September 10, 2015
Winnipeg, MB – The Centre for Christian Studies is thrilled to announce that Janet Ross and David Lappano will be joining its Program Staff team. After an extensive search process, we believe that David and Janet bring a depth of skills and knowledge that will nicely complement the existing Program Staff (Ann Naylor and Principal Maylanne Maybee).
Janet Ross is currently a sessional lecturer at Emmanuel College and McMaster University, and has 
been the interim director of a mentoring program to help doctoral students become effective theology teachers. She holds a PhD in biblical studies from EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, Georgia, and is an active Quaker. She served for a time as Program Coordinator for Intercultural Education and Engagement at the United Church of Canada’s General Council office, and is passionate about how social locations and theological assumptions impact our identities and relationships.
David Lappano recently completed his PhD in Theology at Oxford University in England, where he specialized in the works of Soren Kierkegaard (who, according to David, offers timely insights on living out a post-Christendom Christianity). David also taught high school, worked in an alternative program with truant students, and was involved in United Church camps. For the past number of years, especially while in England, he has worshipped in Anglican congregations. He is interested in theology that is not esoteric but practical and engaged with public conversation.
Janet will be moving to Winnipeg from Toronto and David will be relocating from the UK, but both plan to attend the fall learning circle in October so they can meet the nineteen students who are enrolled in the Social Ministry Year, before starting work in earnest in January, 2016.
As part of the three-day interview process, all candidates were invited to work with a partner to present sample learning sessions. As it happens, Janet and David, who had not met prior to applying for the positions, were teamed up. In a short one-hour session on “gender justice,” the pair engaged invited guests in a discussion of everything from sexism in children’s toys to 
images of God to the diversity of sexual identity and the intriguing notion that “all gender is drag.” Participants found both teachers warm, engaging, thoughtful, and creative. …We think our students will love them.
[box] The Centre for Christian Studies is a national theological school devoted to the formation of diaconal ministers (for the United Church) and deacons (for the Anglican Church), as w
ell as providing continuing education for lay people and clergy. To learn more about the Centre for Christian Studies, please contact:
Maylanne Maybee, Principal, Centre for Christian Studies, 60 Maryland St., Wpg, MB, R3G 1K7 204.783.4490, [email protected] website: www.ccsonline.ca[/box]
