One of ETEQ’s major values is partnership. We work with other organizations that seek to further Kingdom practices within the French-speaking world, beginning with Quebec. We seek to express the eternal truth that God is at work both in us as well as around us and that He is honoured when we recognize and join in on what He is carrying out in this world. At times, ETEQ is the initiator and visible leader in a work God has prepared (Ephesians 2:10), other times we are giving a helping hand to others serving God’s purposes. We are His work, not our own, and that implies that we do not set our own boundaries. We are never owners, but always thankful servants in a great and eternal adventure led by Christ.
“Join in and work with me!”
With more than 20 of our 70 students at the Master’s level and more than half of those well into their research and writing, ETEQ is becoming a strong partner for the Quebec Church. In the last months, six ETEQ students presented their research projects here on our campus in Montreal and of those three were selected to present on the Université Laval campus in Quebec City, our public educational partner. Each of our Master’s students is coached by a team of two research directors, one from our ETEQ team and another from the Faculty of Theology of Université Laval. These partnerships are opening new areas of pastoral, biblical, hermeneutical, theological and historical studies for the Quebec Evangelical Church. New platforms are emerging for cooperation among Québécois Theology professors, providing fresh perspectives on the missional work of the Evangelical academic community. All this happens en français!
As has been the case for many years, ETEQ courses continue right through the summer. We have classes 12 months a year, both at the undergraduate and graduate level. We expect to see more growth in the year to come as ETEQ invests in the development of a vibrant internship program, also year-round. In fact, at the graduate level, more and more students are choosing the Major in Pastoral Studies which includes a 10-month internship/field research component in Churches in Montreal or elsewhere in Canada and overseas.
As of September 2018, we will be offering our first-ever courses in English towards a Certificat en études pastorales (Minor in Pastoral Studies) of 30 credits granted by Université Laval. We will be partnering with the Anglophone Evangelical communities and calling upon their best English-speaking teachers to join our team. We are praying for what may well be the greatest partnership Montreal Evangelicals have to offer: believers from both linguistic communities gathering together to learn in either (or both) French classes or/and English classes. Stay tuned…
Our first-ever Fête des vocations (job or career fair) was held on campus on March 22. The day brought together 18 leaders from 4 church families as well as chaplaincy ministries to connect with students. One pastor who has been in Montreal for almost 30 years visited the school for the first time and said, “I’ve been dreaming for years of seeing church families gather together in a spirit of Kingdom partnerships. Today the dream became a reality.”
Over a dozen testimonies, short ministry opportunity presentations, as well as mini-teachings on “divine-calling” filled the 10-hour program. Classes were proclaimed “Open House” as visitors were welcomed to both seek God’s vocational leading as well as discover the school. People felt we had lived through a historical day as a young new school.