Trinity Western University honours the legacy of Dr. Donald Murray Page (July 24, 1939–November 14, 2024), professor and former Academic Vice President who invested his life in developing servant leaders in Canada and internationally.
From the power halls of Parliament Hill and Canada’s Foreign Affairs Department to the classrooms of graduate university students pursuing leadership training at Trinity Western University, Dr. Donald (Don) Murray Page brought wisdom, Christ-like character, and a vision for empowering leadership to the next generation.
Supporting the nation's leaders and raising up next-generation leaders
Dr. Don Page’s career in educational innovation began long before he arrived at TWU.
A distinguished civil servant, Dr. Page served as a senior policy analyst and speechwriter for Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. While working in the nation's capital, he not only exercised leadership in policymaking by aiding his country’s leaders in shaping Canada's global affairs, but he also embodied spiritual leadership by leading Bible studies and prayer groups for parliamentarians and federal government employees.
Bringing Christ’s influence to bear upon the nation’s centers of power, Dr. Page sought to advance the integration of faith and good governance, advocating for the importance of Christian ethics in government policies.
Trinity Western University years
Following 16 years of public service, Dr. Page became Academic Vice President at Trinity Western University in 1989. In his role, he effectively raised the University’s profile among Universities Canada (formerly AUCC) institutions, at a time when TWU was strengthening its reputation as a solid place of training for leaders. He had an inspirational approach to leadership training. In Against All Odds, a presidential memoir by President Emeritus Dr. Neil Snider that included chapters written by many TWU leaders, Dr. Page writes, “Servant leadership isn’t about developing followers, but developing other servant leaders.”
At his urging we adopted 'Servant Leadership as a Way of Life' as one of our highest values. Don lived that value before us all with warmth, consistency, and passion. In so doing, he has left an indelible imprint on the character of Trinity Western University.
A vision for servant leadership
At TWU, Dr. Page was instrumental in developing a servant leadership culture and curriculum modelled after the teachings of Scripture and the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. This vision for "Servant Leadership as a Way of Life" would eventually be established as one of the University's core values.
Among those who worked closely with Dr. Page in developing a servant leadership ethos at TWU was Dr. Guy Saffold.
"I had the wonderful privilege of collaborating with Don administratively and academically in countless ways over the years," Dr. Saffold recalls.
"Don’s exceptional competence, character, and creativity marked his leadership every step of the way," Dr. Saffold affirms. "These are 'coin of the realm' qualities in the area of leadership, and in these respects, Don was a wealthy man."
Dr. Saffold continues, "What truly set Don apart, however, was his bone-deep conviction that he was only a servant of Jesus Christ who happened to have been given the task of leadership."
"When we developed TWU’s core value statements, Don insisted that it was not enough merely to say that we believed in servant leadership. At his urging we adopted 'Servant Leadership as a Way of Life' as one of our highest values. Don lived that value before us all with warmth, consistency, and passion. In so doing, he has left an indelible imprint on the character of Trinity Western University."
Establishing a new graduate program in leadership
His voice and vision for applying a Christian worldview to the marketplace would eventually bring him to the next adventure of his career, where he helped to expand TWU’s educational offerings to include a Master of Arts in Leadership—a graduate-level program that trained leaders from around the world on the principles and application of servant leadership.
Decades later, TWU’s MA in Leadership students continue to apply the research skills and leadership theories gained in the classroom to tackle timely topics within healthcare, business, education, and general leadership program streams.
Those who benefitted from Dr. Page's teaching and mentorship include Richard Taylor, a graduate of the MA in Leadership program who is now the executive director of Kurumbuka Leadership Solutions. Taylor recalls how Dr. Page impacted his life and leadership approach, and inspired him to invest his own life in empowering other leaders. "Don’s class changed my career trajectory," Taylor expressed. "Don is a true example of a man shaped by God’s heart; he led with grace, compassion, and love for God’s children."
Launching TWU’s Laurentian Leadership Centre
Dr. Page was instrumental in launching and developing TWU’s Laurentian Leadership Centre—a residential, internship-based program in Ottawa that provided undergraduate students with opportunities to work for governmental offices and non-profit organizations headquartered in the nation’s capital. Since welcoming its first cohort of students in 2002, the LLC has now had more than two decades of experience in providing students with an extraordinary education through internship work and interactions with Christian policymakers and leaders, giving students a glimpse of what faith looks like lived out in a variety of professional careers and vocational contexts within law, business, government, social services, education, and media.
"For him, these weren't just words—he lived it, and we saw it. His example shaped my heart that semester and has had a lasting impact on the way I approach leadership as a disciple of Christ today."
Dr. Leanne Smythe, who was part of the inaugural cohort of LLC students and is currently a professor of political studies, attests that Dr. Page's legacy lives on in her life. "He took 22 ambitious, idealistic, energetic student leaders and taught us that the world's vision of leadership was not enough: we needed a Christ-centred vision of leadership," Dr. Symthe expressed.
"For him, these weren't just words—he lived it, and we saw it. His example shaped my heart that semester and has had a lasting impact on the way I approach leadership as a disciple of Christ today."
In 2008, Trinity Western conferred upon Dr. Page an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his significant contributions to the University and to the lives of many Christian leaders.
"Good leadership is the ability to motivate and mobilize others to accomplish a task or think in a certain way that will benefit the people being served
and bring glory to God."
A rich legacy for a global Christian university
Don Page’s impact extends beyond Trinity Western University and the programs that he helped launch and develop. Interim President and Provost Dr. Todd Martin remarks, "Dr. Page was a visionary for servant leadership grounded in a Christian worldview. His legacy lives on in the lives of many TWU graduates who are serving all around the world, leading businesses, advancing the welfare of communities, and living lives that model Christ-like character and leadership."
"The ripple effects of a quality, faith-based education in leadership are immeasurable, and we are grateful to continue Dr. Page’s legacy of developing wise and effective leaders through living out our calling as a global Christian university.”
Dr. Don Page on leadership
Dr. Page has often spoken of servant leadership as fostering the potential of others. In a 2021 leadership roundtable hosted at TWU Richmond and co-led by graduate students, Dr. Page, who was the keynote speaker, said, “A servant leader is here to serve rather than to be served. My job is to invest in the organization to make them successful rather than them being here to make me successful."
"Good leadership is the ability to motivate and mobilize others to accomplish a task or think in a certain way that will benefit the people being served and bring glory to God."
Fostering good leadership globally
In addition to his work in launching the Master of Arts in Leadership program at TWU and the Laurentian Leadership Centre in Ottawa, Dr. Page also extended TWU's values-based leadership training program into China. Bringing the values and ethics of faith-based servant leadership around the world, Dr. Page has taught at Pan African Christian University and has been a strong supporter of the Kurumbuka Abundant Leadership Institute in Kenya.
Investing in the next generation through scholarships and awards
Carrying a passion for fostering future leaders, Dr. Page, together with his wife Annabelle, created the Don and Annabelle Page Master of Arts in Leadership Award, a scholarship for leadership students.
Motivated by their deep care for students at TWU enrolled in the Laurentian Leadership Centre, they were also contributors to the Laurentian Club Endowed Scholarship, which has been recently renamed the Page-Laurentian Club Endowed Scholarship in recognition of the couple's long-time support.
Should you wish to learn more about TWU scholarships and awards, or join Dr. Page and Annabelle in their vision for seeing the next generation of leaders flourish and make a donation in memory of Dr. Page, please visit TWU Giving.
Please visit Dr. Donald Murray Page's obituary page for information about his legacy and his celebration of life scheduled for January 11, 2025.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has campuses in Canada in Langley, Richmond, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn. For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.