Canadian Chinese School of Theology Vancouver

Vision statement of CCST Vancouver

Based on biblical truth, we provide relevant theological training to nurture God's servants to pass on ministry and mission, fulfilling Christ's commandment.

Mission statement of CCST Vancouver

To nurture God's servants and equip the laity.

Motto of CCST Vancouver

'And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.' 2 Tim.2:2 (NIV)

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Latest Events

Honoring the Mission, Embracing Change, Moving Forward — Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of CCST Vancouver

More than a decade ago, a group of visionary pastors, deeply concerned for the Chinese churches in Canada, recognized the challenges and opportunities brought by waves of immigration and the growth of second-generation believers. Out of a heart to equip a new generation of pastors and lay leaders, they founded the Association of Canadian Chinese Theological Education, which gave birth to the Canadian Chinese School of Theology. In 2015, the Vancouver campus officially began offering classes. Today, we are thankful as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of CCST Vancouver.

There is a saying: 'It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred to nurture a person.' Over the past decade, guided by God's gracious hand and the faithful support of many companions, CCST Vancouver has achieved important milestones: first gaining official recognition from the Province of British Columbia, then receiving Educational Quality Assurance (EQA) and Designated Learning Institution (DLI) status from the Ministry of Post-Secondary & Future Skills, and also being accredited by the Asian Theological Association (ATA) to grant masters and doctoral degrees, and finally acquiring our present campus in 2018. These milestones testify to God's faithfulness and the steadfast labor of our team.

This past decade has also been a time of significant change for theological education in North America. In the wake of the pandemic, society has faced ongoing unrest, rapid advances in technology and artificial intelligence, and the shockwaves of global economic and political shifts. At the same time, churches have struggled with moral challenges and the increasing decline of the next generation. In such a context, seminaries can no longer remain in ivory towers, detached from the world. We must reimagine how theological education can help Christians respond faithfully to the realities they face. In a culture that prioritizes quick fixes, measurable results, and performance, it is easy to be drawn toward consumer-driven models or skills-based training for instant result.

As we enter a new decade, we have recommitted ourselves to serve the Chinese churches of Canada as our primary focus. Based in Vancouver, we use hybrid model—blending online and in-person learning—to reach Chinese churches across Canada, including the remote communities. Our vision is to nurture disciples with theological depth, spiritual discernment, and commitment to God's call, those who would walk alongside the Church and live out the Kingdom of God.

Our 10th anniversary is not only a celebration, but also a launch-out to the next chapter. Let us move forward together, nurturing lives for God's Kingdom. Every form of support is an investment in the future of Church leadership.

Walk Together into the Future: 10th Anniversary 'Walk for Fund'

Supporting theological education today is an investment for the Church tomorrow. Join us through action—walk, give, and pray—as we witness together God's work in CCST Vancouver in the coming decade!

The 10th Anniversary Fundraising Campaign will support three key development areas:

Student Financial Aid Fund
To provide consistent, sustainable support that allows more Christians to pursue their calling—regardless of financial limitations.
Expanding Core Faculty
We aim to add at least two full-time professors within five years to enhance academic capacity and spiritual mentorship.
Campus Expansion and Digital Resource Platform
To support hybrid learning, we intend to build a sustainable e-library and academic platform for local and remote students.

CCST Vancouver 10th Anniversary Celebration Events

June 5, 2025 - Walk for Fund
November 15, 2025 - Thanksgiving Gala
November 22, 2025 - Open House

To learn more about CCST Vancouver, please visit our website: https://ccstvan.ca

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Honoring the Mission, Embracing Change, Moving Forward

CCST Vancouver's mission is to nurture God's servants and equip the laity for His kingdom. In a rapidly changing world, church ministry is becoming increasingly complex. Externally, we continue to witness profound shifts—post-Covid recovery, technological advancements, and growing polarization and fragmentation across cultures and generations—all of which impact the church and its mission. Internally, we have implemented significant changes, including curriculum updates that incorporate interdisciplinary and case-based learning, and upgrades to our student data and library systems, introduction of hybrid classroom teaching environment, all aimed at strengthening our ability to meet these challenges and equip our students to serve effectively in the church and in the world.

As we adapt and move forward, we recognize that transformation is essential for growth and relevance. Yet, through every change, we remain steadfast in our calling to form students who see the world theologically and live out Christ's commands—to love God, love our neighbors, and make disciples of all nations. Confident in our unwavering foundation in Christ, we trust that He will guide us through every challenge and opportunity.

This report highlights the stories of our students and alumni, whose lives and service reflect how our mission is being lived out in the world. We invite you to celebrate with us and partner in this vital ministry through prayer and financial support. Together, we can honor the mission God has entrusted to us, embrace the changes ahead, and advance His kingdom.

Joyce Chan

Principal

continue reading 2024 Annual Report

In times of rapid social change, trauma has quietly made its way into the depths of church communities and the lives of pastors. Whether due to migration stress, the pandemic, generational conflicts, or internal church tensions, both congregants and pastors may carry unspoken wounds. How can the church become a safe, healing, and renewing space? And when pastors themselves are hurting, how can they continue to serve without being crushed?

With the continued support this year from the Ministry in the HUB Grant of the City Seminary of New York, Project Shalom (click here) is launching the 'Healthy Pastors, Healthy Churches' initiative. One of the key highlights will be a pastoral seminar and retreat scheduled for late June. We are honored to have Dr. Andres Tang, Professor of Christian Thought (Theology and Culture) at Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary, as our keynote speaker. Drawing from his theological insights and pastoral experience, Dr. Tang will guide us through an exploration of trauma-informed pastoral care and its theological foundations, inviting pastors to reflect on:

Why is trauma not only a psychological issue, but also a deeply spiritual and theological one?

How can pastors identify and walk alongside trauma survivors?

When pastors themselves are wounded, how can theology support rather than burden them?

We are privileged to have conducted a series of interviews with Dr. Tang, where he shares insights on how trauma impacts the church and the importance of trauma-informed pastoral care within the context of Chinese pastors today.

Here is the first video segment, where Dr. Tang shares why, as a Christian theologian, he has developed a deep concern for 'psychological trauma,' a topic often seen as belonging to the field of psychology.(For more videos, please refer to this link.)

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Biblical Interpretation: Theories and Practice - Dr. Archie Hui
This course is a study of central methods and interpretative principles involved in discerning the meaning of the biblical text. Topics covered include essential steps in interpreting the Bible, the variety of methods and approaches available to the contemporary student of Scripture, historical and theological issues arising out of the interpretative task, the relationship between the testaments, word studies and literary genre. Students learn to use the standard tools of advanced biblical research.
Christianity and Chinese Culture - Dr. Edwin Lee
This course surveys the history, development and characteristics of Chinese culture, in comparison to that of Christian faith. Building on an interplay of diachronic (historical) and synchronic (thematic) approaches, it explores the relationship and integration of Christianity and Chinese culture, and our response to contemporary world culture. Special emphasis is put on the application on apologetic evangelism, pastoral ministries, missiological considerations, and theological contextualization.
Biblical Disc`ipleship - Effective Discipleship in Ministry - Rev. Dr. Leo Chia
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the biblical view of discipleship, constructing a sustainable disciple-making program that aligns with the Bible, promotes spiritual growth, and builds spiritual communities.
Thinking Theologically for Ministry - Dr. Edwin Lee
This course prepares students for theological studies in the way of reception and conception. Reception is how we take in ideas around us whereas conception is how we construct framework of understanding so that we may have a macroscopic as well as microscopic view of things. It helps us to properly respond to situations at hand and to plan, and in short to operate in a theologically informed way as we are in ministry. Although we aim at learning how to think theologically, we would go beyond just the Bible and theology proper into the lifeworld.

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The 8th Graduation and Commissioning Service

We request the honour of your presence at the 8th Graduation and Commissioning Service of the Canadian Chinese School of Theology Vancouver on May 31 (Saturday) at Richmond Chinese Baptist Church.

2025 June Public Seminars

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Project Shalom

In the Bible, the word shalom 'is most commonly used to refer to a state of affairs, one of well-being, tranquility, prosperity, and security,' a perfect state of circumstances. 'Shalom is a blessing, a manifestation of divine grace.' (click here) With this initiative, we are hoping to promote mental and emotional wellness among the Chinese immigrant community beginning with the Greater Vancouver Chinese immigrant churches.

For details, please refer to the website: https://projectshalom.ccstvan.ca/

Project Shalom will host various activities throughout the year. We warmly invite you to click the links to learn more.

Workshop Sharing - The Path of Growth is Not a Straight Line

The Path of Growth is Not a Straight Line

Rev. Anson Ann

When I saw the seminar topic 'Whose Childhood is Free From Hurt?' I didn't hesitate and immediately signed up. This is because issues related to the family of origin, communication between generations, personality formation, marital relationships, and parenting are all common challenges when pastoring immigrant families in North America. Teacher Joseph Hui is a seasoned marriage and family therapist. Through his rich clinical experience and real-life examples, he helped us understand the psychological and emotional needs of a person during their growth, especially how these needs impact an individual's development. Teacher Hui thoroughly explained the profound influence of the family of origin on a person's self-image and values, character development, emotional control, and problem-solving patterns.

In addition, the Satir Family Therapy Model that he taught gave me a deeper understanding of how a person can achieve life transformation. Before behavior change can occur, a person must go through three important stages: first, awareness of their problems (Awareness), second, acknowledgment of the existence of these problems (Acknowledgement), and third, acceptance of the need to change (Acceptance). Only on this foundation can the person be willing to take action and for change to happen (Action to Change). What left the deepest impression on me was when Teacher Hui mentioned that in clinical counseling, he spends most of his time helping clients go through these three stages—awareness, acknowledgment, and acceptance. When we evangelize or teach, we often focus on explaining the gospel or biblical truths, hoping that a person will be transformed upon understanding of truths, which I realize we over-simplifies the process for transformation. If a person remains unchanged, we assume their hearts are hardened or that they don't believe in the first place. However, the transformation of the heart requires a long process, and calls for patient engagement and accompaniment. It is especially important to note that when people first become aware of their issues, they often fall into the stage of resistance, confusion, and entanglement. It is not uncommon for them to backslide or get stuck. The path of growth is not a straight line. This insight inspires and helps me in managing my expectations in pastoral care.

Finally, I sincerely hope that the seminary will continue to offer more courses that combine theology and psychology, helping pastors and ministers gain a deeper understanding of people's needs so that we can effectively plant the seeds of the gospel in people's hearts.

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