Adapted from a Wycliffe College announcement
The Rt. Rev. Stephen Andrews, Bishop of Algoma in Ontario, since 2009, has been appointed 10th principal of Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto.
Bishop Andrews has worked in ministry, theological scholarship, and higher education for more than 30 years. He earned his Master of Divinity at Wycliffe College and holds a Doctor of Philosophy from Cambridge University.
“I am honored to be associated with one of North America’s premier theological colleges,” Andrews said. “And I am grateful for the chance to work with such an outstanding board, faculty, and staff in a mission to serve the Church by preparing leaders who are godly, learned and able.”
“I have a heart for theological education and a deep desire to see the Church grow in godly discipleship,” he added. “My ambition is to see Wycliffe play a vital role in promoting and resourcing these things at a time when, both locally and globally, the Church needs leaders capable of making Christ real to a spiritually hungry and confused world. Under my watch, I pray that the college will live up to its calling to be a ‘seminary’ — a place of planting, nurture, growth, rootedness, reproduction, and formation — as it undertakes the work of scholarship both within and for the Church.”
Upon the resignation of George Sumner in September 2016, a search committee was charged with finding the college’s new leader.
“After eight months of prayerful deliberation, we are thrilled by this appointment and believe we have found a wonderful leader that is the right fit, in God’s right time, for Wycliffe College,” said Bob Hamilton, chairman of Wycliffe’s Board of Trustees and the search committee. “Stephen brings to the job an exceptional blend of scholarship, leadership, and a deep experience in both the academy and the church. His leadership will allow Wycliffe to continue to bring innovative change to theological education. These attributes are what our community was looking for. With Stephen Andrews at the helm, the Board of Trustees continues to be optimistic about the future of Wycliffe College and its increasing role to serve the theology and mission of the evangelical church.”
Wycliffe is a graduate theological school affiliated with the University of Toronto and Toronto School of Theology. It has approximately 300 students and offers a wide range of programs, including Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Studies, and Doctor of Philosophy in Theological Studies.
Bishop Andrews serves on the Living Church Foundation.