (MDiv), Master of Divinity (Research track), Master of Theological Studies (MTS), and Master of Theology (ThM).
Notable associates
Alumni D. A. Carson, evangelical scholar and author. Elizabeth Wettlaufer, former nurse and convicted serial killer
Faculty Michael A.G. Haykin, church historian and professor. W. Gordon Brown, New Testament scholar and founding dean of Central Baptist Seminary Stanley K. Fowler, Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies David G. Barker, Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies
Presidents: Central Baptist Seminary 1948–1957 Jack Scott 1958–1960 John F. Holliday 1961–1963 E. Sidney Kerr 1964–1969 W. Gordon Brown (interim) 1969–1974 Don A. Loveday 1974–1978 Jack Scott 1978–1979 Paul Holliday 1980–1982 Jim G. Wetherall (acting) 1982–1989 George Bell 1989 Jack Hannah 1989–1991 Vacant (Management Team) 1991–1993 Stanley K. Fowler (acting)
Chancellors: Central Baptist Seminary, Toronto Hal MacBain Jack Scott
Deans: Central Baptist Seminary, Toronto George (Ted) Barton W. Gordon Brown Stanley Fowler Paul Holliday Denzil Raymer John Wilson
Presidents: London Baptist Seminary 1976–1988 Gerry Benn 1988–1990 David G. Barker (acting) 1990–1993 Marvin Brubacher
Presidents: Heritage College and Seminary 1993–2011 Marvin Brubacher 2013–2023 Rick Reed 2023–2025 Bob Kallonen 2026– Jonathan Griffiths "Leadership Announcement," https://heritagecs.edu/president/#:~:text=Jonathan%20Griffiths%20has%20assumed%20the,into%20an%20exciting%20new%20chapter.
Chancellors: Heritage College and Seminary 2023-2024 Dr. Rick Reed 2024–2025 Dr. Jonathan Griffiths
References
Further reading Haykin, Michael A.G., and Jonathan N. Cleland (2023). “A priceless heritage”: A history of Heritage College and Seminary in three essays. Cambridge, Ontario: Heritage Seminary Press.
External links Official website