How I got to Regent:

I came to Regent after completing an undergrad degree in science from Carleton University in Ottawa in order to ensure that I could integrate my passion for natural resource management with my Christian faith. I initially planned to complete a one-year course of study and return to Africa as a resource management professional.

How Regent made a difference:

Regent enabled me to ask serious questions about doctrine and to find my own journey of conviction on certain potentially divisive questions. While I remained in my Pentecostal faith tradition, my time at Regent instilled an appreciation for all of God’s family that has allowed me to engage ecumenically and read widely with a critical yet open mind.

Most important lesson:

Regent provided the foundations of a worldview that integrated my faith with my understanding of the world around me. The biblical grounding of my education gave me a passion and love for the Scriptures. The interdisciplinary approach gave me a framework for a strong faith in God and his word, as well as an open-minded approach to the big questions of life. The learning environment enabled me to question my faith tradition, examine my scientific convictions, and realize that all truth is God’s truth.

I left Regent with a sense of integrity. My faith was alive, my mind could engage difficult questions, and I had acquired tools for lifelong learning.

My journey since Regent:

Following graduation, Cindy and I served for five years on the pastoral staff of Broadway Church in Vancouver. We then moved to Harare, Zimbabwe, where we served in pastoral ministry, church planting, formal and informal leadership training, community development, HIV/AIDS response, food security, and regional leadership. Including a two-year term in Kitwe, Zambia, as Academic Dean at Trans-Africa Theological College, we served in southern Africa for twenty years.

Also during that time, Cindy and I initiated a ministry called Villages of Hope Africa Society, which cares for over 4,000 vulnerable and orphaned children. I continue to serve as the Board Chair for this organization.

In 2006, we received a request from our church, the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), to give leadership to our international mission engagement as a fellowship of churches. I am now in my thirteenth year serving as Executive Director. I also serve as Board Chair for ERDO, the PAOC’s humanitarian agency.

The world of mission has marked my life from the beginning: my parents were missionaries for over twenty years, and I was born and raised in Kenya. It’s my passion to keep a missional identity alive and well in PAOC churches across Canada. I’m also passionate about serving our many international partners as they live out their faith in their local context. Our goal is to offer them friendship and fellowship as they seek to reach their communities with the good news of Christ’s redeeming work.

Regent memories:

My wife and I always enjoyed the evenings at the homes of our professors. I greatly appreciated the encouragement that came from those who taught us. During my first inter-term, our class was held at Whistler and I learned to ski. I also greatly enjoyed the visits of people like John Stott, Gordon Fee, and other guest lecturers.

Favourite class:

History with Ian Rennie.

Favourite thing about Vancouver:

After five years in Ottawa, I appreciated the lack of snow!

Aspect of my life that would have surprised me as a student:

I’d have been surprised that I’d end up as a denominational official. I was a bit anti-establishment.

Fun (and sporty) facts:

1. I remain a soccer nut. 
2. I learned to love cricket. 
3. I’ve become an avid cross-fitter.

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