As Baiyu Andrew Song begins his new role as Assistant Professor and Director of General Education Studies at Heritage College, he explains that he sees this as the start of a tremendous opportunity to form life-changing friendships with his colleagues and students while contributing to the meaningful mission of the school.

“As the mission of Heritage College is to provide an evangelical, faith-based, university-level education to equip students for life and service in the church, community, and the world, I believe Heritage College is the place where I can train the future generation of Christians in Canada, for the greater glory of God,” says Prof. Song.

Song brings a combined passion for both education and the local church that Dr. J. Stephen Yuille, Vice President of Academics and Dean of Seminary, believes will be a welcome addition to our faculty and will serve current and future students of Heritage well.

“His rigorous academic training, resolute church commitment, and unique life experience will strengthen our institution and prove to be a tremendous blessing to our students,” says Dr. Yuille.

Currently, Song is in the process of finishing his PhD dissertation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky looking at the ecclesial spirituality of late eighteenth-century English Baptist minister Joseph Kinghorn. Before his doctoral studies, Song studied at Toronto Baptist Seminary for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Alongside his work at Heritage, Song works as a volunteer editor for The Gospel Coalition Canada and an editorial board member of The Gospel Coalition Chinese. He has also gained significant academic experience serving as an adjunct lecturer at Redeemer University and the Chinese campus of Toronto Baptist Seminary. Song is also a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland and an early career member of the Royal Historical Society.

Since 2014, Song has also worked with The Andrew Fuller Centre for Baptist Studies alongside the Centre’s Director and Heritage Theological Seminary’s Professor of Church History, Dr. Michael A.G. Haykin. As he continues to serve in the role of Research Associate and Teaching Fellow, Song says that he has had the blessing of both learning and working with Dr. Haykin as well as observing the life and learning of someone he describes as a mature Christian scholar and a model he aspires to follow as a teacher and follower of Christ.

“For decades, Prof. Haykin has dedicated his time to mentoring students and developing Christian friendships. Furthermore, he has a praying heart for lost souls,” says Song. “For me, he is a global historian by default. As a model, I wish my students will also know me as a Christian historian of love and humility.”

As Director of General Education Studies, Song will have the unique opportunity to now teach college students a variety of topics from critical thinking to anthropology to history. Though he has been trained primarily as a Christian historian, Song sees that interdisciplinarity has also been a major feature of his academic career and, as a result, to have the opportunity to teach a variety of fields and disciplines is both challenging and enriching.

“For me, being a professor is not merely a job; instead, it is a commitment to a lifestyle––to glorify and experience God through a life of learning,” explains Song. “Thus, Heritage College provides me with an opportunity to continue exploring God’s revealed mystery with my Christian brothers and sisters.”

As we launch into 2022, it is a privilege to share an update with you regarding our “Heritage for Canada and the Nations” capital campaign. We praise God for His clear leading as we move forward with the new seminary building and the other projects that are part of the campaign.

Our Design Committee continues to work collaboratively with A+ Link (our architectural firm), to design and ultimately see the new home for Heritage Theological Seminary become a reality. We are currently waiting to obtain Site Plan approval from the City of Cambridge. This should come any day now. Geological drilling has been completed and in the next few days our committee will be meeting with the electrical and mechanical consultants, which is an exciting next step as we continue the journey of design. We are thankful to have a unified team that works well together and strives to design a building that will serve Heritage well for many years.

We also praise God for His ongoing provision for the campaign. To date, $11,859,154 of the $14,000,000 goal has been pledged and/or donated. Heritage is so thankful for so many generous donors and we are praying that many other individuals and churches will begin to support the campaign between now and December 2023.

Please join us in praying for:

• Approvals by the City of Cambridge.
• God’s provision of the remaining funds.
• The President’s building advisory committee.
• Dave Switzer (Building design and facility manager).
• Darryl Brush (Project manager).
• Wisdom in making decisions related to the new building.
• Our capital campaign committee.
• Reed, our faculty, and our staff, as we launch into the winter semester.

If you have any questions related to our capital campaign, do not hesitate to contact us at heritageforcanada@heritagecs.edu.

To learn more about Heritage for Canada & the Nations, please visit heritageforcanada.ca.

With the new year comes new opportunities for students to learn and grow at Heritage.

Heritage is excited to announce several new college programs that are focused on equipping students for life and ministry. Ranging from four-year degree programs to one-to-two-year diploma and certificate programs – we are excited to see how God will use the students in these programs to grow students in their faith to send them out to live on mission for Christ.

Biblical Counseling at Heritage

Starting in September, Heritage will launch a new biblical counseling program, which provides foundational training for those interested in ministering to the different needs that arise in the context of the church and community.

Central to the program is the application of Scripture to various family dynamics, emotional issues, and life challenges. Students will acquire the necessary skills for ministering effectively to the needs of others while growing in Christ-like character.

Students have the option of choosing between a Bachelor of Religious Education or a Bachelor of Theology in biblical counselling.

More Ways to Study Music

Heritage has developed a new two-year Diploma in Worship Studies for the man or woman who wishes to grow as a Christian, develop as a musician, and mature as a worship leader. This diploma provides courses to enable students to become skilled in their chosen instrument, and opportunities for hands-on experience leading teams on campus under the guidance of skilled mentors, in a safe, nurturing community.  Classes in such topics as song writing, contemporary music, and sound engineering are also part of the program.

While the Bachelor of Church Music offers a major in music/worship and Bible/theology, Heritage also offers a three-year Bachelor of Religious Education degree with a minor in music. This program is designed for students who primarily want to study the Bible and theology while still providing a minor concentration in the areas of music and worship.

The SERVE.experience Returns in Fall 2022

Heritage is excited to re-launch our popular SERVE.experience discipleship program. This nine-month program is designed to foster personal, spiritual, and relational growth and prepare students to serve God and others in this world. Students will be equipped for cross-cultural service throughout the year through a combination of academic studies, retreats, service opportunities, and cultural experiences, finishing their studies with a cross-cultural ministry trip to Quebec.

Apply Today to Study at Heritage this Fall

Registration is now open for all our college and seminary courses starting this September. Whether you are looking to take a one-year certificate or a four-year degree, we are excited to welcome new students this Fall to begin their studies with us at Heritage.

To learn more about these new programs and our other undergraduate and graduate programs, please visit DiscoverHeritage.ca/Academics.

To start your application for the Fall 2022 semester, please visit DiscoverHeritage.ca/Apply.

“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10

Merry Christmas from the students, staff, and faculty of Heritage College & Seminary. We pray that you will have a blessed Christmas season as you celebrate the good news of the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

To celebrate the season, watch our special Christmas video and share it with your friends and family.

Klosay’s heart is for his fellow Karen people to know the grace and love of Jesus Christ.

As a Pastoral Intern at James North Baptist Church in Hamilton, Ontario, Klosay lives out this desire through connecting with local Karen families, inviting them to learn from God’s Word, and walking with them as they grow in their faith.

After living more than 20 years in a refugee camp on the border of Burma and Thailand, Klosay and a group of Karen people were brought to Canada in 2006. It was while he was residing in the camp that Klosay and other Karen came to faith in Christ after hearing the gospel from American and Australian missionaries.

When he settled in Hamilton, Klosay was a part of a group of Karen Christians that began to gather as a church and have been working with James North since 2011.

Today, he has the blessing of serving this Karen church with the pastoral team at James North. From helping with Bible studies with Pastor Dwayne Cline to serving in the Karen church services at James North, Klosay has the joy of sharing the hope of the gospel with many in the community.

While serving at James North, Klosay has also been learning and growing in his own knowledge and faith in God in his studies at Heritage College & Seminary. To have the opportunity to gain a foundation in the Bible allows him to better share Biblical truth and gospel-centred hope with those in the Karen community.

“The way I understand God is more clear,” says Klosay. “I feel like I am blessed by God with what I study and learn at Heritage from the Bible, which is why I also want to share what I learn with families, friends, and people who want to know more.”

Currently, much of his ministry focuses on serving families who desire to learn more from God’s Word and sharing the hope of the gospel with their youth who are often struggling with their faith.

“One of the best things I can do is invite people to come to church and hear the teaching,” says Klosay. “Some will still struggle, some will come and disappear, and some will keep coming to church – but I will always encourage more people to come.”

Though the ministry comes with its challenges, Klosay says that God is working amongst the Karen people. He explains that there have been many Karen people attending ministries to hear the Bible taught in their own language and that they have seen 15 young people baptized.

Click here to read this year's Heritage College & Seminary Christmas Newsletter and learn more about how God is working in the hearts and lives of our students.

After more than 40 years of teaching and mentoring students at both the college and seminary level, Dr. David G. Barker has been recently recognized by the faculty and President’s Cabinet of Heritage College & Seminary with the honorary title of Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies.

“It is an honour to be recognized by one’s peers in this way,” says Dr. Barker.

Though he continues to teach at Heritage, he explains that retirement comes with joy mixed with some sadness as he looks back at his work as something in the past. Despite the mixed feelings, he explains that being named a Professor Emeritus at Heritage is meaningful due to its recognition of his years of service and ministry that continues to this day.

“It means that perhaps I bring not just 40 plus years of learning and teaching in my fields of interest and study, but some venerated wisdom in life and ministry that I can pass on to others,” explains Dr. Barker.

In 1978, Dr. Barker began his teaching ministry at London Baptist Bible College & Seminary. When London merged with Central Baptist Seminary in 1993 to form Heritage College & Seminary, he continued to teach and served in several academic and administrative roles. While teaching and mentoring students in the classroom, he has also served the church in several pastoral roles and continues to travel to churches around the province to preach and teach the Bible.

Today, Dr. Barker continues to have a passion and heart to teach the Bible. He explains that his motivation to teach and mentor students at Heritage comes from the joy he gets helping students know the Bible more and, through this, see them grow as they come to know Christ more through its pages.

“It is through the teaching of the content of the Bible and how to interpret the Bible that we come to see and know Christ in his saving work, and by the power of the Spirit embrace his values, virtues, and sense of mission in the Church and world,” says Dr. Barker.

Dr. Barker now becomes Heritage’s second Professor Emeritus, sharing the title with long-time fellow faculty member and friend Dr. Stanley K. Fowler, Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies. For him, to share this title with a person whose teaching and writing has impacted so many - including himself - is truly meaningful.

“This is a huge honour to be linked with one of the finest theologians I have ever known,” says Dr. Barker. “He has impacted my theology, my understanding of morals and ethics and how to process decision-making in these domains, and my understanding of church. Stan has modelled for me and for so many others how to engage in difficult and complex conversations with both an irenic spirit and deep conviction.”

As Dr. Fowler continues his recovery from a recent stroke, Dr. Barker says that he shares with many others the grief over the impact of this stroke and continues to pray that God will be merciful to him and his wife, Donna, and restore some measure of health.

“His voice and pen are so needed in our times,” says Dr. Barker.

On behalf of the Heritage community, I want to thank each of you who have joined us in praying for Dr. Stan Fowler, his wife, Donna, and their family.  Stan continues to receive treatment after suffering a stroke this past summer.

I wanted to pass along some encouraging answers to our prayers.  A few weeks ago, a specialist was able to see Stan and the decision was made to move forward with removing his tracheal tube. This is a wonderful answer to prayer as it allows Stan to move forward with the process of rehabilitation at a hospital in Kitchener, Ontario.

The Fowlers recently purchased a new home in Cambridge that will better suit Stan’s needs.  They are now putting their current home in Kitchener up for sale. Their new home will have some needed renovations completed before they move, plus be equipped with some specific equipment that will allow Stan’s rehabilitation to continue. Once everything is in place, Stan will be able to move from the hospital to their new home.

In the next few weeks Heritage will be setting up a Go Fund Me page so that donations can be made to help offset the costs of renovations and the equipment that is needed.

Please continue to intercede for Stan, Donna, and their family.  Ask the Lord to grant Stan and Donna endurance for the rehab process.  Pray for a quick sale and short closing date for their current home and a smooth transition to their new home. Finally, please continue to pray that God would grant Stan a strong and significant recovery.  May the Lord show His power and grace in a way that brings glory to His name!

Warmly,

Dr. Rick Reed

President of Heritage College & Seminary

Queen Victoria and Major-General Charles George Gordon were two prominent historical figures during the British empire’s late-nineteenth century. Often, the two were considered heroic figures in the age of empires – a period coinciding with the New Imperialism.

The link with empire and the role both Queen Victoria and General Gordon played in the imagination and discourse playing the age of empires will be the focus of this year’s Andrew Fuller Centre for Baptist Studies Annual Lecture happening online Friday, October 29 starting at 7:30pm.

This year’s guest lecturer is Dr. Gordon L. Heath. Dr. Heath serves as Professor of Christian History at McMaster Divinity College in Hamilton, Ontario, and is also the Director of the Canadian Baptist Archives.

People are welcome to take part in this special livestream lecture event online and will be able to participate in a special question-and-answer period that will take place following Dr. Heath’s presentation. The lecture will also be free to attend online.

To register for this year’s Andrew Fuller Centre for Baptist Studies Lecture, please visit DiscoverHeritage.ca/AFC2021.