Dr. Steve McMullin completed his second three-year term as Academic Dean on June 30, 2022, and he will retire from ADC at the end of the calendar year.  In addition to his role as Academic Dean, Dr. McMullin has acted as the Director of ADC New Brunswick and occupies the Sheldon and Marjorie Fountain Chair of Evangelism and Mission. With a heart for the local church, his academic research has focused on evangelism, church renewal, and faith and technology. Dr. McMullin has contributed greatly to the life and mission of the College, including a new course, The Church’s Response to Domestic Violence, and leading the faculty through the successful 10-year accreditation renewal by the Association of Theological Schools. For that, and his 12 years preparing Christian leaders to serve, the entire ADC community is deeply grateful.

The role of Academic Dean is also in transition. The Academic Dean has been replaced by two Associate Dean positions: Dr. Stuart Blythe will serve as the Associate Dean responsible for Faculty and Dr. Danny Zacharias as Associate Dean responsible for Curriculum.

As part of our strategic vision ADC is committed to equip our students and graduates to understand both their own mental health and how best to support that of their congregations. To that end a new part-time position, Faculty Advisor in Mental Health Pastoral Education and Adjunct Faculty in Pastoral Care, has been created to undertake research about the needs of ministry students and teach courses in pastoral care and mental health. We have welcomed Dr. Glen Berry to this role. Dr Berry brings to ADC almost 30 years as a practicing clinical psychologist as well as experience as an educator, both at Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, Nova Scotia, and at Acadia University. His strong interest in helping pastors better understand mental health issues, and in building community supports in churches further equip him well to lead this work at ADC.

At the end of June, ADC bid farewell to Dr. Dorothy Hunse as she left her position of Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care and Director of the Charles J. Taylor Centre for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care.  During the past five years, Dr. Hunse has been a well-respected and much-appreciated member of the ADC community, sharing her wealth of information and experience with faculty and students alike. She became a mentor to many of our students as they navigated studies and considered their futures. While she may no longer be a member of ADC faculty, we anticipate that Dr. Hunse will continue to serve occasionally by teaching special courses and providing supervision, as her future path allows.