The President and the Board of Trustees of Acadia Divinity College are pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Dr. Stuart Blythe as the Associate Professor in the John Gladstone Chair of Preaching and Worship. Dr. Blythe will begin at the College on September 25, 2017.
Stuart brings a wealth of experience in pastoral ministry. Between 1989 and 2005, he served two churches in Glasgow: Minister of Springburn Baptist Church (1989-1994), Youth Minister of Kirkintilloch Baptist Church (1994-2000), and Team Leader/Senior Minister of Kirkintilloch Baptist Church (2000-2005). From 1994 to 2004, he was also an occasional lecturer at the Scottish Baptist College.
Dr. Blythe was invited by the Scottish Baptist College to full-time appointments as Lecturer in 2005 and as Senior Lecturer in 2008, and was the Acting Principal in 2013-2014. During this time, he was a Visiting Lecturer for the International Christian College for Youth Ministry Methods (2008), and an External Examiner for Trinity College with Bristol Baptist College (2012-2014) and Northern Baptist Learning Community (2012-2013). He became a Fellow of the Academy of Higher Education in the UK in 2011. Since the summer of 2014, Dr. Blythe has held the position of Rector of the International Baptist Theological Study Centre Amsterdam and has been a member of the Faculty of Theology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Dr. Blythe’s keen interest in preaching and homiletics is reflected in his two dissertations – for his Master of Theology (distinction) at Spurgeon’s College/University of Wales (2003) The Place and Function of Preaching in the Church’s Mission and his PhD in Homiletics at the University of Edinburgh (2009) Open Air Preaching as Radical Street Performance. In addition to these academic achievements, Stuart has earned a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, University of the West of Scotland (2011), and a Master of Education in Enhanced Educational Practice (distinction) (2016). He was also Winner of University of the West of Scotland ‘Court Medal’ for Post Graduate Diploma in Enhanced Educational Practice (awarded for academic excellence) in 2015. His earlier education included Master of Arts (Hons) Modern and Medieval History at Glasgow University (1984), Cambridge Diploma in Religious Studies at Scottish Baptist College (1986), and Bachelor of Divinity (magna cum laude) at the Baptist Theological Seminary, Zurich, Switzerland (1989).
During his teaching years at the Scottish Baptist College, Stuart was involved in numerous committees with the Baptist Union of Scotland. He is currently the Editor for two journal publications: Journal of European Baptist Studies and Baptistic Theologies, and, since 2014, the Chair of the organising committee for the Confederation of European Baptist Schools. He has spoken in several countries across Europe and in North America (including Winnipeg in winter!).
Dr. Blythe is married to Susanne, and together they have two adult children: Stephen and Kim-Michal, both living in Scotland. For leisure, Stuart and Susanne enjoy playing the bagpipes. Please join the President and the Board in welcoming Stuart and Susanne to Acadia.
