BSc (Hons) (Witwatersrand, South Africa), PhD (Queen’s, Kingston), MCS (Regent College), PhD (St. Andrew’s, Scotland)
Ross Hastings teaches in the areas of the theology and spirituality of mission, pastoral theology, and ethics. He has served as a pastor in Kingston, Ontario; Burnaby, British Columbia; and Montreal, Quebec. For eleven years, he was the senior pastor of Peace Portal Alliance Church in White Rock, BC. He has earned two PhDs, one in organo-metallic chemistry at Queen’s University in Kingston, and the other in theology at University of St Andrews in his native Scotland. His theological dissertation is a comparative study of the trinitarian theology of Jonathan Edwards and Karl Barth and is in the publication process. Dr. Hastings lost his first wife Sharon to cancer in 2008; he has two adult children. He was recently married to Tammy Carrillo and together they now have five children. He enjoys sport—especially rugby, cricket, soccer, and squash—as well as music of varied genres.
Drawing from biblical texts and the historical tradition of the church, these two scholars will address important questions of meaning and our experience of the Table.
BEd (Christelijke Academic "Felua," Netherlands), BA (Lethbridge), MDiv (Theological College of the Canadian Reformed Churches, Hamilton), MTh, ThD (Utrecht)
Before coming to Regent in 2005, Hans Boersma taught for six years at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC (1999–2005). He also served as a pastor for a number of years (1994–1998). He is the author of several books, including Violence, Hospitality and the Cross: Reappropriating the Atonement Tradition (Baker Academic, 2004) and Nouvelle Théologie and Sacramental Ontology: A Return to Mystery (Oxford, 2009). In February 2011, he published his latest book, Heavenly Participation: The Weaving of a Sacramental Tapestry (Eerdmans). He is currently working on a project on embodiment and virtue in St. Gregory of Nyssa. Among Hans Boersma's main theological interests are Catholic thought, the church fathers, and spiritual interpretation of Scripture. Hans Boersma and his wife Linda live in Langley, BC, where they attend the Immanuel Christian Reformed Church.
Wed May 8, 9 am: “Eucharist and Time: Why Participation Means Sacrifice”
When the second-century Bishop Polycarp got
ready to offer himself up in martyrdom, he prepared himself in the Upper Room.
Patterning his own death on that of Christ, he participated in the sufferings
of his Saviour. In our Sunday worship, we join Polycarp by entering into the
sufferings of Christ. In this lecture, Dr. Boersma will present a plea that we
see the Lord’s Supper as sacrificial. The reason is this: in the celebration of
the Eucharist, heaven opens up so that time gets taken up into eternity, and
therefore, the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ is made present when in worship
we offer ourselves up to God in Christ and through the Spirit.
Fri May 10, 9 am: “Eucharist
and Space: Why Participation Means Real Presence”
What does Christ mean when he says, “This is my
body”? Taking 1 Corinthians 10:16–17 as a starting point, Dr. Boersma will
argue that the earthly bread that we break participates in the body of
Christ—the heavenly bread. Building on Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, and some of
the early Reformers, he will make a plea for “trans-elementation”: much like
iron gets transformed by participating in the fire, so the consecrated element
gets transformed through its sacramental union with the heavenly body of
Christ. The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist comes about as space
itself gets reconfigured when on earth we join the reality of heaven.
MA, BD, Dr Theo. (University of Erlangen-Nurnberg)
Alan Torrance was appointed to the chair of systematic theology at the University of St Andrews in 1999. His academic career spans three continents including universities in Germany, New Zealand, the United States, and his native Scotland. His publications include a monograph—Persons in Communion—several edited and co-edited volumes, and numerous articles in the fields of Christian doctrine and philosophical theology. Most recently, he has published works on the relationship between theological anthropology and developments in the neurosciences, as well as on the interface between Christian dogmatics, ethics, and politics. He has given several series of endowed lectures in the UK and the USA, as well as lecturing widely in Asia and Australasia. A keen musician, he has played violin professionally with the Scottish Baroque Ensemble and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and now enjoys playing chamber music with his four sons. In January of 2009, he lost his wife to cancer after twenty-five years of marriage. He is ordained in the Church of Scotland. When time allows, he enjoys kayaking, fishing, and mountain-biking with his family.
Tues May 7, 9 am: “The Lord's Supper and the Worship of the Church”
This lecture explores worship as participation
in the sole priesthood of Christ. We shall consider the theological
significance of the words of institution. We shall also discuss how the
Eucharist serves to present us with the Good News of Christ’s continuing
worship and how he unites us with himself and his ministry through the
Eucharist.
Thu May 9, 9 am: “The Sacraments and Proclamation”
This lecture explores the relationship between
the preaching of the Word and the celebration of the sacraments. This will
involve considering first the relationship between Baptism and the Lord's
Supper and second, a discussion of how both are absolutely integral to the life
of the body of Christ and, indeed, the ministry of the Word.
Moving into church practice, these gifted pastors and communicators will offer insights to help you and your congregations experience and embody the message of the Table.
BA (Seattle Pacific), MCS (Regent College)
A vocalist, pianist, arranger, and composer whose study of theology has led to a passion for thoughtful worship, Andrea Tisher is the Director of Music and Worship at First Baptist Church in the heart of Vancouver. She completed her Master of Christian Studies degree at Regent College in 2009. From 2005 to 2011, she had the privilege of being the Coordinator of Music and Worship at Regent, enjoying the richness of planning and facilitating worship events in such a unique environment. In addition to facilitating worship, Mrs. Tisher has taught private music students and enjoyed singing in various choirs at the local and national level. She grew up in Calgary, AB and now lives in Richmond, BC with her husband Gordon and daughter Emily.
Mon May 7, 11 am: "The Art of the Table: Expressions of the
Eucharist”
Mrs. Tisher will help us explore the praxis of
celebrating the Lord’s Supper in worshipping communities. How do we make
manifest the theology of the Table? How do we communicate verbally and
non-verbally what is going on in the meal? What words do we use? What visual or
aural elements are helpful? And how do we do this in a particular church
community that has a particular history, tradition, and practice?
Thu May 9, 11 am: "Collaborating at the Table: Integrating Word and Worship”
(with Brian Buhler)
A preacher and a worship leader talk about how to collaborate.
BTh (Summit Pacific Bible College)
Reverend Joyce Rees has served vocationally in ministry for more than twenty years. She has eagerly followed
God into challenging adventures that have included the initial community formation and direction of Jacob’s Well (www.jacobswell.ca). She has pastored in three very different churches, the most recent one being a congregation she planted in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Rev. Rees feels particularly called by God to equip
the church and has therefore given much of her energy to teaching. Over the
past fifteen years, she has been invited by many parts of the church in Canada
and abroad to share biblical insights on topics as varied as Sabbath, suffering,
and evangelism. She has a great passion for the Scriptures and brings a vital
challenge to the church regarding how authentic faith in Jesus is to be lived
today. She is currently experimenting with living in suburbia along with her
husband Calum and her sons Finley and Connor.
Wed May 8, 11 am: “Imbued with the Presence of Christ”
Jesus is present and active in our world, and has been since he inaugurated his kingdom on earth. Christ’s people are conduits of his life in the world, but how does sharing the
Lord’s Supper particularly prepare the pastor for his/her priestly role in
society? Rev. Rees will seek to discern the vibrant presence of the Holy Spirit
imbuing the pastor with the beauty of the presence of Christ through the Lord’s
Supper.
BRE (Ambrose University)
Pastor Brian Buhler is a native Albertan who grew up in Calgary and in the First Alliance Church. In that one church he was baptized, discipled, called to ministry, married, and ordained. He completed his schooling in Regina, SK at Canadian Bible College (now Ambrose University in Calgary) and returned to Calgary upon graduation to serve for seven years as Youth Pastor at First Alliance. Pastor Buhler and his wife Myrna moved west in 1986 to serve at Sevenoaks Alliance and North Shore Alliance churches. January 2008 marked a new chapter for the Buhlers, as they joined the congregation at Pacific Community Church in Surrey, BC, where Pastor Buhler currently serves as Senior Pastor. He has three married children and one grandchild. In his free time he enjoys painting, racquet sports, and good conversation over a cup of coffee (preferably JJ Bean Inferno).
Thu May 9, 11 am: "Collaborating at the Table: Integrating Word and Worship”
(with Andrea Tisher)
A preacher and a worship leader talk about how to collaborate.
Table Talk: “Signs and Wonders: Recovering the Table for Evangelical Worship”
Growing up in a revivalist tradition provided Brian Buhler many gifts for the formation of his soul; the Eucharist, however, was not one of them. After pastoring for twenty-five years, Pastor Buhler experienced a shift. He could no longer be content with the “burning hearts” resulting from the Word without the “opened eyes” resulting from the Table.
Following lunch each day, these pastors from different church traditions will dialogue with you and one another about why and how they are "restoring the centre" in their particular contexts.
BA, MDiv (Wycliffe)
The Very Reverend Lawrence R. Farley, formerly an Anglican priest, graduated from Wycliffe College in Toronto in 1979. He then served Anglican parishes in central Canada. He converted to Orthodoxy in 1985 and spent two years at St. Tikhon’s Seminary. After ordination, he traveled to Surrey, BC, to begin a new mission under the OCA, St. Herman of Alaska Church. St. Herman’s has grown from its original twelve members and now owns a building in Langley, BC, where they worship each Sunday. The community has planted a number of “daughter churches,” including parishes in Victoria, Comox, and Vancouver. Along with being pastor of St. Herman’s, Fr. Lawrence served for fourteen years as the Dean of BC. Fr. Lawrence lives in Surrey with his wife Donna. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.
Table Talk: “The Eucharist in the Orthodox Church”
Understanding the significance of the Eucharist for Orthodox ecclesiology, soteriology, and daily life.
BA (James Cook), DipMin (Hills Leadership College), MCS (Regent College)
Tim Horman has been living in Vancouver for ten years, and is lead pastor of the newly planted Church at the Hollywood on the Westside of Vancouver. Prior to that, he was leading a church plant at UBC for seven years (UTown Church), while completing an MCS at Regent College, with a dual focus on philosophical hermeneutics and missional church studies. He also has degrees in English literature and pastoral leadership, and has been involved in church planting and/or church leadership of various kinds since the age of seventeen. Tim is married to Melissa. They have three children: Lucy, Ella, and Oscar.
Table Talk: “Charismatic Communion”
How one charismatic pastor’s journey led him to recognize the centrality of the Table and the conviction to celebrate communion every Sunday.
BA (Ambrose University), MDiv (Regent College)
After receiving a Bachelor of Church Music at Canadian Bible College (now Ambrose University in Calgary), Vania Levans graduated from Regent College in 2006 with a Master of Divinity. She then served for five years as an Associate Pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Vania was introduced to music at an early age and trained in both classical and jazz music. She has been involved in worship ministry both overseas and in North America. She composes and has released several of her own albums. Vania joined the staff of Regent College in March 2011.