On his third day as President, Dr. Kenton Anderson met with Providence staff and faculty and outlined his dreams for the future of our university college and seminary.
OTTERBURNE, MB – On June 3, 2021, President Kenton Anderson met with staff and faculty to share his heart and vision for Providence in the coming years. Broadcasting over Zoom, with his wife Karen sitting by his side, he candidly and intimately shared a little about his life and the journey that’s brought him to his new role.
He spoke about how his imagination began to grow during the recruitment process. “I began to appreciate what may be possible here at Providence. I began to feel a growing passion for the possibilities that existed for me personally, and for all of us together, for the sake of God’s kingdom, for the sake of people and their flourishing, for the sake of Christian higher education in Canada.”
Dr. Anderson recently left his post as President at Northwest Seminary to join us here at Providence. He pastored full-time in Western Canada for 12 years and is well-known for his expertise in homiletics having taught and published four books on the topic including his most recent Integrative Preaching from Baker Academic Press. He is one of the founding members and past presidents of the Evangelical Homiletics Society.
He is also well known in the area of theological education and competency-based training. He is a well-sought out consultant and speaker. For many years, he served on the President Council for ACTS Seminaries which is affiliated with (a part of) Trinity Western University. And currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Theological Schools and also the Fellowship of Evangelical Seminary Presidents.
In light of his extensive seminary experience and history, however, he was quick to point out, “I came to Providence largely because of the university college. I’m excited about broadening my perspective to all the interests and areas of life that a university represents.”
Dr. Anderson indicated that he is embracing the challenge of his new role as president with “joy and enthusiasm.” He is optimistic and hopeful about the future. He wants Providence to build on its historical strengths, realize its full potential and discover its significance in a global context. “It’s been my impression that Providence has largely understood itself as a regional presence in Southern Manitoba, and while that needs to continue to be celebrated in order for us to thrive, I believe Providence also needs to increasingly see itself globally.”
Having just begun, there are still many conversations, meetings and planning sessions to come, but he expressed his initial dreams for Providence in the areas of financial sustainability, work-integration learning, further accreditations and uncovering new markets.
“The status quo is unsustainable.” Dr. Anderson shared that we cannot continue to do business as usual; that we need “a new narrative that inspires a way for the future;” and that we need to deliver innovations that distinguish us from our competitors.
He continued on by saying, “You can expect me to be loyal, consistent, energetic, and maybe even aggressive at times, in pursuit of the innovations necessary for our flourishing as we pursue our mission together to transform students into leaders of character, knowledge and faith to serve Christ in a changing world.”
Some of the things Dr. Anderson is committed to includes:
- creating a sustainable financial future for Providence, dealing with the deficit, and building an endowment fund;
- improving our status and building on our reputation and our standing as a recognized university in Canada;
- further developing and enhancing our campus; AND
- uncovering new markets as we become more innovative and adaptive in our programming.
He ended the session on an inspirational note by saying, “We will not be dismayed by setbacks. We’ll go and we’ll grow, and we’ll give God the glory. It will all be by God’s grace, by His strength and for His glory.”
_________________________________________________________________________
To view more ‘New President’ details and/or short video messages, click HERE.
