Serendipity (1 of 3): Black Methodist Theological Education

This blog (and two that follow) relates to a few recent serendipitous discoveries. Right now I am working on a project on Black Baptists and Methodists in Canada during the First World War. As I was sifting through primary sources I found a few interesting items related to theological education (a subject completely unrelated to my current project).

I have recently taken up an interest in the history of theological education, and, in particular, how pastors are trained for their roles in the churches. The following are some brief images from a manual for doctrine and discipline published in 1913 by the British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada (a Canadian brand of Black Methodism).

The book itself is a significant text, with 265 pages (click here for full text). In good Methodist fashion it is very methodical and detailed and covers a wide variety of areas of church life. What follows are a few pages that outline the four-year training for its ministers. As you can see, the educational expectations for Black Methodist ministers in Canada was quite extensive and impressive.

These few pages provide a glimpse into an educational model of education that has fascinating similarities with the way theological education is carried out by today's seminaries, but also reveals some interesting differences.

Of note on the first page is the fact that candidates for ministry had to go through a number of steps before even getting into the more formal aspects of theological education. Specifically, they had to get a license to preach, as well as pass a series of examinations to gain access to a probationary first year "on trial."

Studies were in expected subjects such as the catechism of the church, writings of Wesley, biblical studies, theology, practical theology, and sermon preparation. However, there were extensive expectations for Bible verse memorization (something rarely expected today in western seminaries).

Finally, I was satisfied to see the expectation for students to study the history of Christianity. Not only did they have to study what is commonly today called History of Christianity 1 & 2 (surveys of the church from the birth of the church to the pre-Reformation, and then from the Reformation to today), but they also had to take a course in the history of their denomination, as well as one on  polity. 

These few pages are a fascinating glimpse onto the training of Black Methodist candidates for ministry in Canada. It will take further research to determine if those requirements mirrored those of their White Methodist co-religionists, and where and how the Black candidates were to receive that education.

If you want the really big picture of theological education in the history of Christianity, see Justo Gonzalez, The History of Theological Education (2015).