Taiwan Seminary

The origin of “Taishen” (台神), known as “Taiwan Theological College and Seminary” (台灣神學院), can be traced back to 1872 when the Canadian Presbyterian missionary George Leslie Mackay (偕叡理, later known as 馬偕, 1844-1901) first arrived in Tamsui, making it one of the oldest theological institutions in Asia. However, it was not until June 1882 that a building was established and named "Oxford College" after Mackay's Canadian hometown in Oxford County, Ontario. It was briefly closed during the Japanese occupation, used by Japanese military from 1944 until 1945.[1][3]

After the war, Taishen was led by Rev. James Ira Dickson (孫雅各, 1900-1967) who was committed to improving the school’s infrastructure, standards for incoming students, and the granting of academic degrees. At the 7th Taiwan Presbyterian General Conference of 1954, the seminary trustees were authorized to sell the old school premises and purchase a piece of approximately sixty thousand square feet of land perched on the lower part of the Yangming Mountain as the new campus site. Upon the completion of the William Gauld Memorial Hall, currently the administrative building, and the male dormitory on September 21, 1956, the seminary was ready to relocate from Shuanglian to Lingtou and begin classes. During the following year, the Christian Education Department was added, followed by the Church Music Department. Evening seminars also started to be held.

In 2004, the Legislative Yuan revised the “Private Schools Law” to include a “Religious Training College” clause. In view of this new law, Taiwan Theological College and Seminary could allow graduates of Taishen to obtain a degree recognized by the Ministry of Education and also be able to create connections with other religious institutions and seminaries at home and abroad. Taishen then set out to begin discussions for registering the school with the Ministry of Education. In 2010, a “Taiwan Theological College and Seminary Consortium” was established to prepare for the process. On June 15, 2015, the “Taiwan Graduate School of Theology” was approved for accreditation and enrolment began under the new accredited school during the 2016 academic year.