Dale Woods gives pointers as a student practices a sermon. Photo by Peter Ford Photography

Presbyterian College launches church renewal campaign

“What do we need to do so it becomes a strength?”

By Craig Macartney and ChristianWeek Senior Correspondent | March 4, 2014

MONTREAL, QC—As membership declines and congregations age in many of Canada’s mainline churches, Montreal’s Presbyterian College is looking for ways to better equip its graduating pastors and develop their expertise in “church renewal.”

There’s no question membership in traditional churches is dropping, while the average age of members increases steadily. But Presbyterian College’s principal elect, Dale Woods, has hope.

“New church development and congregation renewal are two of the most important things for the Church today,” Woods says. “It’s fair to say that, in terms of new church plants for sure, it’s not one of the Presbyterian Church’s strengths. So the question is: what do we need to do in the next five years so it becomes a strength?”

Last year, Presbyterian College began offering a master of divinity program specializing in either church planting or church renewal. Woods says students get a strong theological background, but if they want to develop expertise, aspiring ministers need the opportunity to experiment with new models of church.

“We set apart May, June, July and August, when students are not in school, and we offer them an opportunity to work in a new church development or a congregation that’s going through significant transition. We pay them bursaries, but there are certain conditions: they have to read certain materials, journal their experiences and be willing to teach the rest of us.”

The program was piloted last year with one student, Christopher Clarke, and the college expects to continue with two more students this year, eventually increasing to six. Woods believes these students will be much better positioned when they take on a congregation of their own.

“It is a pretty serious testing of the call,” Clarke says. “You can really get a sense of whether or not this life is for you, if your skills are up to the challenges and where you need to improve. This placement has humbled me and made me a much more avid and interested learner because I am far better aware of what I need to learn.”

Clarke says he has also gained critical experience in the behind-the-scenes side of pastoral work.

“The key learning from this has been the need for total reliance upon God to get the job done, because no group can do it on its own. We need to be savvy, but we also need to be watching for where God is already at work around us, and hop on board.”