The 4th ‘R’ in Education: Why Religious Literacy is Imperative for our Polarized World Webinar
September 18
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7:00 pm
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9:00 pm
What is Religion?
And why is it such a controversial topic in public education? Is there a way to see the study of religion become as basic to education as the 3 “Rs” of reading, writing, and arithmetic?
JOIN USfor a conversation around Leo Van Arragon’s new book, Reflections on Religious Literacy: Paradox, Promise and Politics in a Secular Age and help us press into the need for greater religious understanding in our polarized and often rather misinformed world.
With Host: Peter Schuurman, ED, Global Scholars Canada Respondents: Dr. Brian Carwana, ED, (Encounter World Religions), PhD Candidate, Traver Carlson (ICS) & Dr. Margie Patrick (The King’s University)
Through Global Scholars Canada, Dr. Michael Wagenman provides holistic support to Christian graduate students, faculty, and young professionals. This takes the form of discipleship, spiritual direction, vocational discernment, academic mentoring, and PhD research supervision.
Dr Wagenman is Senior Research Fellow and Director of PhD Studies at the Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology at Cambridge University. He is Research Associate at Union Theological College and the Presbyterian Church of Ireland in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He serves on the board of the Student YMCA at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is a member of the Faculty of Theology at Western University, in London, Ontario. He mentors students through the Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto and the University of Ottawa and Carleton University in Ottawa.
Dr. Wagenman has mentored students and junior scholars in Australia, Indonesia, China, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, Brazil, Chilie, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Zambia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Dr. Wagenman is the author of three books, more than one hundred journal, magazine, newspaper, and online articles.
Dr. Wagenman completed his PhD at the University of Bristol (UK) on “the power of the church” by bringing the French postmodern philosopher Michel Foucault into dialogue with the Dutch theologian-politician Abraham Kuyper, a massively influential Christian, scholar, public intellectual, and politician in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dr. Wagenman is currently writing a theological overview of Kuyper’s worldview as well as a theological analysis of British psychedelic rock (Pink Floyd) and a New Testament hermeneutical analysis of the claims made by Jesus’ adversaries in the first century, that he was a sinner.
Prior to joining Global Scholars Canada, Dr. Wagenman served for 20 years as chaplain at Western University in London, Ontario. He is also Minister Emeritus in the Christian Reformed Church.
One of his former students had this to say about how his work impacted her life:
I came to Western, not knowing anybody in the whole city and unfamiliar with the new terrain I had found myself in because, as a Nigerian, I was used to constantly being surrounded by familiar faces and a generally accepted Christian worldview. In my first month as an undergraduate student, I was certain I had made a mistake coming to school in London. Not too long after, I found Mike and the fellowship he led and that became my anchor during my time as a student, through the peaks and deeply distressed seasons of my studies. What I learnt from Mike and other students enlightened me, challenged me and left me with a deeper appreciation for bible study and our call to live like Christ.
If you are a Christian graduate student or junior scholar and would like to participate in Dr. Wagenman’s work, you can contact him at mw991@cam.ac.uk
Here’s what a former student said about why supporting this work is so essential:
Christian scholarship is crucial because in a world with so many questions and no clear direction on where to find answers, the church needs to have answers that point the world back to Jesus and the church needs to understand how to engage with academia as the intellectuals of the day wield a lot of influence on our communities, government and subsequently, on policies. The world needs dialogue and fellowship for Christians from all nations at the graduate level is a great place to start.
Click on the above button to directly link to support options for Dr. Wagenman’s important work.
About Dr. John & Anne Span
John & Anne began serving with Global Scholars Canada in South Africa in 2020. They have many years of international travel, education, and mission behind them, including mentoring upcoming pastors and helping to set up an association of Christian schools.
In Egypt, John was the Vice-Principal of the Alexandria School of Theology. He also managed the Cairo branch, developed and taught the curriculum for the Theological English Course, and taught the Egyptian teachers how to teach adults. Anne has taught ESL to all ages throughout their years abroad, as well as trained ESL teachers.
The Spans now serve at Mukhanyo Theological College: John as a Senior Lecturer in Theology and Anne teaching ESL. Both also contribute to a theological writing centre.
Mukhanyo Theological College accepts Christian students of all kinds of different backgrounds with the hope to influence the way they serve God. It also trains theological students to become teachers in government schools as a way to provide for their families while influencing many young minds.
Mukhanyo has a wide reach in Africa. Presently it has students from Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe, and distance classes in five other African countries. That makes it a critical resource and opportunity for thousands of students. The college is highly regarded in the community. Its 26-years of existence have already served 5,000 students.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/9B2LOGGMVWI?feature=oembedFilmed on location at the southerly-most tip of Africa, Dr. Span explains how Jesus’ promise to empower his witnesses even to the ends of the earth, still stands today. Acts 1:8.
TEACHING WITH GLOBAL SCHOLARS CANADA – South Africa
John’s teaching courses at Mukhanyo include:
Defending the Faith
Outreach to Muslims
Evangelism and Apologetics
Systematic Theology
Theological English
Anne’s roles at Mukhanyo:
Teaching English as a second language
Writing Centre Coordinator
Searching the Scriptures in John’s Christian Doctrine class
John with students
John’s Work in Muslim Relations & Missiology
John’s research into critically understanding ministry to Muslims is vital for the church today. If we are to love our Muslim neighbours, we need to engage them and their sacred Scriptures in a way that not only builds bridges but also takes our fundamental differences seriously. Dr. Span has written specifically on the subject of what faithful engagement with Islam looks like, and how the Quran might be used — or not— in bearing witness to Muslims. John’s research is incredibly important, potentially perilous and especially relevant to the religiously divided continent of Africa.
The Spans have revised a number of study guides from which they teach at Mukhanyo. The guides required serious editing to be used to teach the thousands of Africans who will become future church leaders.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS AT MUKHANYO
As ‘L’ was walking on a somewhat desolate road enroute to the school just around sunset, he was accosted by thieves who stole his cell-phone and beat him up. We had a chance to sit down with his wife, who questioned that he as a pastor might experience bouts of rage at this incident. From Anne’s training as a trauma counsellor, she was able to show her that this is a normal part of the grieving cycle. It was as if there was relief that ‘L’ was allowed to be a bit less than super-spiritual after this violation of his person and possessions. Stories like this can be multiplied many times over, and perhaps we ministered more in listening than in speaking.
Not that there were no chances to speak, as Anne taught ESL English to some eager learners. Among them was ‘J’ whose level was about grade 4. Here was someone weak in English, yet strong in faith; an orphan, but someone who knew the love of God the Father; recovering from a brutal beating due to being framed for a crime, yet wanting to go back and minister to the very group that had inflicted this pain. Eagerly ‘J’ related, “Dr. John, yesterday at church, I taught the first half of the book of Jude to the adult Sunday School class.” “I used the same technique we learned in class to read the Bible very carefully, and to let it explain itself.” We can be sure that ‘J’ is reaching out to his community today.
Another of this group is a young woman named ‘P.’ She was one of the students in [John’s] systematic theology class, and at the beginning of the semester she was like a closed book. Clearly, there was a defensive wall around her. On the second day of class [John] walked past her and addressed her by name. Instantly she responded. “You remember my name?” Slowly, she opened up in class, albeit in a guarded manner. She not only learned theology, but also the stories of how God had worked in the lives of our family. One day she was standing in the lunch line and nudged Anne. “Can we talk sometime?” asked Anne, knowing that there was more to this nudge than met the eye. A friendship developed between them and even on the last day of our time in South Africa, ‘P’ came to say goodbye. She delayed our departure with a deluge of questions, just as she had been asking before. Questions, such as “How will I know he is the right one?” “How do you as a couple stay in love?” It was as if she had never had a Christian couple to whom she could ask these questions.
There are a multitude of other stories, including someone who lost a father in a farm attack, another who is HIV positive, a teacher who was once an alcoholic lying in a gutter, and so forth. Each of their stories, has a “But God…..” aspect to it. Sure, their grandeur might not be as evident as a majestic elephant, or the power of a rhino, or the stealth of a lion, but the beauty of the fragrance of Jesus in his people is a wonder to behold.
John earned a Bachelor of Science (Agriculture) from University of Guelph in 1980, a Masters in Christian Studies from Regent College, Vancouver in 1985, and a Master’s of Theology (2016) and a Ph.D. in Theology/Apologetics (2019) from The John Calvin Faculty, Aix en Provence, France.
Anne is trained as an ESL teacher, and as a trauma counsellor.
About Dr. David Koyzis
David Koyzis has been a Global Scholar since 2019. He is an academic Political Scientist with a PhD in Government and International Studies from the University of Notre Dame, where he wrote a dissertation comparing the political thought of Herman Dooyeweerd and Yves R. Simon.
David taught political science at Redeemer University College for thirty years, mentoring hundreds of young people who have gone on to contribute to public life in Canada and elsewhere. In recent years he has broadened his academic ministry through contacts in Brazil, Pakistan, Ukraine, Indonesia, Germany, Finland, and elsewhere.
My mission is to disseminate to the larger world the riches of a Reformed Christian worldview, especially as it impinges on social and political life. More specifically, I aim:
to expose the idolatrous religious nature of political ideologies and their implications for our shared public life;
to affirm the role of authority in human flourishing; and
to connect our political cultures with the institutions they nurture.
To facilitate these aims I anticipate using my two published books, Political Visions and Illusions (InterVarsity Press, 2019) and We Answer to Another (Pickwick Publications, 2014), and thirty years of teaching experience to reach interested readers in Canada, the United States, Brazil, and elsewhere; to teach seminar courses, both in person and online; to continue to publish in my field; and to travel when necessary.
In 2014, Political Visions and Illusions was translated into Portuguese and published as Visões e Ilusões Políticas in Brazil, where it has been widely read and appreciated.
Commendations for Political Visions and Illusions:
Definitely the best book I’ve read on the current state of political thinking happening among evangelicals in 2020.
— Rev. Timothy Keller, 22 July 2020, Twitter
About Dr. Glen Taylor
Glen joined Global Scholars Canada in 2019. He has served for many years alongside GSC scholars at the University of The Gambia, developing the Christian Studies program. Glen visits The Gambia for about a month each year, where he serves as Associate Priest at a local evangelical Anglican church, while enjoying opportunity to preach in other churches and to appear on local Christian radio and TV programs. Glen plays an integral role in the Gambian Scholarship program facilitated by GSC, and fundraises across Canada, having raised more than $150,000 since 2010. Glen serves on the faculty of Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto and has taught in university, seminary and lay pastoral contexts in various places, including the Canadian Arctic, China, and Latin America.
Glen’s mainstay is teaching courses in Hebrew and the Old Testament at Wycliffe College. He is an Associate Professor of Scripture and Global Christianity, and occasionally supervises doctoral students at the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto.
Glen loves to encourage students on their path of ministry in the Church or Christian scholarship. He has supervised approximately 20 doctoral theses in the area of Old Testament or Classical Hebrew.
In consultation with African experts, Glen designed the curriculum for the Christian Religious Studies program at the University of the Gambia.
Glen “successfully designed a four-year Bachelors degree in Christian Religious Studies for the Senate of The University of the Gambia while spearheading a project to raise $65,000 in start-up funding for the new programme.”
Praise God, the program saw its first round of graduates at a convocation ceremony in February 2020, and there are now almost 50 students in the program.
Tuition costs are roughly $1000 CDN annually per student in The Gambia. This number is so much lower than in North America, and scholarship money goes a long way there. Since 2010 when Glen was asked to coordinate the development of the Bachelors degree in Christian Religious Studies, he has been diligent in helping however he can – networking with prospective students, teaching intensive classes, and fundraising across Canada for scholarships with support from the Adrian & Wendy Helleman.
Glen with a Gambian student sponsored by Muskoka Community Church
Glen with a Gambian student sponsored by Christ the King Anglican Church
“My times in the Gambia have always included some intensely rich and fun fellowship with Global Scholars Drs Layne Turner and Manhee Yoon.”
“While in the Gambia I serve as Associate Priest at the Anglican parish of St. Paul’s Fajara. I preach most Sundays (whether there or at another local church) and am a regular guest on a radio programme designed to encourage local Christians in their faith, including engaging respectfully with their Muslim neighbors. I also teach local Christian leaders in Wycliffe College’s Gambia-based Diploma in Ministry programme.”
Dr. Jeremy Young is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Administration at a premier University known as “the Yale of Colombia” in Bogota where he has been teaching and researching since 2015. Jeremy teaches Marketing for Social Change – a course that encourages students to use their skills to serve their local communities toward bringing about positive change. He also does research in public health where his work is linked with the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School; he enjoys collaborating and visiting with professors there and has plans to be in Boston this year.
Jeremy also serves as a deacon at his local international church, runs an NGO working with under-resourced children every Saturday, and leads a small group in his home where he lives with his wife, Sarah. In these roles, he has been involved with sustainably partnering with surrounding low income neighbourhoods, working alongside organizations in support of Venezuelan migrants in Bogota, and organizing financial relief funds for Turkey/Syrian earthquake victims.
Full-Time in Colombia
With GSC since 2018 teaching in Business Administration
Recently, the Colombian government implemented Jeremy and colleagues’ public policy recommendations for warning labels on packaged foods. These seek to educate consumers and encourage Colombians to make wise dietary choices; to eat healthier/be healthier.
As budgetary cuts and inflation eat into livelihoods in Colombia, the Youngs have found a number of friends and colleagues forced to move elsewhere; they however, remain committed to their neighbourhood, their church, the university, their work toward local social improvements and the many programs they are involved with that they want to see flourish in tandem with the gospel message, alongside the Colombian people.
A recent endorsement of Dr. Jeremy Young:
Doug Hayhoe, Ph.D. (U. of Toronto), is recently retired from being associate professor of education at Tyndale University. At an earlier period in his career, he lived in Colombia, along with his family, while he worked as a science teacher and vice-rector. He recently had the privilege of meeting with Jeremy and Sarah Young. He writes,
I was impressed by the significance of the work that Jeremy is engaged in at one of the top universities in Bogotá, Colombia. Not only does he have a Christian impact on students, in terms of his ethical perspective and concern for sustainability in human health, he also has strong links with important people in the health ministry of the government of Colombia. His history of research and association with Harvard Medical School gives further credence to the key role he plays in Colombia, in terms of marketing and human health. His fellow students, professors, and government contacts are all aware of his Christian commitment and service at an international evangelical church in Bogotá.
Having lived and worked in the field of education in Colombia myself, I was able to appreciate the unique challenges and opportunities Jeremy and Sarah have in that country. I also readily understood Jeremy’s need for additional financial support, above his local salary, as an international academic with important links to research in the United States and other locations. Such support also enables them to have more time for local work in Colombia, associated with their church and community, increasing the effectiveness of their presence there.
About Dr. Andrew Barron
Andrew joined Global Scholars Canada in 2018. His passion is for ministry to under-served students and campuses, and he teaches both online and sessional classes at the Evangelical Theological College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He is also adjunct faculty at Tyndale University, Wycliffe College, and Moody Bible Institute.
Andrew is currently working in Disability Theology
Andrew is currently teaching a Hybrid introductory program in Disability Theology at the Tyndale Spiritual Formation Centre. Students will examine the realities of living with a disability in contemporary society and their theological and spiritual implications. Modules will explore a practical theology of living and working with individuals with disabilities and their integration into our spiritual communities. Please go to the link below for more information on Andrew’s current work.
Andrew has also served with Jews for Jesus Canada as an academic in the service of Jewish Mission, a reflection of his passion for teaching Jewish history and traditions to others.
Ethiopia is the most populated land-locked country in the world and the 2nd most populated nation in Africa, with over 109 million people.
Andrew and family. Andrew’s son has Down Syndrome and he volunteers in his vocational program.
“I was born into a Jewish Family in New York City. After my Bar Mitzvah I focused on science and sports and attended Florida Institute of Technology to Study Astronomy and Physics. I heard the Gospel as a Graduate Student. I worked as an Aerospace Engineer for two years doing orbit design on the Space Shuttle Program but eventually felt called to ministry. Jews for Jesus trained me in Los Angeles in 1983-1986. I continued Graduate Studies with Jews for Jesus and ended up serving in South Africa, Israel, and Germany and for the past 23 years in Canada. I practice martial arts and have a 3rd degree black belt in Shotokan Karate.”
About Dr. Manhee Yoon
Manhee has served with Global Scholars Canada in The Gambia since 2017 and taught about 300 students during his tenure there. Manhee teaches in the new Christian Studies program at the University of The Gambia in Serrekunda. Living conditions here come with intermittent basic services for the family. Manhee published his first book in 2020 called The Fate of the Man of God from Judah.
The Gambia is the smallest country in mainland Africa, and most citizens live below the poverty level. Also a 95% Muslim country, all students are welcome in the courses of the Christian Studies program – the only access to studying Christianity in the country. This small outpost of Christian teaching is one of the key strategic locations in which GSC has been involved for many years already, with extended leadership from Glen Taylor, who is also a GSC scholar.
Yoon’s close narrative and theological reading of 1 Kings 13 take us to the heart of one of the most provocative and intriguing stories of the Old Testament story. Yoon opens up this vexing story about a man of God from Judah and an old-line prophet that has intrigued readers throughout history in a fresh way. He not only explains the story in a convincing way but calls readers to serious theological and ethical reflections upon the issues raised by the story.
– Marion Ann Taylor, Professor of Old Testament, Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto.
“I had a strong conviction that God was calling me to the ministry of teaching in the new Christian Studies program at the University of The Gambia. This program began in the fall of 2015, and I joined the faculty in February 2017. (Read more about the formation of the program here.) God encouraged me to join this ministry with the thought that, if there is a need in The Gambia and I can be of help, I should be able to make myself available for the need. I am thankful that I have never regretted coming to The Gambia.”
Manhee earned his PhD at University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto.
“There was a graduation in February 2020 which was the first graduation for our program since it was begun in 2015. (Read more about the graduation here.) Eleven students graduated from the university with a B.A. degree in Theology for the first time in the history of the nation. This was a very encouraging moment for lecturers, Gambian church leaders, and all supporters. The graduates are currently working at various capacities as pastors, principals, and teachers.“
2020 – Manhee with the first graduating class of the Christian Studies program.
OTHER MINISTRIES
“I am serving as a board member of a Christian bookstore in The Gambia called Lifeway Bookshop. I preach on Sundays at the local church that I am attending and also at other churches as guest speaker.”
Manhee has 2 children and his wife volunteers with IFES. He earned a BA in English Language and Literature from Sogang University, an MDiv from Chongshin University, an MA in Biblical Languages from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Old Testament Studies at the University of St. Michael’s College. Manhee’s hobbies include “reading books, growing flowers, playing with my dogs, and driving to the countryside for change”.
Dia has been teaching for over 40 years. He has served with Global Scholars Canada in Cameroon and The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since 2016. Most of Dia’s current classes are taught online from Canada, but occasionally he visits DRC to teach in person and assist in administrating academic programs. Dia develops curriculum for use by hundreds of students each year. He teaches online with the Institut Universitaire de Développement International (IUDI) and the Université Pédagogique National (UPN). His courses include Social Work, Victimology, Pastoral Clinic, and Counseling Psychotherapy. He is also the Vice-President of International Relationships and Academic Cooperation for IUDI, helps graduate students with their theses, and has published 3 books.
Dia is an extensive world traveler and has attended academic and missiological conferences in Germany, France, Asia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Congo, Rwanda, and many other African countries.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, second largest in all of Africa, and the most populous Francophone country in the world. DRC has suffered enormously from decades of civil war. The religions of Islam and magic/witchcraft are widespread in DRC. Life expectancy is far below the global average, about 3/4 of the population is under 30, and poverty and disease are rampant.
Dia served as professor, campus chaplain, and pastor during his decades in Congo. He also had a special ministry to the rural people living in the forests and villages.
On January 3, 1999 Dia had to flee his home country for safety reasons, but in early 2020 he made the trip back to Congo and was welcomed with open arms.
Dia Says:When we came to Canada we started an new life and the Lord blessed us. Everything was going well until a few years ago when I received a message from a former student in Kinshasa. He was now a professor, and he was asking me to help the university at the Master and the Doctoral levels. My wife and I prayed, and decided to help from a distance through online classes. Then came the time to celebrate the first graduation of our students who completed their the Master’s degrees in Pastoral Clinic and Chaplaincy. It was the first promotion in this new discipline in the country. So I was asked to go to Kinshasa and participate in the graduation ceremony. This was our first visit back after 20 years.
When I arrived there, I was invited to be the first speaker at the 50th anniversary of the unity of the protestant churches. Soon after I was invited to preach in the church where I used to be pastor!
John 17:19-21 says, “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.”
Jesus’ prayer for all believers is a reality. We had a great time in the Church and spent a meaningful time together. Today, the church is asking me to teach almost every week on the national radio. We are in communion in Christ. Let us follow our High Priest and work together with Him for our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom.
Dia leading a training seminar in February 2020 in Kinsasha
Graduate students and academic leadership at the February 2020 convocation in Kinshasa, DRC.
Dia is a visionary and advocate for creating pathways for higher education in his home country of DRC. Recently Dia launched into partnerships with local academic leaders and government officials to gain approval for a new e-learning centre in Kinshasa, the capital of DRC.
One of the spaces for e-learning currently set up in DRC.
Dia says: We have worked very hard for this new outcome. The Government of DRC, the [academic leadership] and the members of the Board of UPN believe in us and are ready to work with us. There is a need for professors, good professors, for UPN which has more than 16,000 students, and more than 700 professors and associate professors.
May the Lord help us to give our best for the education of a new generation of professors (since 1961, UPN has specialized in training professors of secondary schools and Institut Supérieur Pédagogique in the whole of Congo).
Our challenge is now to find resources for the e-learning center in order to help our professors have access to e-books of different university libraries of Europa, North and South America, and South, West and East Africa.
Dia lives near Ottawa with his wife. He also has grown children.
He earned an MA in Educational Counseling from University of Ottawa (2006), an MA in Theology from McGill University (1989), a PhD in Philosophy from University of Ottawa (1987), an MA in Missiology from Saint Paul University (1984), and degrees in Philosophy (1977) and Associate of Higher Education (1979) from the National University of Zaire (now DRC).
Stephen Ney and his family lived in Sierra Leone from 2015-2024 where he developed curriculum to strengthen science-theology dialogue among Christian scholars across Africa and Latin America [https://lci.ifesworld.org/].
Nathaniel, Ezekiel, Jennifer and Stephen relocated to NE Edmonton early in 2025. The boys attend the neighbourhood primary school and apart from that excavate the “construction site” of the front flowerbed and play with all their local cousins. Jennifer continues to support the international work of Word Made Flesh among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. Stephen continues to teach research writing to PhD students in Sierra Leone while also giving courses in two local universities’ English departments. By continuing to serve part-time under Global Scholars Canada, he is able to support the Society of Christian Scholars with their global scholars’ mentoring program and to help Inter-Varsity Canada increase the support they offer to PhD students who are on a faculty trajectory.
About Dr. Wendy Helleman
Wendy and her husband, Adrian were GSC’s first scholars. They have served since 1995 and Wendy has taught about 2,000 students during her tenure. She has taught on 15 campuses in 7 different countries including Russia, Nigeria, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Ukraine as a GSC scholar. Most of her classes focus on Philosophy or Early Christianity. Wendy has authored 5 books and was the editor for 3 more. Browse her books on Wendy’s page in our website library. Wendy continues to publish, fundraise for the Gambian Scholarship Program, and mentor graduate students as both she and Adrian have transitioned to part-time service with GSC back home in Canada.
Moscow State University – Heroes, Saints and Martyrs; Sophia as Lady Wisdom, and other courses introducing students to philosophical terminology in English
Moscow Christian School of Psychology – Early Christian Thought; courses in English
St. Petersburg – Creation, Evil and Utopia: ancient pagan and Christian perspectives
“One of the best classes I taught: Philosophy in English at Moscow State University. They worked on the various possible articles for translation on the Russian Idea. Here we were trying to choose the best of the options.”
2. NIGERIA – Jos & Ogbomosho – 2003 – 2008
University of Nigeria in Jos, Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy – Courses (graduate and undergraduate): New Testament Greek, History of Early Christianity, Philosophy of Religion, The Impact of Science on Awareness of God
Theological College of Northern Nigeria – Basic Works of St. Augustine (graduate)
Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary – Intertestamentary Language and Literature (graduate), Seminar on Research Writing
St. Augustine’s Major Seminary – History of Ancient Philosophy
2005 – Early Christianity class
2007 – Ancient Philosophy class at St. Augustine Major Seminary in Jos, Nigeria (photo credit: Henk van Andel, former GSC Executive Director)
“An undergraduate class in NT Greek in session in our office. We were assigned an office in the corner of the building – excellent, because there was adequate light even when the power was off.”
“Consultation with one of the student representatives in our office at the University of Jos. A strike was threatening, so we were discussing information and materials that could be passed along to the other students in the class in case of disruption to normal schedules.”
3. TANZANIA – Mwanza – 2009
St. Augustine University – Introduction to Philosophy
4. THE GAMBIA – Kololi – 2010 & 2012
Gambia Theological Institute – The Apostolic Fathers, Introduction to the New Testament, Augustine as African Church Leader
“Gambia Christian Council – the first time we taught at the Gambia Theological Institute -pastoral preparation course in Kololi we were teaching at the Gambia Christian Council building (2010), and still had high hopes for their cooperation to get the program in Christian Studies established at the university. That would take more than a few years to accomplish!”
5. UKRAINE – Zaporizhzhia – 2016
Zaporozhye Bible College and Seminary – Early Christianity AD 1-500: History and Important Authors (graduate)
Wendy has mentored 8 Doctoral students and 15 Masters students: “This photo was taken before Rebecca defended her doctoral thesis on violence against women. We went over the critical details to prepare her for oral defence.”
“Photo taken when Henk [former GSC Executive Director] and Vicky van Andel visited us. We invited a number of the University of Jos graduate students to meet them; prominent among them are Rebecca and her husband.”
The Russian Idea
“During the second year at Moscow State University (teaching philosophy in English) we realized the relevance of resurgent attention to the “Russian Idea”, focused on renewed integration of the Orthodox church and theology with state issues. We collected some 20 good articles from journals and newspapers and asked our students to summarize these and work on an English translation. This really challenged them, for regular assignments went from English to their own language, Russian. The project intrigued our MGU colleagues and generated many interesting discussions. In the final stages we got professional translators to check the translations; our own Russian was pretty good by that time, but we did not trust ourselves for publication of the material. It also took time to find a publisher, but finally Slavica accepted a group of essays, and The Russian Idea: In Search of a New Identity appeared in 2004; we presented a copy to the department when we visited in the summer of 2005.”
2002 – Wendy speaking at a seminar on the Russian Idea, co-sponsored by the Russian American Christian University and the People’s Friendship University.
Wendy & Adrian at Moscow State University with colleague Genia Pertsev.
“Red Square Moscow, with St. Basil in the background, during one of the last years we were in Russia; St. Basil is now under renovation and quite unaccessible. It remains the iconic church at the Moscow Kremlin.”
Magdalyn Aboh Defense
“Some time after arriving at the University of Jos (2002) a colleague mentioned a post-graduate student whose supervisor for doctoral work, Technological Changes and their Effects on Belief in God: the Tiv Experience, had retired and dropped the project. I agreed to help when asked, but discovered significant weaknesses in development of the argument, and (English) expression, and recommended serious rewriting. When unable to make sense of her written work, I found a Master’s student with good command of English to help her rephrase what she had written. Since the thesis subject matter overlapped with a course I was teaching (Science and Awareness of God), I risked the situation by asking her to take a class, and was happy to note her command of the material in oral expression. So, we pushed on; by October 2005 she defended the work and received the right to a well-earned doctor’s title.”
GTU Graduation in February 2020
“Although officially retired from teaching assignments in Africa (2009), we had little hesitation in responding to Prof. Glen Taylor’s request in May 2010 to help start a Christian Studies program newly approved by the Humanities Dept. at the University of the Gambia. Traveling to the Gambia that fall, we quickly discovered that before we would actually be teaching students, approval of the several bishops of the Gambia Christian Council was needed. When even in 2015 the matter had not been resolved, the dean affirmed university protection for the program, and warned us that if we did not start that year, we could forget about starting at all. At that point we introduced Dr. Layne Turner of Global Scholars to initiate the program. Some 18 students enrolled that fall, all highly committed, for we have had almost 100% retention. And this past February we had the happy task of helping them celebrate their Bachelor degrees! To God be the glory!”
“Here in Toronto the last years we have continued involvement with the Light House, a community-oriented Christian ministry, helping with the food bank, and presently serving on the board. For some years we have hosted a Bible Study group (based on our First CRC Toronto congregation), meeting about twice a month; and we initiated a Book Reading club, a great source of inspiration and fun.”
Wendy & Adrian have 3 children, living in all parts of the world.
Wendy earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy (1980) and a Drs. in Patristics and Ancient Philosophy (1973) at the Free University in Amsterdam, an M.A. in Classical Languages at the University of Toronto in 1971, and an A.B. in Philosophy and Classical Languages at Calvin College in 1967.
Faith Today magazine’s Tribute to Women in Leadership issue in 2020 featured Dr. Wendy Helleman.
Dr. Wendy Helleman – Professor Pioneer & Global Scholar
Dr. Wendy Helleman is a specialist in the early church fathers and their Greek philosophical contemporaries.
Much more than a researcher of ancient texts, she and her husband, Dr. Adrian Helleman, registered Christian Studies International (a charity based out of Toronto) in 1995. Its purpose was to redistribute the wealth of Canadian Christian academics worldwide. They then flew through the newly opened Iron Curtain to teach philosophy and theology in Moscow, sharing their Christian worldview through their teaching, research, and writing.
Their efforts and example opened a pathway for other Canadian Christian professors to follow suit around the world, including countries like China, Nigeria, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone. The Hellemans taught for three decades – in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Tanzania, Nigeria, and The Gambia.
Sadly, the Executive Director of CSI died suddenly in 2013, and Wendy rose to the occasion to become Interim Executive Director for one year. She continues to work tirelessly to promote the mission of what is now called Global Scholars Canada, and for student bursaries across the globe. These students are being equipped to lead in the churches and academies of their nations.
Now semi-retired, Dr. Helleman recently co-published Early Christianity: A Textbook for African Students. Written with her African colleague, the book comes with a Christian perspective deliberately accommodating to African beginnings, Muslim perspectives, women’s roles, and the persecuted church. This is significant for the inter-faith, gendered landscape of African universities today.
Dr. Helleman is a professor pioneer, a global scholar, and a visionary Christian leader who continues to find fresh opportunities for transnational mission.
Meet GSC’s First Intern: Estela Kasaba
“Does Global Scholars Canada have an internship opportunity?” asked Estela of her professor at Redeemer University, Dr. Peter Schuurman.
“No, we don’t,” was his reply that day, but then he said, “But we may just start one.” An idea sparked and was presented at the next GSC staff meeting.
“What do you think?” asked Peter of the staff. Anna, the Communications Coordinator, was instantly excited. Harley, the Finance Administrator, was already calculating numbers and logistics. We three part-time remote workers gather weekly to pray, plan, and prioritize the needs of GSC and its scholars. Estela Kasaba officially brought her energy and passion to our mission, and we are elated that she took this initiative. Her story connects her in many ways with our international vision for missional education.
Refugees from the Congo
Estela Kasaba is the oldest of seven kids, and she was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her early childhood, however, was lived out in Kigoma, Tanzania due to the war that was going on in the DRC. She lived at a refugee camp with her mother, her two uncles, and her younger sister, Alice. Her father was working in a different country; therefore, it was not until she was about two or three years old that she met her dad. She remembers being very scared of him initially because she did not easily warm up to new people. However, as time went by, she grew to love him very much. Her time in Tanzania was a very happy time for her.
It wasn’t until April 2004 that her family moved to Sherbrooke, a city in Quebec, Canada. Her three years in Sherbrooke feel like a dream, for she only remembers bits and pieces of her time there. She had a very hard time learning French, learning to read and write, and learning how to be “Canadian.” Despite the difficult transition, she grew fluent in this new language, enjoyed learning, and loved attending after-school programs where she could do her homework and play with other children. She had a teacher, Madame Suzanne, who really believed in her and often told her that she was gifted and especially bright. Because of those kind words, Estela felt encouraged to study hard and try to understand this country she now called home.
As she began to fit in and make friends, her parents decided it was time to move yet again in 2007. They sold some of their belongings, packed their bags, loaded their car, and off they drove to Brooks, Alberta. Her parents enrolled her in a French school, École le Ruisseau. Grateful to speak French freely at school, she turned her efforts to learning English.
Faith in Higher Education
In her last year of high school, Estela applied to public universities, learning only at the last minute that Christian universities existed in Canada. She eagerly started to apply to Redeemer University in Ontario but stopped halfway because she thought it was too late to enroll for the fall.
The next day, however, the school called her and told her she could apply for free, so she immediately finished her application and set off for camp, still not sure she would be accepted. Mysteriously, Estela received a call from her mother saying that she had a dream about Estela studying at Redeemer University. A few hours later, she looked at her email, and to her great surprise, she received her acceptance letter. It wasn’t until she got home from camp that it dawned on her that she only had three days to pack for Ontario!
Initially, she applied to Redeemer University to study psychology and theology, but she changed her major to philosophy and minor to history. Estela’s first encounter with philosophy was reading L’Étranger by Albert Camus in French class. She fell in love with the way Camus wrote, the depth of his thoughts, and the confrontational tone of the protagonist, Meursault. Camus’s philosophy was daring, real, and grappled with questions that resonated with Estela’s heart. She realized that what Camus sought to understand was the human condition.
She came to see that philosophy opens up a Pandora’s box of varying theories, ideologies, and beliefs about humanity, God, and the world we live in, and aims to make sense of it all. “Philosophy is the root of everything!” she says. “If it wasn’t for philosophy and the professors who diligently pushed me to think outside of the box, my faith wouldn’t be this firm, and my love for humanity, their ideas, and ideologies wouldn’t be this deep.”
Deconstructing and Reconstructing
“Philosophy has helped me make sense of the doubts I had about God and my faith,” she added. Estela grew up in a Christian home, went to church every Sunday, and participated in church activities. She knew she always loved Jesus; however, she struggled a lot with the believing part. She was never encouraged to ask deep questions, or even express her doubts about God, free will, sin, hell, angels, and everything under the sun. She knew that a Christian post-secondary school would teach her to articulate for herself who God is and develop her own expression of faith.
Studying from a Christian perspective allowed her to deconstruct her previous beliefs and rebuild her faith with a new foundation. She realized that one of the reasons the Lord sent her all the way to Ontario was to learn and grow firm in her faith in Jesus Christ.
Now a graduate of Redeemer University, Estela continues to pursue her vocation in the kingdom. “My life is not my own, but the Lord’s,” she says. “I want to live for him, make him known, and use my gifts as an educator to teach all kinds of students around the world.”
She has completed her B.A. in philosophy and her Bachelor of Education studies at Redeemer. She says of her studies at Redeemer: “Christian education has enabled me thus far to develop a Christian worldview. It has given me a fearless attitude towards learning about other religions and philosophies.”
This growth in understanding turns her heart towards service. She wrote on her internship application: “To know the world and still love it is one of the greatest things I’ve learned in these past four years. This shaped my dream of wanting to be an educator so that my future students could come to know the world and choose to still love it. Knowing all its goodness and ugliness compels us to be active in the world as salt and light.”
As for her opportunity to intern with GSC, she says: “I want to partner with GSC scholars and learn how they live out their vocations. I want to participate behind the scenes by making events possible, and helping build connections. I also want to see whether this could be a possible vocational path for me.”
Estela was coached in the work of the GSC office and mentored in the worldview for missional education that drives our scholars in their vocations. We are deeply thankful to God for prompting her to take the initiative and become part of our mission.
Meet GSC’s Emerging Leader: Chloe Liu
Chloe Liu, PhD is a biochemist and researcher whose work has focused on the connections between science, faith, and human flourishing. She completed her PhD in Biochemistry at McGill University, where her research investigated predictive cellular signatures associated with human prostate cancer progression.
Born in Vancouver, BC, Chloe spent much of her childhood in Hong Kong before returning to Canada in high school. Her passion for science began with an inspiring biology teacher and grew into a fascination with biochemistry, particularly the complex ways proteins and biochemical pathways work together.
For Chloe, studying these connections has deepened rather than separated her faith from her scientific work. She sees the complexity and interdependence of biological systems as a glimpse into the creativity and intentionality of their Creator. As she puts it, “The number one reason that I really enjoy biochemistry—and even doing my PhD in biochemistry—is because I see God in it.”
During her time at McGill, Chloe was actively involved in Christian student communities, including Power to Change, InterVarsity, and the McGill Graduate Christian Fellowship (GCF). She later served as GCF President, helping grow the fellowship and connecting with Christian students and scholars across disciplines.
Chloe first connected with Global Scholars Canada through her involvement in organizing a 2021 conference for Christian graduate students and professors. Her experience with GSC sparked a deeper interest in academic vocation and the relationship between faith and knowledge. She later joined GSC as an intern, eager to explore how her Christian faith could inform her vocation as a scientist.
Today, Chloe continues to explore the intersection of science and faith, with a particular interest in knowledge translation and helping others understand the relevance and connections between scientific research and everyday life. She remains passionate about encouraging others to see how faith and academic inquiry can meaningfully inform one another.
Meet GSC’s Emerging Leader: Angel Castillo
Angel Castillo is a communications professional and Public Relations graduate from Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, where she also minored in French. Originally from the Philippines, Angel grew up in the Greater Toronto Area before moving to Alberta in 2017. Her experiences navigating different cultures and communities have shaped her passion for storytelling and advocacy.
Angel currently serves in communications at First Alliance Church in Calgary, where she has developed experience in storytelling, graphic design, interviewing, public speaking, and administrative communications. She is passionate about sharing the stories and testimonies of others, particularly those whose voices are often overlooked. Her work is guided by Revelation 12:11a: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.”
Angel was introduced to Global Scholars Canada through her Applied Writing for Public Relations professor, Dr. Sandra Braun, and joined GSC as a communications intern in 2021. She was drawn to GSC’s vision of “Missional Christian academics redemptively influencing students and colleagues, departments and disciplines, at every university worldwide.” She was particularly inspired by the idea of viewing higher education as a mission field and continues to value opportunities to connect faith, communication, and academia.
Fluent in English and Tagalog, with a background in French, Angel hopes to pursue work in government relations and public service, using her communication and language skills to serve Canadians, represent immigrant communities, and advocate for those in need. Above all, she remains open to where God leads her.
In Teaching to Justice: Christian Faculty Seek ‘Shalom’ in Different Disciplines. Ed. Julia K. Stronks, Whitworth College. Online anthology. Summer 2008.
“What’s the Use of Stories That Aren’t Even True?”
Narrative and the Christian reader.” Comment Magazine, Spring 2011: 55-64.
“Why Bother with the Humanities in a Time of Crisis?
CommentMagazine, Fall 2011.
Adrian’s Publications
Discover the books Adrian has authored or contributed to.
“Seventy-Five Long Hours” describes his involvement in the 1986 uprising.
“A Nonviolent Revolution” discusses the efficacy of active nonviolence as an alternative to “just war” theory. It also highlights the role of missionaries who stand in solidarity with the people whom they serve in turbulent times.
Mike’s Publications
Discover the books Mike has authored or contributed to.
Dr. Deborah Bowen grew up in the south of England in a house full of books where both parents were professional writers.
After studying English Language and Literature at Oxford University, she taught first in high-school in Bristol and then at a teachers’ college in York before coming to Canada with her husband in 1977 to work with university students through Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship.
Having gained a Ph.D. at the University of Ottawa, she taught there for several years and at the Université de Montréal for a year, before joining the faculty at Redeemer University in 1996.
She wants her students to understand how literature is an active force in the world and how their reading relates to the broader culture. She believes deeply that as they learn to interpret texts, they will also learn to read better both their own lives and those of other people.
Deborah has presented her research regularly at academic conferences, both specifically Christian and otherwise, and was from 2014-18 national co-chair of the Christianity and Literature Study Group, an affiliated organization with ACCUTE (the Association of Canadian College and University Teachers of English). She also served for eight years (2001-09) on the Senate of the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto.
She has published two academic books, twelve chapters in academic collections, twenty-three papers in academic journals, and over forty academic book reviews. She has delivered eighty papers at conferences and about twenty plenary addresses.
She retired from full-time teaching in June 2017, but continues to teach part-time. Her present research involves the imaginative interface between poetry and ecology: for the first-fruits of this work, see https://www.redeemer.ca/wp-content/uploads/Poetry-and-Ecology-Project.pdf. Deborah is now working on a curated anthology of Ontarian poetry called Poetry in Place.
Deborah was delighted to learn about Global Scholars Canada, whose goals and vision are so closely attuned to those of her and her husband John. In fact, at her first big GSC meeting which she attended ‘virtually’ in June, she met up with a peer from Inter-Varsity during her Oxford days whom she hadn’t seen for more than forty years! She and John, who was until recently Professor of Evangelism at Wycliffe College, U of Toronto, have contacts with IVCF and IFES staff in a number of places in the world, and have always shared the vision of encouraging students to think Christianly about their academic disciplines, whatever those might be.
Deborah and John have two children, one a musician and one a writer, and four grandchildren, who look as if, in terms of gifts and abilities, they may well follow in the family footsteps.
Adrian Helleman
About Dr. Adrian Helleman
Adrian and his wife, Wendy were GSC’s first scholars, they have served since 1995. Adrian has taught Philosophy or Theology on 11 campuses in 5 different countries including Russia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and The Gambia.
Adrian is also an author, and has written and presented many articles and lectures. He continues to fundraise for the Gambian Scholarship Program as both he and Wendy have transitioned to part-time service with GSC back home in Canada.
Moscow State University – Civil Society, Ethics, Philosophy, Political Science & World Religions
Moscow Christian School of Psychology – Theological Anthropology
Open Christianity, St. Petersburg – Reformation
Adrian discussing Moscow Times article with political philosophy student at Moscow State University
Adrian teaching in St. Petersburg, Russia
2. NIGERIA – Jos & Ogbomosho – 2003 – 2008
Theological College of Northern Nigeria – Inter-disciplinary Colloquium (Masters level)
Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary – Issues in Contemporary Theology (Masters level), Post-modernism and Religious Pluralism (Doctoral level)
St. Augustine’s Major Seminary – History of Medieval Philosophy, History of Contemporary Philosophy
Nigerian Missionary Institute – Ecclesiology
University of Jos – Many courses at Diploma, Under-graduate, and Post-graduate levels
Teaching in Jos, Nigeria
2012 – Adrian consulting with Cosmos, his graduate student.
3. TANZANIA – Mwanza – 2009
St. Augustine University – History of Political Thought (Masters level)
2009 – “This is a very special photo taken at the ‘tea-break’ … at a St. Augustine University of Tanzania seminar, focused on a Christian Worldview in dialogue with African and secular worldview approaches. … Here you see a very lively interaction with fellow faculty members during the break.”
4. THE GAMBIA – Kololi – 2012-2015
Gambia Theological Institute – Systematic and Historical Theology
2015 – Adrian with a Gambian student & professor Layne Turner of the Christian Religious Studies program.
“We taught in Bacolod, Philippines for six years… We also supervised a church and brought it to organization… I led Bible study groups with university staff, business men, and political prisoners. These Bible studies led to my involvement in the 1986 revolution that resulted in the expulsion of President Marcos.”
Adrian also authored Let Justice Flow Down Like a River: A Study Guide on Biblical Justice. Jos: Stream Publishers, 2004.
HOW DID YOU COME TO JOIN GSC?
“Our involvement in what is now GSC began with my search for full-time work. After getting my PhD, I worked for a while as an interim pastor, but I needed to find an academic position. Thus, early in 1994, I pursued an ad in Christianity Today for a teaching position in Port Harcourt in Nigeria with an organization called IICS. The ad listed only a phone number and a postal box. But the 800-phone number was not accessible in Canada, so I wrote letters to both Christianity Today and IICS. At the time we had no idea what the acronym stood for, the International Institute for Christian Studies. It is the ancestor of Global Scholars (USA). …
Our next step was to raise the necessary funds. IICS is a faith mission. Fortunately, we still had a network of supporting churches and individuals. But to be able to issue tax receipts for donors, it was important to set up a Canadian charity that could receive funds on our behalf. … The new name for this charity was Christian Studies International, a name that was kept until its 20th anniversary (2015), following the recent selection of a new name for the American board: Global Scholars. The Canadian board then adopted its new name: Global Scholars Canada.
… We were first considered for placement in Lithuania or Romania. But then we learned that Dan Clendenin, who was serving at Moscow State University, was looking for someone to replace him. He wanted us to come to Moscow. We were still short of the funding needed for initial placement, but a generous donor in the US provided a grant sufficient for us to travel… That was how we arrived in Russia, where we spent seven wonderful years.”
2006 – Conference in Guatemala
2006 – Adrian with Global Scholars founder, Danny McCain, in Jos, Nigeria
“Two of Danny’s top students, Kiamu and Gwamna, defended their doctoral work with him. Adrian was internal examiner for both. Kiamu (at back) has established a theological school in Liberia; Gwamna (front right) lectured at the University of Jos for some time, but tragically, has since passed.”
2007 – Veenstra Seminary in Donga, Nigeria… “the sweetest welcome came from these children, belonging with families of staff and students on campus.” Adrian & Wendy gave seminars while Uni Jos was on strike.
“Since our return to Canada, I have served on several boards, including the Lighthouse, Citizens for Public Justice, and Logos, a student ministry at York University. I have also served on numerous committees. This is a pleasure we were unable to enjoy while we served outside Canada.”
Adrian & Wendy have 3 children, living in all parts of the world. Adrian’s hobbies include reading and tai chi.
Adrian earned 4 degrees from Calvin College – Bachelor of Arts (1966), Bachelor of Divinity (1969), Masters of Divinity (1977) and Masters of Theology (1988), and a Ph.D. of Philosophy in Theology at St. Michael’s College in 1992.
About Dr. Gang Li
Leading in a World of Joy and Love
Dr. Gang Li was enthusiastically voted in by the GSC board on June 10th, 2023 after an earlier interview with a sub-committee of the board. He said, quoting Nietzsche, that he has a strong conviction about his why for joining the board. He now needs to settle into the how of his participation.
Dr. Li was an only child born and raised in the People’s Republic of China. There the social world was a clash of class interests which the government aimed to ameliorate through careful planning. Yet something seemed to be missing from this life.
An American teacher introduced the young Gang Li to the colourful and rich spiritual world of the Christian faith. Something came alive in him that he just could not let go, and over the next decade his own faith would grow.
He received his BA in English at Yantai University, China in 2002. Then he worked as an English teacher at Beijing New Oriental School for five years. From 2007 to 2008, Gang attended Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, completing an MSc in Education with distinction as a Chevening Scholar. There in Wales he attended a Presbyterian church. “That was one of the best years of my life,” recounts Li. “It was also a most wonderful experience of congregational life. The singing was just beautiful.”
Even today, Dr. Li experiences a deep sense of joy in Sunday worship. “Sometimes I feel so much joy in church,” he explains, “I just want to shout ‘Amen!’”
Governance Matters
His next step in education was to do his PhD in education, and he applied to the program at UBC because of a certain church in the area that he thought would be nourishing for him. He knew no one in the region, but he took the leap to Canada. After much intense study and writing, and ten years of dissertation work, in 2020 he received his PhD in Educational Studies from UBC.
His PhD research was on the democratic sensibilities of Chinese international students who return home to China after being overseas. There are one million Chinese international students around the world and 70% are in English-speaking countries. How does their return affect China? What are their political and democratic sensibilities after spending years outside of China, and how does this influence the culture and future of China?
Dr. Li is not the typical education professor, as his expertise is not in teacher training. His fields of interest include leadership, governance, integration of faith and learning, and international higher education. He is particularly interested in reimagining leadership studies from the perspective of a Christian worldview particularly by reconceptualizing the notion and practices of leadership within the biblical metanarrative.
At the moment, Dr. Li is collaborating with other scholars in the China Innovative Urban-rural Governance Research Network to advance conceptual bases of community leadership in rural China through case study research.
Gang travelled from BC to Ontario to attend GSC’s First Annual, ‘The Word & The World’ (Letters from Moscow) Symposium. He enjoyed a walking tour of the University of Toronto’s campus with Drs. Wendy & Adrian Helleman.
His next step in education was to do his PhD in education, and he applied to the program at UBC because of a certain church in the area that he thought would be nourishing for him. He knew no one in the region, but he took the leap to Canada. After much intense study and writing, and ten years of dissertation work, in 2020 he received his PhD in Educational Studies from UBC.
Reading for Leading
If asked about his core values, Dr. Li points to the virtues of goodness and humility. “The world is complex with multiple dimensions,” he explains, “and we need to honour the wisdom of God in diversifying church denominations. No single church is the only true church, and the instances of church violence of the past such as those against the Anabaptists were wrong.” Dr. Li is an ardent ecumenist, and pushes for public apologies where needed, and to the need for constant collaboration.
What is Dr. Li currently reading? He is always ready to speak of his love for the work of theologian John Owen (all 17 volumes!), and especially the way in which Owen makes faith not just a matter of dogmatic assertion but also heartfelt experience. “He is the Prince of Puritans,” explains Li, who is currently reading Volume 6 on indwelling sin in believers and the mortification of sin.
He is enjoying Conceiving the Christian College by Duane Litfin (2004), which asks how Christian universities keep their bearings in the tumultuous intellectual seas of the twenty-first century. The author writes of the importance of holding fast to one’s core identity in the midst of the cross-pressures of our age.
As mentioned above, Dr. Li teaches a lot in leadership and organizational management. He appreciates Brené Brown’s work Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts (Random House 2018). The writer insists that leadership is not about status or power but rather recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and having the courage to experiment with that potential. In other words, it is not about being the person with all the right answers, but being the most curious person in the room who asks the right questions. It is not about power as much as the courage to be vulnerable and take creative risks for the greater good.
Dr. Li can talk easily about grand ideas of leadership. But those ideas are contextualized by what is most important to him: knowing that he is beloved—by his parents, by his church, friends and colleagues–and all that as a means by which God, in Jesus Christ, by the Holy Spirit, calls him his own, body and soul, in life and death (to allude to the Heidelberg Catechism Q &A #1).
