DR. KENTON ANDERSON
President, Providence University College & Theological Seminary
ABOUT KENTON
Kenton Anderson has been President of Providence University College and Theological Seminary since 2021. Having served as an innovative leader in Christian Higher Education for more than 30 years, he is widely known as an expert in leadership, homiletics, competency-based education, and has published several prominent books in these fields. Born and raised in British Columbia, he has a PhD in communications from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary along with multiple degrees from Northwest Seminary and College (Trinity Western University) where he served on faculty and as president for more than 25 years.
Q: Before arriving at Providence, where did you live and what did you do?
I spent most of my life and career on the west coast of British Columbia. I was a pastor at two coastal churches for 12 years. I served on faculty for 25 years at Northwest Seminary and College (affiliated with TWU) and as president there for 10 years. My prominent career interests have been in developing models known as Integrative Preaching and also Competency-Based Theological Education.
Q: What about Providence was appealing to you?
For most of three decades, I had been involved in seminary education. I loved the idea of being able to apply what I had gained over those years to the broader world of university education without losing my seminary interest at Providence. I saw an opportunity at Providence to rebuild an organization that is critically important to the future of Christian higher education in Canada.
Q: What is something you hope people will learn from your teaching?
I don’t do as much teaching as I would like these days, but one of my go-to concepts is about integration, where we bring together competing concepts such that both sides retain their integrity or wholeness.
Q: What is your teaching philosophy?
Teaching is a calling. I came to higher education out of a desire to make an exponential impact, multiplying the leaders and skilled people required to see good things happen in the world, by God’s grace.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
I love sports, music, and the arts and experience all of these in as many ways as possible – playing piano, guitar, golf, cycling, skiing, drawing and painting, visiting museums and galleries, and learning as much as possible.
Q: Do you have a favourite quote?
“You have made us for yourself, oh Lord, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you” – Augustine.
