Canada Christian College and School of Graduate Theological Studies, commonly shortened to Canada Christian College, is an Evangelical ChristianBible college located in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. Its president since 1993 has been Charles McVety, son of founder Elmer S. McVety. It has had "over 6000" graduates since its founding.
Programs
Canada Christian College's mission is to educate and empower students with the skills, knowledge and spiritual foundation required to become effective ministers of the gospel and to achieve personal and business success. It offers Undergraduate, Graduate and Post-Graduate Degree Programs. It offers programs in Korean Theological Studies; English as a Second Language and Teaching English as a Second Language.
History
The College was founded in 1967 under the name Richmond College as a Christian liberal arts college under the leadership of Dr. Elmer McVety and Canadian evangelist John Wesley White. Hugh White served as the first dean. In 1974, the institution launched a theology program with the name "Canada Christian College". Non-theological programs of the college were discontinued when Richmond College closed in 1981, with student records assigned to Trinity Western University, Langley, BC. In 1982, the Ontario Ministry of Education revoked the right of Canada Christian College to grant degrees. The College continued to issue degrees under the authority of their Manitoba charter until 1999. Charles McVety took over leadership of the college in 1993. In 1998, the Ontario government tried to take over the College's curriculum, faculty and confessions. McVety claimed that his response was to " them to take a long walk on a short pier and get lost." In 1999, Frank Klees introduced a successful motion in the Ontario legislature granting degree-granting authority to the college.
In 1991, the College was the subject of complaints by the Canadian Jewish Congress for its plans to have a "Jewish studies" department which, it was alleged, would teaching classes meant to train students to convert Jews to Christianity. Bernie Farber of the CJC said of the college "We will take on any group whose aim is to destroy Judaism, philosophically, spiritually or directly." Rev. Malvern Jacobs and Rev. Edward Brotsky were the dean and vice-dean of the new department and were described as messianic Jews. Jacobs later served as dean of Canada Christian College. In 1998, in response to concerns by the Canadian Jewish Congress, Canada Christian College closed its Jewish Studies Department and dropped classes aimed at training Christians to convert Jews. McVety told Canadian Jewish News at the time "We want to make it very clear that the Canada Christian College does not approve of or engage in any process to convert Jews to Christianity." In 2003, McVety joined with B'nai Brith to participate in its countermissionary campaign and voiced his opposition to groups such as Jews for Jesus. "As a committed Christian I support the idea of preaching Christianity, but preaching Christianity under the guise of Judaism to those who are in fact seeking Judaism, is plainly wrong," said McVety. In 2008, Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B'nai Brith Canada, was appointed the Chair of the newly inaugurated Department of Modern Israel Studies; he was promoted to dean in 2015.
Muslims
In 2011, Canada Christian College invited and hosted Geert Wilders, an anti-Islam politician who has called for the banning of the Koran. During his speech, Wilders said that moderate Islam does not exist, and that Canadian Muslims were a danger to democracy. Charles McVety, president of the Canada Christian College, has said,
Islam is not just a religion, it’s a political and cultural system as well and we know that Christians, Jews and Hindus don’t have the same mandate for a hostile takeover.
The Toronto Muslim community rejected the above comment, stating they had no intention of any hostile takeover. Canadian Council on American-Islamic Relations also expressed concern at the remarks made by McVety. In December 2017, Canada Christian College hosted Pamela Geller, who is known for her anti-Muslim views, to speak at an event.
