Tyndale Seminary

2023 Wesley Studies Symposium at Tyndale University

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Heritage and Hope: Wesleyan Wisdom for the Future of Ministry

Celebrating 30 Years of the Bastian Chair of Wesley Studies

We are living in a time of tremendous challenge for the church: global instability, the continuing collapse of Christendom,  an ever-changing technological landscape, the challenges of intercultural ministry, evolving patterns of church attendance and affiliation…in many ways we are sailing in uncharted waters. How might John Wesley and the Wesleyan heritage  keep us on an even keel as we navigate toward a brighter future for the church and its ministry? How does the Wesleyan “optimism of grace” keep us oriented in a disorienting time?

We will consider these questions and more at our annual Wesley Studies Symposium on April 25, 2023 at Tyndale University.  This year we are celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the Donald N. and Kathleen G. Bastian Chair of Wesley Studies by welcoming back the two previous occupants of the Chair as our keynote speakers: Dr Victor Shepherd and Dr Howard Snyder.  Both men are outstanding scholars who are well known to the Canadian Wesleyan community. Dr Shepherd held the chair from 1993-2003, and has continues to serve at Tyndale as Professor Emeritus of Theology.  Dr. Snyder was the Chair from 2007-2012, and is presently the International Representative of the Manchester Wesley Research Centre.

Online and In-Person tickets available. Order by March 31 to receive the early bird discount. Student discounts also apply.

Register Here

Donald N. Bastian, Bishop Emeritus of the Free Methodist Church.

One Day Conference – Women in the Holiness and Pentecostal Traditions

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Priscilla Pope-Levison

Since 2009, Tyndale Seminary has gathered scholars, students, and church leaders for an annual Wesley Studies Symposium.  The symposium exists to highlight and foster scholarly work on the Wesleyan tradition, as well as research on related topics undertaken by Wesleyans, with a particular focus on Canadian contributions. Our presenters have included senior scholars, emerging scholars, pastors, and students.  

This year, we are following up our joint Wesleyan-Pentecostal Symposium from 2016 and hosting another partner event with Master’s Pentecostal Seminary. Information is posted below – register by April 8 to receive the early-bird discount for in-person attendance.

Sisters of the Spirit
Women in the Holiness and Pentecostal Traditions

April 26, 2022, Tyndale University (in person and online)

Co-sponsored by Tyndale Seminary and Master’s Pentecostal Seminary

Keynote Speakers:
Priscilla Pope-Levison (Southern Methodist University)
Linda Ambrose (Laurentian University)

Register Here
Linda Ambrose

The Holiness and Pentecostal Traditions have been on the forefront in empowering women to serve in church leadership. John Wesley’s tentative recognition of women preachers and the extraordinary example of early Methodist women such as Mary Bosanquet and Mary Barritt Taft laid the groundwork for the seminal ministries of women such as Phoebe Palmer, Amanda Berry Smith, Catherine Booth, Maria Woodworth-Etter, and Aimee Semple MacPherson. And yet, women have still struggled, in various ways, to overcome patriarchal structures and assumptions within the Holiness-Pentecostal family.

This conference will explore the contributions and experiences of women in the Holiness and Pentecostal traditions. We invite submissions for 30-minute papers that will address the topic from a variety of academic disciplines, and we would particularly welcome any exploration of the connections between the two traditions.

Registration cost:
In-person Early Bird (by April 8): $50
In-person (after April 8): $65
Student in-person (with lunch): $15
Student in-person (no meal): $0
Online registration: $25
Online Student registration: $0

Download the Schedule Here

Call for Papers – Women in the Holiness and Pentecostal Traditions

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Tyndale Seminary and Master’s Pentecostal Seminary are following up on our successful collaboration in 2016 with a second jointly-sponsored academic event next April at Tyndale. We are looking for high-quality paper proposals and plan to use the best of the presentations for a book project on this important topic. Further details are found below.

Sisters of the Spirit
Women in the Holiness and Pentecostal Traditions

April 26, 2022, Tyndale University

Keynote Speakers:

Priscilla Pope-Levison (Southern Methodist University)

Linda Ambrose (Laurentian University)

Call for Papers
The Holiness and Pentecostal Traditions have been on the forefront in empowering women to serve in church leadership. John Wesley’s tentative recognition of women preachers and the extraordinary example of early Methodist women such as Mary Bosanquet and Mary Barritt Taft laid the groundwork for the seminal ministries of women such as Phoebe Palmer, Amanda Berry Smith, Catherine Booth, Maria Woodworth-Etter, and Aimee Semple MacPherson. And yet, women have still struggled, in various ways, to overcome patriarchal structures and assumptions within the Holiness-Pentecostal family.


This conference will explore the contributions and experiences of women in the Holiness and Pentecostal traditions. We invite submissions for 30-minute papers that will address the topic from a variety of academic disciplines, and we would particularly welcome any exploration of the connections between the two traditions.

Paper proposals (max 200 words) should be sent to James Pedlar (jpedlar@tyndale.ca) or Van Johnson (vjohnson@mpseminary.com) by November 1, 2021.

Video from Tyndale’s 2021 Wesley Studies Symposium

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Although the pandemic prevented us from gathering in person for a second straight year, Tyndale’s annual Wesley Studies Symposium went ahead with an online event, and it was surprising to see that we had our highest registration to-date. We had an excellent group of presentations, all of which were recorded and are now posted on the Tyndale Seminary YouTube Channel. I’ve also linked them below.

We have also announced plans for next year’s symposium (April 26, 2022) on women in the Holiness and Pentecostal traditions, jointly hosted by Master’s Pentecostal Seminary. See the Symposium webpage for further information.

2021 Wesley Studies Symposium at Tyndale

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Tyndale’s 2021 Wesley Symposium will be held online on Thursday April 29, 2021, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm EST.  There is no cost for this year’s event, but attendees are asked to register in order to receive the Zoom meeting information. 

Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Joel Thiessen, a Nazarene sociologist who teaches at Ambrose University, where he also directs the Flourishing Congregations Institute.  Dr. Thiessen’s keynote address will be on “Signs of Life and Vitality in Canadian Churches: Drawing on Data to Inform Practice.”

The following papers will also be presented (see further details on the full schedule):

  • Christopher Payk, “Prevenient Grace and Chinese Theology.”
  • Matthew McEwen, “Ignatius of Loyola and John Wesley: A Conversation About Scripture.”
  • Barbara Robinson, “‘I earnestly desire him to be electrified’: John Wesley, the formative Salvation Army and ‘Irregular’ Medicine.”
  • Jason Mills, “Virtual Virtue: Exploring the Fruitfulness of Online Pastoral Education.”
  • Gerry Mielke, “Christian Perfection, from Wesley to Phoebe Palmer.”
  • Charles Meeks, “Recovering a Wesleyan Sense of Open Table Communion for Anglicans with the Help of a Lutheran.”
Register Online

Cancellation of Wesley Events at Tyndale

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Tyndale’s Wesley events planned for April are cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This includes the worship service on April 19, the Ministry Conference on April 20, and the Symposium on April 21.

Those who have already registered will receive a refund.

The Wesley Studies Symposium might be rescheduled for the fall of 2020. Watch for a further notice in the coming weeks.

I pray that the peace of Christ will be with you all. May the Holy Spirit give us wisdom and courage so that we can be faithful servants of the gospel in a difficult and disorienting time.

Thou hidden source of calm repose,
Thou all-sufficient love divine,
My help, and refuge from my foes,
Secure I am, if thou art mine,
And lo! From sin, and grief, and shame
I hide me, Jesus, in thy name.

Thy mighty name salvation is,
And keeps my happy soul above,
Comfort it brings, and power, and peace,
And joy, and everlasting love:
To me with thy dear name are given
Pardon, and holiness, and heaven.

Jesu, my all in all thou art,
My rest in toil, my ease in pain,
The med’cine of my broken heart,
In war my peace, in loss my gain,
My smile beneath the tyrant’s frown,
In shame my glory, and my crown.

In want my plentiful supply,
In weakness my almighty power,
In bonds my perfect liberty,
My light in Satan’s darkest hour,
In grief my joy unspeakable,
My life in death, my heaven in hell.

Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems (1749)

Installation Sermon: The Triumphs of His Grace

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This past Tuesday I was officially installed as the Donald N. and Kathleen G. Bastian Chair of Wesley Studies at Tyndale Seminary.  I’ve been doing the work of the Wesley Chair since I arrived at Tyndale in January 2013. However, since I was a newly-minted Assistant Professor, I was hired with the understanding that I would be officially appointed to the Chair upon successful application for tenure and promotion. So this Tuesday’s ceremony was nearly six years in coming.

It was a good day to celebrate the partnership between Tyndale and the Wesleyan denominations that sponsor the Bastian Chair: the Be in Christ Church (formerly Brethren in Christ), the Church of the Nazarene, the Free Methodist Church, the Salvation Army, and the Wesleyan Church. The Bastian Chair was established in 1993, and Donald Bastian (then Bishop of the Free Methodist Church in Canada) was instrumental in drawing the partner denominations together.

Installation Sermon

The sermon audio is below, and it can be downloaded from the Tyndale website.  It was a bit of an unusual sermon – in fact, it was something of a blend of sermon and keynote address. Had the installation been held a separate occasion I would have done an inaugural lecture; since it took place during our regular community chapel service, it needed to take the form of a sermon and speak to the whole Tyndale community.

The scripture readings were Isaiah 25:1-9 and 1 Corinthians 1:18-31.

As I said on Tuesday, I am truly grateful for Tyndale and for this unique role, which allows me to serve both the Canadian Wesleyan family and the broader church.

 

 

President Gary Nelson
Major Ron Millar reading scripture
Installation Liturgy
Prayer of Dedication by Prof. Dennis Ngien
Benedition by Bishop Emeritus Donald N. Bastian
With Rev. Lloyd Eyre, Chair of the Tyndale Wesley Studies Committee
Prof. Dennis Ngien and President Nelson
Friends from Wesley Chapel
Rev. Ian Fitzpatrick (Nazarene), Rev. Steve Ottley (Nazarene), Rev. Dr. Peter Rigby (Wesleyan), Bishop Cliff Fletcher (Free Methodist)

 

2019 Wesley Studies Symposium

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An Evangelical MindI’m pleased to announce that Tyndale’s next Wesley Studies Symposium will take place on April 30, 2019, with Marguerite Van Die giving the keynote address. Van Die is Professor Emerita of History at Queen’s University, and a noted expert on Canadian church history. Her many publications include An Evangelical Mind: Nathaniel Burwash and the Methodist Tradition in Canada, 1839-1917.  This is the definitive biography of Burwash, the most important Canadian Methodist theologian and an important churchman in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Dr. Van Die’s address is entitled “Building a moral community: Methodists and Public Life in Nineteenth Century Canada.”  I have a number of excellent papers lined up but am open to receiving proposals from other potential presenters. Watch for registration and other details in the coming weeks.

Media from the Wesleyan-Pentecostal Symposium

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We had a wonderful day at the Wesleyan-Pentecostal Symposium here at Tyndale on March 22. It was a pleasure to partner with Van Johnson and Master’s Pentecostal Seminary in hosting this event. Donald Dayton was his inimitable self and helped us to understand how significant it was to have a gathering of these two traditions, given our frosty relations in the past.  The other papers from scholars, pastors and graduate students provided a great deal of discussion material for the attendees.  More than one person commented to me about how engaged everyone was in the topic, discussing it over coffee breaks and lunch as well as in the sessions.

One of the benefits of moving to our new campus is that all our classrooms have very recently been outfitted with excellent audio-visual equipment. This made it very simple for us to record the presentations. The three plenary talks were recorded on video, and audio recordings of all the sessions were made as well. I’m grateful that all the presenters agreed to allow their recordings to be shared publicly after the event.

So, please take a moment to visit the symposium media page and make use of this excellent content.  I’ve embedded my own talk on Burns, Horner, and Burwash below.

 

Tyndale Wesley Studies News – September 2015

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We are gearing up for another academic year at Tyndale, this time (finally) on our beautiful new campus.  It has been a bit of a chaotic summer, with all the disruption that comes along with a move, and I’m now looking forward to seeing this place filled with students in the next few days.

I’ve just sent out my most recent Wesley Studies newsletter, highlighting next year’s joint Wesleyan-Pentecostal Symposium on the role of experience in theology (March 22, 2016).  I’m really pleased to be bringing Donald Dayton to Toronto as our keynote, and I think we’ll have a great day of conversation about a topic that concerns both traditions.

There’s lots more in the newsletter about recent book releases (including the latest in the Tyndale Wesley series from Chris Payk and my own book, which I will blog about soon) and upcoming events and conferences in Toronto.  Take a look, and subscribe if you are interested.

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