[Montreal Diocesan Theological College] The Rev.  Jesse Zink has been appointed the next principal of Montreal Diocesan Theological College (MDTC). His appointment was approved by MDTC’s Board of Governors on March 27, 2017.

Zink is currently the director of the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide in Cambridge, England, a member institution of the ecumenical Cambridge Theological Federation. He is also an affiliated lecturer in the Faculty of Divinity of Cambridge University.

A graduate of the Faculty of Divinity of Cambridge University, Zink has extensive experience in theological education and academic administration. The Rt. Rev. Mary Irwin-Gibson, bishop of Montreal and president of MDTC noted how delighted she is to be welcoming  Zink to the diocese. She said, “Dr. Zink brings with him a commitment to the future of the college and its community, showing a readiness to engage with the majority francophone, diverse, and secular environment in which the college and the Anglican Church in Quebec minister.”

“What is most striking about MDTC is its many existing strengths,” Zink said. “Strong ecumenical relations, an innovative and mission-focused M.Div. program, the long-standing relationship with McGill, one of Canada’s leading universities, and the low costs relative to comparable programs in North America. I look forward to working with partners and colleagues in the Montreal School of Theology, the alumni community, the Dioceses of Montreal and Quebec, and churches more broadly to build on these strengths, raise the profile of the college, and chart a sustainable future in coming years.”

The Rev. Robert Camara, chair of the search committee and a member of the College’s Board of Governors, commented: “the committee was particularly impressed by his belief in the value the college holds for its students and the church they will serve.” Camara went on further to say that he was excited for the college because, “Dr. Zink’s sense of potential for the future, his demonstrated ability for collaboration, his openness to an ever-changing environment, and his passion and drive for theological education were qualities that were evident to the search committee. But, what also impressed the Search Committee was his own deep sense of vocation as a priest who also happens to serve as an academic.”

Zink is the author of three books about theology, mission, and the global church, including “A Faith for the Future and Backpacking through the Anglican Communion: A Search for Unity.” His doctoral research at Cambridge University was a study of the growth of the Anglican church during Sudan’s second civil war.

Zink was born in Vancouver and raised in the United States. In addition to his doctorate, he has degrees from Acadia University, the University of Chicago, and Yale Divinity School. He worked as a news reporter at a radio station in Alaska and as a Young Adult Service Corps missionary in South Africa before his ordination in the Diocese of Western Massachusetts in the Episcopal Church.

Zink will assume his new post on Aug. 1, 2017. The MDTC community looks forward to welcoming Zink and his family as they join our diocese.