Our Ongoing Response to the
Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada
The mission of Acadia Divinity College is to equip Christians to serve the mission of God in church and world with transformative impact. In the landscape of contemporary Canada, a critical piece of this work is preparing leaders to engage in complex conversations around reconciliation and justice in theologically grounded and contextually sensitive ways.
ADC is committed to learning from and partnering with our Indigenous friends and neighbours as we take intentional steps to decolonize our thinking, our curriculum, and our institutional practice, living into a faith that embraces the whole people of God.
About the TRC
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established in 2008 with a mandate to help Canadians learn the difficult history and ongoing legacy of residential schools; to document the harms done to individuals, families and communities; and to begin guiding the way through the long process of reconciliation. In the years that followed, more than 6750 Survivors and witnesses stepped forward to share their stories with the Commission, some privately and others at public events held across the country.
The final report of the TRC, submitted in 2015, reflected on the collective weight of these stories and explored the challenge of reconciliation in the face of enduring colonial policies and institutional discrimination. It recognized the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as “the framework for reconciliation at all levels and across all sectors of society” and re-emphasized its calls for partnership and a spirit of mutual respect as we seek a way forward together. The Commission’s final report included 94 Calls to Action addressed to all levels of government, as well as to institutions and individual Canadians – 94 appeals for us all to take concrete action in moving toward reconciliation.
Called to Action
Among the 94 Calls to Action issued by the TRC were a number of calls directed specifically to churches, faith communities, and schools of theology. All denominations and faith communities, regardless of whether they played an active role in operating residential schools or not, were called upon to participate in the work of reconciliation by repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery as a justification for European sovereignty and by formally adopting the UNDRIP, ensuring that all current programs, policies, and practices align with the standards it describes.
In 2016, Canadian Baptists responded with an official apology offered by Canadian Baptist Ministries Executive Director Terry Smith. This apology was later formally endorsed by a resolution of the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada (CBAC), which affirmed that “our hope is not merely to eliminate conflict, but to partner with The Creator as he restores all of Creation to a state of right relationship… Our heartbeat is for God’s justice, hope, and healing to spread throughout Atlantic Canada.”
The resolution laid out a set of concrete steps to be taken by the denomination on the path toward forgiveness and reconciliation. These commitments included encouraging and promoting the work of ADC as we seek to respond to TRC Call to Action #60, which calls on seminaries and schools of theology to develop and teach curriculum on the need to respect Indigenous peoples and their spirituality, and on the history and legacy of residential schools and religious conflict in Canada.
Walking in a Good Way with our Indigenous Neighbours
ADC is committed to continual learning about how to walk in a good way with our Indigenous neighbours. In addition to receiving valuable guidance from Acadia University’s Office for L’Nu Affairs and Indigenization on how to cultivate good and respectful relationships with local First Nations communities, for more than a decade now, ADC has been on a journey of learning through its partnership with NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community.
Originally known as the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies, NAIITS was established in 1999 to respond to the historical marginalization of Indigenous voices in Christian theology and education. From its beginning as a handful of Indigenous scholars gathering to explore missiological issues together, NAIITS has grown into an ATS-accredited, non-sectarian theological school offering five graduate degree programs designed to amplify Indigenous voices in theological education. Since 2014, ADC has partnered with NAIITS as a granting institution for masters’ degrees and in offering Indigenous-led courses to ADC students. In addition, the NAIITS Symposium – an annual gathering dedicated to exploring the contextualization of theology and biblical studies in Indigenous perspective – has been hosted on Acadia’s campus three times, most recently in June 2026.
ADC is also an active partner in the Canadian Learning Community for Decolonization and Innovation in Theological Education (CLC). This collaborative initiative – led by NAIITS in partnership with ADC, Ambrose Seminary and Tyndale Seminary – brings theological schools from across the country together to support and learn from one another as we collectively endeavour to reimagine theological education and congregational engagement in ways that reflect deeper understanding of history and context, greater engagement with Indigenous perspectives and scholarship, and more faithful reflection of Creator’s heart for transformative love and justice.
Current Initiatives
Master of Divinity – Indigenous Studies Specialization
As part of ADC’s commitment to decolonizing our curriculum, the Master of Divinity program outcomes have recently been revised to more explicitly integrate Indigenous ways of knowing and being. In addition, a new MDiv specialization in Indigenous Studies is now available, designed to prepare students to serve with intercultural humility, contribute to healing and reconciliation in a post-TRC Canada, and grow as Christian leaders who can engage Scripture, theology, and ministry practice in conversation with Indigenous wisdom and communities.
ADC Expand Microcredential – Faithful Neighbouring in a Post-TRC Canada
As part of ADC’s commitment to support CBAC pastors and leaders in their own journeys toward learning and reconciliation, ADC Expand now offers a micro-credential that equips Christian ministry leaders to understand the histories, theologies, and relationships influencing Indigenous-Christian engagement in Canada, and to begin to move from good intention to faithful action in their own ministry contexts.
ADC Outdoor Learning Space
As part of ADC’s commitment to decolonizing our pedagogy, a building project is currently underway to create an outdoor learning space adjacent to the College. Designed in consultation with local Mi’kmaw Elders, the space will include both a sheltered teaching area for smaller groups and a larger surrounding amphitheatre, as well as blueberry bushes and other indigenous plants to ensure that when we gather there is food to share. The outdoor learning space will be a new way to connect our community with Creator and the College with the broader University campus, encouraging pause and reflection amidst the busyness of campus life.
Narrative Timeline of Indigenous Relations in Atlantic Canada
As part of ADC’s commitment to ongoing learning and truthful remembering, we have created an interactive, narrative timeline that intertwines the histories of Mi’kmaq and other Indigenous peoples, European colonization, and Baptist presence in Atlantic Canada. This historical overview, interspersed with invitations to moments of reflection, grounds learning and understanding in story, giving context to complexity, naming difficult truths, and helping us imagine new ways to respond with faithful next steps in theological education and the church.