Redeemer Pacific College
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Redeemer Pacific College is a Catholic college located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. It is the first Catholic college in the world that is a "teaching center" (College) of an evangelical university, Trinity Western University. The College was founded by Thomas Hamel and opened in 1999.
Redeemer Pacific College is an "orthodox" Catholic College, meaning that its teaching is faithful (i.e. accords) to the teaching of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.
History, Mission and Vision, Redeemer Pacific College (From a talk by Pres. Hamel, 3/24/07):
Welcome to Redeemer Pacific College, the only Catholic College in the world that is a Teaching Center of an Evangelical University. The college has been in operation for 8 years now. We opened in the fall of 1999 with 8 students, 2 very part-time professors and four courses. Today, RPC offers around 30 courses in Theology, Biblical Studies, Philosophy, English, Communications, History, Sacred Art, Latin and Teacher Education, all taught with loyalty to the Teachings of the Church. We have 3 professors who are either full time or 7/8 time and two part time professors. There are now at least 60 Catholic students on campus, and over the past few years 75-100 Evangelical students take courses at RPC each term as well. How did this happen?
History of RPC: I grew up in Chilliwack, went into the family business in 1969 after high school and in 1990, 21 years later, I sold my business in order to attend the Franciscan University of Steubenville with the goal of becoming a teacher in the Catholic school system. I was accepted for the Fall 1991 term at Franciscan, so had a year free in which I intended to take courses at a local university or College to gain some credits prior to moving to Ohio. Unfortunately, I ran into anti-Christian/anti-Catholic sentiment at the secular institutions where I applied. I also noted that the secular campus atmosphere was not what I would want for myself or for my children when they were ready to attend University. I therefore tried TWU and developed a great appreciation for the University. TWU’s example of the benefits that Christian higher education has in preparing young people for life in the world gave me the conviction that Young Catholics in our area needed something like this too. I decided to stay at TWU and completed my degree in History at TWU in 1995. However, I changed my mind about a teaching career and decided to pursue a Masters degree in Theology from Steubenville by distance education instead.
Just prior to graduation from TWU my wife and I had a meeting with then-Archbishop Adam Exner in which he said that the Archdiocese needs a good orthodox Catholic College. I told TWU’s Bob Burkinshaw, the Dean of Humanities, about this and to my surprise Bob suggested I speak to TWU’s administration with the idea of starting a Catholic College in partnership with TWU. I didn’t take this idea as seriously as I should have. However, while working on my Masters I had intended to get back into business to generate income for my family—but oddly every attempt I made to do so was frustrated. So at this point I prayed “Lord, I can’t seem to get anything going. I’ve tried it my way and now I’m willing to let you lead me—please show me what you want me to do.” I left it at that.
Soon after I was on TWU’s campus looking for books for my MA courses. I “happened” to run into Dr. Bob Burkinshaw and he once again encouraged me to approach TWU’s administration to found that Catholic College. This time I was more than ready to listen! Bob had me write a proposal and we met with Don Page, the Academic VP, shortly thereafter. Don told me he’d “been waiting for a long time to work with Catholics in higher education,” and he arranged meetings with TWU’s president Dr. Neil Snider, Executive VP Dr. Guy Saffold and the rest of TWU’s administration. The proposal was taken to the Board, which approved negotiations. Don got me an office on TWU’s campus and I spent two years getting the “project” off the ground and negotiating with TWU.
I’d done some fairly extensive reading on the state of Catholic colleges and universities—most of which (in the US at least) had become very liberal and secularized during the 1960’s. I wanted a Catholic College like Steubenville: an institution that, under the presidency of Fr. Michael Scanlan, was one of the first of a new breed of Catholic schools to buck the liberal, secularizing trend in Catholic higher Education. I contacted Fr. Scanlan and he agreed to help me, assigning two mentors, Dr. Stephen Miletic and Dr. Andrew Minto, to assist RPC (they still serve on RPC’s Board today).
I took this package—TWU, FUS and Redeemer Pacific College—to Archbishop Exner. Exner turned out to have close ties with Franciscan University and supported renewal in Catholic higher education. He was also an admirer of Trinity Western. Archbishop Exner gave the Redeemer Pacific College Committee permission to found an independent, lay-run Catholic College on June 13, 1997.
On December 17th, 1997, I had a visit with Guy Saffold in which he explained that RPC would need its own campus (we previously had discussed a lease of offices and classrooms). Our current location, just outside TWU’s gates, was the only nearby property not in the Agricultural Land Reserve. The owner would not sell and the RPC “project” appeared finished, since we needed close proximity for our students to take courses at both institutions. However, the owner died in a fiery car crash a mile away from the TWU campus the following spring. Archbishop Exner purchased the property for RPC from the deceased owner’s family, the TWU/RPC agreement was signed on January 18th, 1999, and the College opened in the fall of 1999.
How it works: Redeemer Pacific College is an approved “Teaching Center” of Trinity Western University. Our courses and professors are subject to the same academic approvals as TWU courses and professors. RPC’s courses are listed in the Trinity Western Calendar, and can be taken by Evangelical as well as Catholic students. Catholic students are both RPC & TWU students and take courses at both institutions to earn their TWU degree. Students can take up to half of their degree-requirements at Redeemer Pacific College.
RPC is at TWU to offer the Catholic perspective through university-level courses. TWU offers students over 38 major degree programs and RPC courses complement and add to these programs. The College offers enough advanced courses in Theology and Philosophy to offer the equivalent of a minor in Catholic Theology through TWU’s Christianity and Culture program.
But not all Catholic students who come to RPC/TWU are going to take lots of upper level Theology and Philosophy. However, every Catholic student, like every other student at TWU, must fulfill a number of core course requirements. These are typically first and second year courses that give students a solid foundation in subjects such as Religious Studies (Theology), Philosophy, Art, History, English, Communications and so forth. No matter what a student’s major, they are able to take the majority of their core courses in these subjects and more from the authentic Catholic perspective at RPC.
How do we ensure the authentic Catholicity of our courses? In addition to the guidance of the Church and the assistance of the University of Steubenville, I have a simple approach to ensuring that genuine Catholic teaching reaches the students in the classroom—I hire only faithful Catholic professors. In Catechesi Tradendai Pope John Paul II wrote:
“In Catechesis it is Christ, the Incarnate Word and Son of God, who is taught—everything else is taught with reference to him—and it is Christ alone who teaches—anyone else teaches to the extent that he is Christ’s spokesman, enabling Christ to teach with his lips. Whatever be the level of his responsibility in the Church, every catechist must constantly endeavor to transmit by his teaching and behavior the teaching and life of Jesus. He will not seek to keep directed towards himself and his personal opinions and attitudes the attention and consent of the mind and heart of the person he is catechizing. Above all, he will not try to inculcate his personal opinions and options as if they expressed Christ’s teaching and the lessons of his life. Every catechist should be able to apply to himself the mysterious words of Jesus: ‘My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me’” (Catechesi Tradendae).
I frequently thank God for sending RPC teachers who follow these principles.
Does the RPC enterprise work? Does RPC produce Catholic leaders who follow the Lord and His Church? Well, one of last years’ RPC grads is currently in the Seminary in Washington DC, studying to become a priest—and he is just one example. The major most RPC students take is Education: there are RPC/TWU trained students in the school system now and more to come. An RPC graduate recently completed a stint as executive director of the National Campus Life Network. My observation is that the overwhelming majority of our students are becoming faithful, enthusiastic Catholics who are taking what they’ve learned into their careers. Let me give you just one example of the thoroughly Christian minds the Lord is developing here at RPC. Here is a list of 3 essays written by one of our students last term.
Metaphysics: [Dr. Christopher Morrissey] The Metaphysics of Holy Orders: An ontological defense of male exclusive priesthood.
JPII Theology [Dr. Robert Stackpole]: The Primacy of the Marian Profile of the Church
Apologetics [Dr. Brook Herbert]: A defence of Catholic teaching on Contraception from Natural Law
These essays were written by a young lady who entered her first year at RPC very unsure about the Catholic faith!
Students thrive in this challenging and stimulating atmosphere of faith. A learning situation that includes both Catholics and Evangelicals leads to spirited discussions that challenge our students to “own their faith, not rent their parents’” and stimulates them by the example of Evangelical passion for the person of Christ.
At the same time, the dynamic between RPC and TWU promotes unity and understanding between Catholics and Evangelicals: Unity as we work side-by-side, as in the pro-life movement (“ecumenism of the trenches”). Understanding is increased not only by informal discussion, but also by serious academic work conducted by both students and professors.
I will be the first to tell you that this work has its challenges, but I am heartened that Our Lord is so manifestly blessing the work of our students, professors and staff. Though RPC is now in its eighth year, we are still in the early years of our development. The College is an independent Catholic institution that has the support of the Archbishop, but no archdiocesan funding. We rely on tuition and donations from individuals and from organizations like the Knights of Columbus for our ongoing existence. We are optimistically planning for future expansion in student numbers and in the construction of a new building. And we ask that you keep us in your prayers as we continue to discern the Lord’s plan for Redeemer Pacific College.
