The Wycliffe Difference

Theological Tradition that Shapes Christian Living

Wycliffe College is an evangelical Anglican seminary committed to theology in the tradition of the Reformation, an evangelical outlook and mission, and a life together shaped by Scripture and the Prayer Book of the Anglican Church.  The college began in the schoolhouse of St. James Cathedral in downtown Toronto as the “Protestant Episcopal Divinity School,” founded by lay association to train clergy who were evangelical and low-church within the Diocese of Toronto.  The current building was built in 1891 and named for John Wycliffe, who is known as the Morning Star of the Reformation.  At that point the college also adopted the name of the building and thus became Wycliffe College. 

The Reformed tradition embodied by Wycliffe is expressed evangelically in its commitment to the authority of scripture and its transforming mission.  Built in 1910, Founders’ Chapel embodies this tradition in our worship life together, with stained glass images of Wycliffe and subsequent Reformers looking over the chapel from the back.  Two stained glass sequences on each wall tell the story of the English Bible (translating the Word of God into the vernacular of the people) and the major Anglican missions in Canada (bringing the Word of God to the people of the world).  Wycliffe, at its core, is scriptural and missional in its outlook and currently welcomes a broad variety of “evangelicals” from a wide variety of traditions outside the Anglican Church of Canada.  The structure of our life together, much of which happens in and around the chapel, is built on the liturgy of the Anglican Prayer Book: daily morning and evening prayer with Holy Communion on Wednesdays.  Within that structure Wycliffe benefits from the broader evangelical community by incorporating different traditions of worship, preaching, and music into the services. 

Learn more about Wycliffe's Roots >>

Location, Resources, and Facilities

Wycliffe is one of the member colleges of the Toronto School of Theology (TST).  The TST is comprised of seven denominationally affiliated colleges and serves as a centralized administrative body for the graduate programs offered through the colleges.  This collaboration gives students a chance to study with and learn from a diversity of people from different denominational affiliations and backgrounds, and it offers all students within the TST the ability to choose from a wide array of courses offered through each college.

Wycliffe is also at the centre of the University of Toronto, in the heart of Canada's most multicultural city.  Wycliffe’s degrees are awarded conjointly with the UofT, and students in conjoint programs have access not only to the resources of TST, but also to the resources and facilities of the wider UofT, including the world-class Robarts Library.  For students pursuing ministry work, Toronto boasts an unparalleled range of churches, ministries, and parachurch organizations, with plenty of opportunities for Christian service in one of the world's most diverse cities.

Find out more about the University of Toronto and the city of Toronto.

A Place to Serve

Wycliffe encourages students to live out what they have learned, in support of the church and for the life of the world. There are many opportunities to get involved, including programs which engage the complex issues of our day and equip our students to face them.  Students serve in everything from church placements and development/relief organizations to student government and weekly worship.  Our programs integrate this service into our classroom through theological reflection and deliberation, giving students the chance to strengthen their ministries with the help of their peers and mentors.

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