About Regent
Welcome to Regent
Regent College is a graduate school where theological depth meets spiritual formation. It’s a vibrant community where many paths cross and many lives are changed. Above all, it’s a place to explore the difference Christ makes to everything.
Regent welcomes hundreds of students into our community each year. Many enroll in one of our six distinct graduate programs. Whatever program fits your journey, we encourage you to root yourself in God’s story as you grow into the person God calls you to be. You’ll study with classmates from around the world and from countless walks of life. You’ll learn from gifted scholars who love God, care deeply for their students, and believe theology matters for every vocational path. Immersed in a community that encompasses dozens of nationalities and denominations, you’ll learn from diverse Christian traditions, encountering God’s work and character in fresh ways. Your perspective will be changed—and you will be too.
Regent College is more than a graduate school. It’s an invitation to be transformed.
Explore the Difference
Some years ago, Professor Emeritus J. I. Packer happened to walk by a group of future students getting an introduction to Regent. The presenter flagged him down and asked him to describe what makes Regent special. Dr. Packer thought for a moment.
“At Regent,” he said, “we explore the difference Christ makes to everything.”
This simple statement so perfectly captured the essence of Regent, it’s been shared with incoming students ever since.
Explore the difference Christ makes to everything. That’s what we do at Regent. And we’d love for you to join us.
Explore. Studying theology is about going on an adventure with God, not memorizing facts or completing a checklist. We set out to know God better, and we expect to be surprised along the way.
Difference. We believe theology makes a real difference. If we’re doing it right, studying theology changes how we think and how we live. As we learn to love and serve God better, we are transformed.
Christ. Our ultimate allegiance isn’t to an institution or an abstraction, but to a person. We put Christ at the centre because it is Christ who makes the difference, Christ who makes our journey possible. Jesus is why we’re here.
Everything. Theology isn’t just for academics or church leaders—it's for all of God’s people. Because Christ makes a difference to everything, theology belongs to everyone. It belongs in every conversation and every corner of human experience. Theology is for all of us and for all of life.
Regent's Story
In the mid-1960s, a group of people in the Vancouver area got together and realized they wanted a kind of theological education they couldn’t find. In fact, they wanted a kind of theological school they couldn’t find. They decided to create that school.
The people who first imagined Regent College weren’t pastors or academics. They were ordinary Christians with one very simple, very powerful idea: our faith matters for all of life. No matter who we are, where we come from, how we do church, or what we do for a living, what we believe about God matters. It matters for our work, for our relationships, for our understanding of who we are. That means theology isn’t just for pastors or academics. It’s for everyone—the whole people of God.
Regent College was born out of that insight. From the beginning, it was different from any other theology school. It was more culturally engaged. More eclectic. More … quirky.
Because God is gracious (and has a good sense of humour), this quirky College grew. It attracted incredible scholars. It got its own building. And it stayed quirky. Regent people were interested in things like ecology and mental health before they were hot topics. And Regent is the only theology school we know of that spontaneously sprouted an art gallery on its top floor.
Regent has always been a bit quirky, and we like it that way. We like being home to students and faculty who are curious about the world, creative in how they engage people and ideas, and utterly committed to following Christ wherever he leads.
If you’re curious, creative, and committed—and maybe a bit quirky—we think you’ll like it here too. We’re excited to see what the future holds for the Regent community, and we hope you'll be a part of it.
Milestones
| 1965 | Long before it had a name and a charter from the BC government, Regent College was a dream in the hearts of many people, including E. Marshall Sheppard, James M. Houston, Donald Tinder, Ward Gasque, Carl E. Armerding, Walter Liefeld, Paul Little, Arthur Hill, G. C. D. Howley, Charles Todd, Jr., Paul E Leonard, John Williams, Brian Sutherland, Wiliam J. Martin, and others. |
| 1968 | Incorporation of Regent College. |
| 1969 | Regent College celebrates its official inauguration, and 56 students attend its first summer programs, held in St. Andrew's Hall on the UBC campus. |
| 1970 | James M. Houston becomes Principal of Regent College. |
| 1970 |
Regent moves to the basement of the Vancouver School of Theology. The Diploma in Christian Studies (DipCS) program is inaugurated. Regent's first full year of classes begins with a tragedy, as Dianne Pindred and David Self—two of the six students enrolled for the Fall term—are killed in a car accident in August before classes begin. |
| 1971 | Four students graduate at Regent's first Convocation. Enrollment grows from 4 to 44. |
| 1972 | The Master of Christian Studies (MCS) degree is inaugurated. |
| 1974 | Regent obtains affiliation with the University of British Columbia (UBC). |
| 1975 | Regent moves to two fraternity houses on Wesbrook Mall. |
| 1978 | Carl Armerding becomes Principal of Regent College. |
| 1979 | The Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree is inaugurated. |
| 1980 | Regent College and Carey Hall sign a formal statement of affiliation. |
| 1983 | The Master of Theology (ThM) degree is inaugurated. |
| 1985 | Regent obtains accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada. |
| 1988 | Regent moves to a brand new “green-roofed” building on University Boulevard. Walter Wright becomes President. |
| 2000 | Rod Wilson becomes President of Regent College. |
| 2003 | The Marketplace Institute is formed. |
| 2007 | The construction of the John Richard Allison Library and various building renovations are completed. |
| 2010 | Regent celebrates its fortieth Convocation. |
| 2013 | The Master of Christian Studies degree is renamed Master of Arts in Theological Studies (MATS). The Diploma in Christian Studies is renamed Graduate Diploma in Christian Studies (GradDipCS). |
| 2015 | Jeff Greenman becomes President of Regent College. |
| 2018 | The Master of Arts in Leadership, Theology & Society (MALTS) program is inaugurated. |
| 2019 | The Master of Arts in Christian Studies (MACS) program is inaugurated. |
| 2021 | Following a delay caused by Covid-19, the Regent community celebrates "50 Years & Beyond" with a joyful online reunion that brings together alumni, faculty, and friends from every decade of Regent's existence. |
| 2025 | Paul Spilsbury becomes President of Regent College. |
In This Section
We invite you to learn more about Regent College from the other pages in this section. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our community, please don't hesitate to reach out! We look forward to hearing from you.
News
Read our recent announcements and updates, and catch up on official happenings in the Regent community. (You may also want to visit our Events page to learn about upcoming opportunities.)
Contact Us
Get in touch, plan a visit, find faculty or staff, or share an update with us. Browse this section's subpages for a staff directory, hours of operation, and directions and parking information.
Leadership
Learn about Regent's President, Board of Governors, Senate, and academic committees.
Accreditation & Outcomes
Regent College is accredited by the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada, recognized by the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada, and affiliated with the University of British Columbia. To track our educational effectiveness, Regent collects information from alumni about how well their experience reflects the published learning outcomes for of our degree programs.
Mission, Values & Theological Position
According to our Global Mission Statement, Regent College cultivates intelligent, vigorous, and joyful commitment to Jesus Christ, His church, and His world. Regent further articulates its priorities, aspirations, and institutional commitments in terms of our Educational Mission, a description of our Ethos, a list of key Values, and a Theological Position.
Policies
The policy statements published in this section relate to community life and safety (e.g., the Regent College Bullying and Harassment, and Discrimination Prevention Policy), our collection and use of data (e.g., our Privacy Policy), and emergency procedures (e.g., our Severe Weather Policy).
Employment
Open faculty and staff positions are posted on our Employment page. (Please note that Student Employee and Teaching Assistant positions are posted elsewhere. See our Student Employment page for details.)
Subscribe
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