Chris Ferguson (theologian)

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Chris Ferguson 2014

Chris Ferguson (born May 1953 ) is a Canadian Protestant theologian. Since 2014 he has been General Secretary of the World Community of Reformed Churches (WGRK) based in Hanover .

Life

Ferguson received his theological training at the Vancouver School of Theology and at the University of Montreal . After his ordination in the United Church of Canada he worked as a pastor and college teacher in Québec and British Columbia and then for seven years as a student pastor at McGill University in Montreal , where he also taught part-time as an adjunct professor at the United Theological College . From 1987 to 1991 he worked on behalf of his church at the Department Ecuménico de Investigaciones(DEI) and as a professor at the Universidad Biblica Latinoamericana (UBL) in San José , Costa Rica . After returning to Canada, he first worked as a consultant for Latin America and the Caribbean in the foreign department of his church, which he then headed as general secretary from 1999. In 2002 he switched to the position of Commissioner for Justice and Ecumenism. In 2004 he became a representative of the World Council of Churches in Jerusalem and established, among other things, the Jerusalem Inter-Church Center . From 2006 to 2010 he was a representative of the World Council of Churches at the UN . His church then sent him to Colombia , where he coordinated a monitoring program for victims of violence.

Ferguson was elected General Secretary of the World Fellowship of Reformed Churches in May 2014. He took up his position on August 1st and has been the sole managing director of the WGRK since his predecessor Setri Nyomi left on August 30th.

Positions

Ferguson sees himself as “a mission activist on the one hand and a unity theologian on the other”. He is particularly characterized by "the connection between social justice and missionary work"

During his time in Jerusalem, Ferguson was involved in drafting the Kairos-Palestine Document .

Honors

Ferguson was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Vancouver School of Theology in 2017 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Press release on the election as General Secretary .
  2. ^ Curriculum vitae according to the websites of the United Church of Canada ( Memento of May 11, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) and the Communion of Reformed Churches in Indonesia .
  3. ^ Announcement on the website of the Decade to Overcome Violence
  4. ↑ Press release on the election as General Secretary .
  5. ↑ Interview with Ferguson in September 2014 on the website www.reformiert-info.de.
  6. ^ Announcement in the United Church Observer
  7. ↑ Press release from http://vst.edu/vancouver-school-of-theology-announces-recipients-of-2017-honorary-doctorates .
personal data
SURNAME Ferguson, Chris
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian Protestant theologian
DATE OF BIRTH May 1953