St. Bede’s College Granted Accreditation

My dear brothers in Christ,

In my capacity as Chairman of the Board of Regents and President of Saint Bede’s Anglican Catholic Theological College, I am pleased to announce that St. Bede’s College has been granted accreditation as an international distance education theological college through ASIC (Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities). The Dean of St. Bede’s College, the Rev. Dr. Norman Flowers, has been spearheading our accreditation inspections and evaluations over the past two years leading up to accreditation . Previously, at the meeting of the College of Bishops in Portsmouth, England in 2007, St. Bede’s College was recognized as a theological college for the education and formation of clergy in the Traditional Anglican Communion.

Background Information:

Saint Bede's Anglican Catholic Theological College was established in 2002 to serve the needs of the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada and the Traditional Anglican Communion in the academic and pastoral training of men for the ordained ministry; and to provide post-ordination training and programs for those already ordained. The College is a not-for-profit post-secondary theological institution incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia (Canada), and is operated and funded through the Saint Bede’s Anglican Catholic Theological College Society, a not-for-profit society and registered charity.. The College is governed by a Board of Regents and is administered on a day-to-day basis by the President of the College, assisted by the Dean (who is responsible for the academic program, faculty and students).

Saint Bede’s Anglican Catholic Theological College provides candidates for ordination the theological courses, spiritual formation and pastoral training for ordination to the Sacred Orders of Deacon and Priest in accordance with the canonical requirements of The Anglican Catholic Church of Canada and the Traditional Anglican Communion. The preparation and training for ordination is divided into three components: spiritual formation, academic study, and ministry training. In this way, the candidate for ordination is exposed not only to the study of theology, but also to the spiritual, liturgical, and pastoral dimensions of the ordained ministry. This preparation enables the candidate to discern God’s will for his life and to undertake an intensive period of study and spiritual examination.

As a ‘virtual’ theological college, St. Bede’s Anglican Catholic Theological College offers its program of theological studies and spiritual formation by means of on-line courses, resident tutorials, directed readings and distance education programs, utilizing computer technology and electronic communications. Candidates for ordination may undertake their studies on either a full-time or part-time basis. Candidates for ordination are required to be active members of their local Parish, and receive practical training and preparation for the ordained ministry in and through prescribed and supervised participation in the life of the parish in its liturgical, sacramental and pastoral ministry. Upon successful completion of the prescribed program of theological studies and ministry preparation, the candidate for ordination is granted a Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) or Master of Divinity (M.Div.) by the Board of Regents, and is recommended for ordination to their Diocesan Bishop.

Fraternally in Christ,

+Shane

The Most Reverend Shane B. Janzen, O.S.G., D.D. Chairman, Board of Regents and President Saint Bede's Anglican Catholic Theological College

Traditional Anglican Communion