Editing Acadia Divinity College

{{Short description|Canadian seminary}}
{{Infobox university
| name                  = Acadia Divinity College
| native_name           = 
| image                 = 
| motto                 = Equipping Christians to Serve
| established           = 1968
| type                  = [[Seminary]]
| affiliation = [[Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada]], [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada]], [[Association for Biblical Higher Education]]
| religious_affiliation =
| academic_affiliation =[[Acadia University]]
| president             = Anna M. Robbins
| students              = 200
| city                  = [[Wolfville, Nova Scotia|Wolfville]]
| state                 = [[Nova Scotia]]
| country               = Canada
| coor                  = 
| campus                = {{cvt|250|acre}}
| colours               = {{Color box|#072B61}}{{Color box|#FF0000}}{{Color box|#FFFFFF}} Blue, red, white
| sports_nickname       = Axemen & Axewomen
| mascot                = 
| website               = {{url|www.acadiadiv.ca}}
| logo                  = 
| footnotes             = 
| faculty               = 14 faculty + 12 staff
}}

The '''Acadia Divinity College''' ('''ADC''') is [[Baptist]] [[theological institute]] located in [[Wolfville, Nova Scotia]], Canada. It is affiliated with the [[Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada]]. It is governed by a board of trustees with members appointed by the Convention and the Board of Governors of Acadia University.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Board & Senate|url = http://www.acadiadiv.ca/board-senate/|website = Acadia Divinity College|access-date = 2016-02-11}}</ref> The college is also the Faculty of Theology of [[Acadia University]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Faculties & Departments - Acadia University|url = http://www2.acadiau.ca/academics/faculties-departments.html|website = www2.acadiau.ca|access-date = 2016-02-11}}</ref> 

ADC shares facilities with Acadia University; the college's library is part of the university's 800,000 volume [[Vaughan Memorial Library]] collection.  Also hosted at Acadia University are the Esther Clark Wright Archives, which includes an extensive collection of material relating to the [[Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches|Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC)]].

==History==
As early as 1830, Baptists in Nova Scotia, Canada established a "department of pious scholars" at Horton Academy in Wolfville (founded 1828) for ministerial training. A decade later, Baptist Leaders resolved to establish a Baptist College, an institution of higher learning where all people would be free to work and study, regardless of religious persuasion.  The decision to establish Queen's College, which would become Acadia University, was formally approved by the Nova Scotia Baptist Education Society on November 15, 1838. <ref> Randall Herbert Balmer, ''Encyclopedia of Evangelicalism: Revised and expanded edition'', Baylor University Press, USA, 2004, p. 4</ref> Preparation for ministry was carried on under various formats until the School of Theology was put on a more formal footing in 1923.

After Acadia University was reorganized in 1966, the Baptists of Atlantic Canada began to operate the School of Theology under the name Acadia Divinity College, and on June 1, 1968, the Acadia Divinity College was established by an act of the [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly|Nova Scotia Legislature]].<ref> William H. Brackney, ''Congregation and Campus: Baptists in Higher Education'', Mercer University Press, USA, 2008, p. 408</ref>

== Centres of Excellence at Acadia Divinity College ==

=== Acadia Centre for Baptist and Anabaptist Studies (ACBAS) ===
Established by Acadia Divinity College in cooperation with the Vaughan Memorial Library of Acadia University in April 1991, encourages and facilitates studies in the fields of [[Baptists|Baptist]] and [[Anabaptists|Anabaptist]] history and thought, especially in the Atlantic region of Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://libguides.acadiau.ca/ACBAS|title=LibGuides: Acadia Centre for Baptist and Anabaptist Studies: Home|last=Brackney|first=Bill|website=libguides.acadiau.ca|language=en|access-date=2016-03-15}}</ref>

=== Charles J. Taylor Centre for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care ===
The Taylor Centre trains and prepares men and women for pastoral ministry in specialized forms, including hospital chaplaincy, military chaplaincy, prison chaplaincy, and a variety of other caring professions, for which care for the Spirit is of primary importance.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.acadiadiv.ca/centres/|title=Centres of Excellence|website=Acadia Divinity College|access-date=2016-03-15}}</ref>

=== Andrew D. MacRae Centre for Christian Faith and Culture ===
Provides a forum for helping students and the wider church engage with people and issues, and as a research hub.<ref name="auto"/>

== Teaching sites ==
=== Wolfville, Nova Scotia ===
Students can complete any bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree or program part-time or full-time at ADC's main teaching site located on the campus of [[Acadia University]] in [[Wolfville]]. All courses required for all degrees are offered on a rotating basis over a two- or three-year period in a variety of teaching formats including once weekly, intensive weeks, and on weekends.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.acadiadiv.ca/wolfville/|title=Wolfville|website=Acadia Divinity College|access-date=2016-03-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312222200/http://www.acadiadiv.ca/wolfville/#|archive-date=2016-03-12|url-status=dead}}</ref> All courses are taught in a hybrid formatting allowing students to attend classes from anywhere in the world.

== Continuing education ==

=== Simpson Lectures ===
Mr. Gerald K. Simpson of Fairhaven, Deer Island, New Brunswick, established an endowment in 1979 to finance an annual series of lectures on the practice of ministry prepared primarily for students, pastors, and spouses. The lecturers are outstanding persons in ministry who focus on the role of the minister as both preacher and pastor. This lectureship has welcomed many distinguished preachers including John N. Gladstone, Haddon W. Robinson, Alan Sell, and Gardner Taylor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Simpson Lectures |url=https://acadiadiv.ca/simpson-lectures/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=Acadia Divinity College |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Hayward Lectures ===
Established and endowed in 1964 by Mrs. C. C. Hayward of Wolfville, the Hayward Lectures provide academic dialogue in Church History, Christian Theology, and Biblical Studies.

==Affiliations==
The College is affiliated with the [[Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Partners and Affiliates|url = http://www.acadiadiv.ca/partners-and-affiliates/|website = Acadia Divinity College|access-date = 2016-02-11|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160326054522/http://www.acadiadiv.ca/partners-and-affiliates/#|archive-date = 2016-03-26|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Mission, Vision & Values|url = http://www.acadiadiv.ca/mission-vision-values/|website = Acadia Divinity College|access-date = 2016-02-11|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160313030658/http://www.acadiadiv.ca/mission-vision-values/#|archive-date = 2016-03-13|url-status = dead}}</ref> 

The [[Acadia University]] awards all of the Acadia Divinity College degrees, upon recommendation from the ADC Senate and the Senate of Acadia University. The graduate degrees are accredited by the [[Association for Biblical Higher Education]] and the [[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Accreditation|url = http://www.acadiadiv.ca/accreditation/|website = Acadia Divinity College|access-date = 2016-02-11}}</ref>

== Endowed academic chairs ==
Endowed academic (teaching) chairs are established to ensure that permanent funding is available to the college to meet the costs of a professor's salary in a given discipline. Eleven chairs have been established at ADC covering a variety of disciplines.
* Thomas James Armstrong Memorial Professorship of [[Practical theology|Practical Theology]] and [[Church history|Church History]]
* Dr. Millard R. Cherry Chair of [[Christian theology|Christian Thought]] and [[Ethics in religion|Ethics]] 
* Sheldon and Marjorie Fountain Chair of [[Evangelism]]  and Mission
* John Gladstone Chair in [[Sermon|Preaching]] and [[Worship]]
* Abner J. Langley and Harold L. Mitton Chair of Church Leadership
* William and Virginia Leach Chair of Pastoral Psychology
* Thomas B. McDormand, Charles J. Taylor, and Dennis M. Veinotte Chair of [[Pastoral Care]] and [[Counselling]]
* [[Hannah Maria Norris]] Chair in Christian Missions and Social Issues
* [[William Pearly Oliver|Rev. Dr. William]] and [[Pearleen Oliver]] Chair of Community Leadership and Social Justice
* Payzant Chair of [[Biblical studies|Biblical Studies]]
* Stevens-Fenerty Chair of Urban Ministry and Church Growth<ref>{{Cite web |title=Academic Chairs |url=https://acadiadiv.ca/academic-chairs/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=Acadia Divinity College |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
*[[List of evangelical seminaries and theological colleges]]
*[[Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada]]
*[[Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches|Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC)]]
*[[Canadian Baptist Ministries]]
*[[Acadia University]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:Acadia University|Divinity College]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1968]]
[[Category:Baptist seminaries and theological colleges in Canada]]
[[Category:1968 establishments in Nova Scotia]]