Dr. Ronald Kuipers appointed President of ICS

In its meeting of January 16, 2018, the ICS Board of Trustees unanimously passed a motion to change the job title of Dr. Ron Kuipers from ICS Provost to ICS President.

Dr. Kuipers became ICS Provost on July 1, 2017, after being interviewed by a committee of the ICS Board, as part of a leadership transition period during the final months of the Presidency of Dr. Blomberg. With the retirement of Dr. Blomberg as ICS President on October 31, 2017, Dr. Kuipers took over as the institutional leader of ICS, thus completing the leadership transition that began on July 1. The change of Dr. Kuipers' title to President is intended to reflect the reality that he has assumed this leadership position, and to communicate that status clearly both internally and externally. Dr. Kuipers has expressed to the Board his enthusiasm in accepting the challenges and responsibilities involved in the role of ICS President, and we thank him for his willingness to serve ICS in this capacity.

An investiture of Dr. Kuipers as President of ICS will take place at the next ICS Convocation, scheduled for May 11, 2018.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Ron Kuipers as the new President of the Institute for Christian Studies. We wish Ron God’s rich blessings as he gives leadership to the ICS in this capacity.

Dr. John Valk, Chair
Board of Trustees, ICS

Prayer Letter: February 2018

Thursday, February 1 - Friday, February 2:

• Please pray for Hilary Barlow, ICS’s Librarian, as she attends the Ontario Library Association Conference these two days. This is Hilary’s first opportunity to represent ICS at this conference. We pray that the time she spends with her peers from other institutions will be fruitful and encouraging.

• On Wednesday, January 24th, we had the privilege of welcoming Elizabet Aras as our new Registrar to our community. Elizabet has recently moved to Toronto from her home in Sweden where she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, and worked as a professional Early Childhood Educator. Please pray for Elizabet as she not only learns how to perform all the tasks of her new role, but also settles into her new home in Toronto.

Monday, February 5 - Friday, February 9:

• February is the month in which faculty evaluate applications of prospective students and make decisions about who will be accepted to study at ICS. Please pray for the faculty’s wisdom in this process, and that their deliberations are worthy of the thought, effort, and hope of those who are seeking to join us in our mission.

• We ask for prayer for Jeff Hocking, former Registrar/Student Services Co-ordinator at ICS, in his new position as Registrar at Wycliffe College, one of the colleges in the Toronto School of Theology. Please pray for Jeff as he becomes accustomed to his new environment and learns his way around the administrative systems at Wycliffe. All of us at ICS are missing him already but are very happy that he is just down the road.

• Please pray this month for one of our MA students, Kiegan Irish, as he works hard to bring his thesis to completion. Kiegan’s thesis addresses Hannah Arendt's relationship to economic science and how her ideas of natality and the public realm disturb settled understandings of politics and economics in modern Western states. We ask for a creative mind for Kiegan and productive interactions with his mentor, Ron Kuipers.

Monday, February 12 - Friday, February 16:

• We ask for prayer for Ron Kuipers as he continues in his leadership role as President of ICS. Pray for wisdom and discernment as he leads the Leadership Team in the many matters that require decisions, particularly those related to the financial management of the institute and our ongoing relationship with The King’s University.

• Please pray this week for our deliberations around the development of an MA in Leadership in consultation with Hamilton District Christian High and the Ontario Christian Schools Administrators Association. Please pray specifically for Bob Sweetman and Pat Webb as they meet with representatives from HDCH and OCSAA on February 12th to bring further definition to the program design.

• The first in-person class this semester of the Vocational Wayfinding course taught by Gideon Strauss takes place on Wednesday, February 13th. The class will be held on site at Toronto District Christian High school and there are 9 teachers registered to take the course, 5 for degree credit and 4 for audit. Please pray that the logistical arrangements will go smoothly and that the interaction and fellowship during the class will be fruitful and uplifting.

• Please pray for Bob Sweetman who takes on three guided readings this semester with two of our MA students, which are outside the regular curricular activities. For your interest, the readings are: “Philosophers as prophets and storytellers”; “The effect of Lutheran pietism on German philosophy”; and, “The philosopher Alvin Plantiga”. Pray for Bob as the addition of these three readings will make this semester a very busy one for him.

Monday, February 19 - Friday, February 23:

• Reading Week commences on Monday of this week. This is a welcome opportunity for Junior and Senior Members alike to bury their heads in their books, or digital equivalents, and to concentrate on their current research. May our Lord give them perseverance and insight.

• The CPRSE continues to partner with a number of academic institutions and community organizations in research and knowledge mobilization projects. Please join us in giving thanks for the CPRSE’s successful participation in the research collaboration entitled “Faith and Settlement Partnerships: Setting Immigrants and Canada Up for Success,” which will come to an end in May 2018.

• Please pray this month for Pat Webb and Ron Kuipers as they travel to various locations across southwestern Ontario to represent the advancement interests of ICS. We pray for protection on the road, and blessed interactions with our supporting community.

Monday, February 26 - Wednesday, February 28:

• The CPRSE continues to enlarge its scope of action through collaborations that combine academic and community-based research. This month, please pray for the CPRSE and partner organizations as they seek funding opportunities for research projects involving mental and relational health in Canada.

• Please continue to pray for the finalization of the administrative details surrounding the proposed move to our new home. We are working with space requirements and we are very grateful to have a professional architect working with us.

• Plans are underway to host a second Undergraduate Workshop, titled “Philosophy as/of Storytelling.” Please pray for our Junior Members, who are the workshop’s planning team, as they continue to promote the event among prospective participants and supporters.