Announcing Our Executive Director Transition

The International Network for Christian Higher Education is pleased to announce its incoming Executive Director, Dr. Deborah Haarsma, astrophysicist, professor, and Christian scholar. She will succeed Dr. Shirley Roels who led the organization for eight years and will step aside by the end of 2025.

After a thorough search process, the search committee with the INCHE Board of Directors selected her for her Christian commitments as well as her wide range of experience. In its formal announcement, board leaders write:

"With overwhelming gratitude for our Lord's guidance throughout the entire search process, we welcome Dr. Deborah Haarsma as the next Executive Director of the International Network for Christian Higher Education (INCHE). As a Christian university graduate, she understands personally how transformative such an experience can be for a student. As a former faculty member of a Christian university, she understands how a biblical worldview is integral to the educational journey of each and every student at an INCHE institution. As a former CEO of a Christian ministry, she understands what is required of a leader. She is the right person at the right time with the right giftedness to lead INCHE into the future and build upon the strong foundation created by Dr. Shirley Roels."

Dr. Haarsma builds on more than fifteen years of teaching experience, including four years serving as the chair of a Department of Physics and Astronomy. Most recently, for more than a decade she has served as the President of BioLogos, an organization that shows the many ways that faith and science work hand in hand to address the challenges facing the church and the world today.

In accepting this call to serve INCHE, Dr. Haarsma notes that, "I've respected INCHE for many years and am eager to serve Jesus Christ alongside you in Christian higher education.  It is an honor to follow Shirley’s excellent leadership and to have her counsel in the next chapter."

As Dr. Haarsma begins in her role in November 2025, current Executive Director Shirley Roels adds, “I am delighted that Dr. Deborah Haarsma will succeed me as the Executive Director of INCHE. She has the vision, gifts, and passion for this global effort to foster Christian higher education worldwide. As I support INCHE in other ways, Deb is the right person for such a time as this. The network will be blessed by her leadership; and I am eager to support her efforts.”

This November Dr. Haarsma and Dr. Roels will participate together in the final INCHE 50thanniversary conference hosted by Handong Global University in Korea. Further details about Dr. Haarsma’s background and preparation to lead INCHE are available on the INCHE website at: https://inche.one/new-director and will be discussed in the December issue of Current, the INCHE newsletter.

Early Bird Registration for Global Conference in the Netherlands ends December 4

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Consultation Celebrates 25 years of INCHE Service in Latin America

As part of their 50th Year celebrations, INCHE held a one-day conference in San Jose, Costa Rica on November 15, 2024. In addition to expert panelists on current topics, including decolonialization, AI, multi-culturalism, and the environment and sustainability, the guests were treated to a keynote speech from Dr. Alexandre Brasil Fonseca, the Secretary of Higher Education of Brazil.

The day ended with a celebration of INCHE’s anniversary, highlighting a video from one of the RIESC founders, Sidney Roy. You can watch his comments here as he explains the history of INCHE in Latin America and around the world.

For translation, use the CC and Setting icons to add subtitles and then change the language.

North American Integrated Conference Attracts Global Scholars

INCHE began its year-long celebration of 50 years of serving faith-based higher education around the world with an North American Conference October 17-19, 2024 titled “Integrated Education in a Reductionist Age.” INCHE members from around the world shared their research, learned from each other, and connected with old and new friends.

Pre-conference gatherings connected international attendees in a networking coffee time, a workshop, and a panel discussion with conference partners the Kuyers and de Vries Institutes which highlighted INCHE’s 50th anniversary.

In addition to the breakout sessions, attendees were blessed by three plenary speakers who each shared a unique way to think about how society tries to reduce people, and how those in Christian higher education can counter that reduction.

Dr. Justin Ariel Bailey, an associate professor and chair of the theology department at Dordt University.

Dr. Matthew Kaemingk, the Richard John Mouw Assistant Professor of Faith and Public Life at Fuller Theological Seminary where he also serves as the director of the Richard John Mouw Institute of Faith and Public Life.

Dr. Katie Kresser, a Professor of Art History and Visual Studies at Seattle Pacific University. Her work focuses on art theory, modern/postmodern art, and the intersection of material culture with theology, religious practice and anthropology.

Links to their speeches can be found in the Resources tab for INCHE members

INCHE Africa Gatherings in November 2023

During 2023, INCHE member teams in ten African Christian universities have focused on a professional development initiative concerning the education of Redemptive Change Agents. Through reading, small group discussions, and completion of two online modules they have probed the goals of Christian education, the challenge of sin, and the promise of redemptive hope.

The ten teams are from: Akademie Reformatoriese Opleiding en Studies, Bowen University, Christian Service University College, Daystar University, Melchisedec Graduate Bible Academy, Mountain Top University, Pan Africa Christian University, Uganda Christian University, the University of Mkar, and Vision Bible College. With the guidance of African coaches, Abraham Waigi and Stephen Nduto, in the last week of November these teams will meet each other in person and present the results of their learning. Please pray for effective meetings. A further description of this initiative is available at https://inche.one/events. 

Latin American Conference November 3, 2023

Participants and Speakers from around the world met virtually on November 3 to discuss various topics pertaining to the Protestant church in Latin America. This was the 8th Latin American Conference the INCHE has put on. Thanks to Fernando Bullon for his work in organization and promotion.

Christian Faith and STEM Webinar

Over 80 participants from all over the world registered to listen to panelists reflect on teaching faithfully in STEM with David I. Smith, Director of the Kuyers Institute for Christian Teaching and Learning. David I. Smith’s award-winning 2018 book On Christian Teaching challenged instructors to consider how Christian faith can inform not only the content of our teaching, but also our pedagogical choices. Several faculty members from two universities subsequently considered how faith should shape their teaching in STEM fields such as biology, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and nursing, resulting in a co-authored journal article. What challenges were posed for them as Christian teachers? How are they attempting to answer them in their teaching? What is the Christian rationale behind their pedagogical choices?