MARK HUSBANDS, PH.D.

Biography

Mark Husbands was born in Cardiff, Wales on December 2, 1961. He emigrated to Canada with his family in 1968. A graduate of York University in Toronto, Canada, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies with a minor in Music. At the University of Toronto, he completed a master’s degree writing a thesis on the language philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Martin Heidegger, and launched the academic journal, Prolegomena. Husbands obtained his doctorate in Christian Theology from the University of St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto (Toronto School of Theology). While working under the supervision of one of the world’s leading Christian theologians, the late John Webster, he completed a dissertation on Karl Barth’s ethics of prayer.

In 1999, Husbands was appointed Professor of Theology and Director of Extension and Summer School at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto. In this position, he secured faculty for over 65 graduate and undergraduate courses annually (serving approximately 1,300 students), and administered year-long extension studies program in Ottawa and Oakville generating annual revenue of over $1,250,000 and returned a budget surplus to the Seminary each year.

In 2001, Husbands was appointed Assistant Professor of Theology at Wheaton College, where he taught and supervised the research of both undergraduate and graduate students. At Wheaton, he played a critical role in raising the profile of the discipline of theology by successfully  leading Wheaton’s annual Theology Conferences, publishing six edited volumes, and demonstrating the significance of the theology of Karl Barth, world Christianity, political and moral theology. Also, he advanced global and leadership education through substantial involvement in Honey  Rock (Wheaton’s Outdoor Center for Leadership Development), and hngr (Human Needs and Global Resources)—a global education program focused on equipping students to live out the biblical mandate of Micah 6:8 to act justly, to love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

In 2007, Husbands was installed as the first occupant of the Leonard and Marjorie Maas Chair of Reformed Theology at Hope College. His commitment to the vital significance of Christian theology, combined with his longstanding concern for the moral, intellectual, and spiritual formation of students, led to the development of the Emmaus Scholars Program: a program that engages students, academically, socially, and spiritually, with the goal of cultivating a lifelong commitment to integral mission, racial reconciliation, and community development.

In 2016, he became the Vice President for Academic Affairs (vpaa) at Northwestern College. As the Chief Academic Officer of the college, he is responsible for the oversight and management of an annual $12,460,900 budget in support of 87 full time and 109 part-time faculty members, and over 1250 students. As the vpaa, he also supervises the work of graduate and undergraduate academic Deans, the Registrar’s Office, the Directors of library, computing services, audiovisual services, academic support, institutional research, honors program, nwcore (general education), fys (the freshman year seminar program), global education, institutional assessment, and the Franken Leadership Center.

Mark is married to Rebekah, and together they have raised three adult children, Olivia, Elliott, and Ethan.