Trinity Western University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Aaron A.M. Ross as program director of in-church formation and curriculum development for Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS), effective this fall.
In this role, Dr. Ross will spearhead an innovative program designed to bridge rigorous graduate-level theological education with the life and ministry of the local church. He will work closely with faculty, pastors, congregations, and denominational leaders to implement sustainable, church-based graduate formation initiatives that equip leaders for effective ministry. In this role, Dr. Ross will also teach courses in pastoral theology, ministry practice, and church leadership.
This program is part of bold, forward-looking initiative for TEDS, aimed at addressing the growing pastoral shortage across Canada and making world-class graduate theological education more accessible. By establishing strong partnerships with denominations and church networks, this program will build an innovative model to shape highly resilient, spiritually formed, and practically equipped leaders to meet the contemporary needs of the churches of today and tomorrow.
Dr. Ross brings a unique combination of academic rigour, pastoral ministry, and administrative leadership to this position. An ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, he joins TWU following fifteen years of pastoral leadership, with deep roots in diverse, urban ministry contexts across both the Greater Toronto Area and the Greater Vancouver Region. Since 2020, he has served as lead pastor of Richmond Pentecostal Church. His multifaceted background and proven leadership make him well suited to advance the mission and vision of TWU through this formative role at TEDS.
Dr. Ross is a settler Canadian historian of Christianity, holding a PhD in Theology, Concentration in the History of Christianity, from the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto (Wycliffe College); an MDiv in Pastoral Ministry and Pentecostal Studies from Tyndale Seminary; and a BA in History and French from the University of Western Ontario.
He is the author of the critically acclaimed monograph The Holy Spirit and the Eagle Feather: The Struggle for Indigenous Pentecostalism in Canada (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2023), a groundbreaking historical study contributing to vital conversations surrounding faith, culture, leadership development, theological education, missionary legacy, and reconciliation.
Dr. Ross has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses in theological and social scientific disciplines at Master’s College and Seminary, Redeemer University, Summit Pacific College, and ACTS Seminaries.
Dr. Ross is delighted to accept this new appointment, stating:
“My vocational mission is the theological formation of leaders, fully equipped for ministry in the church, the marketplace, and the wider world. I am deeply honoured to step into this new chapter with one of North America’s premier divinity schools, blending its historic legacy with a fresh vision to elevate theological education that serves the Church across North America and around the world.”
“We have every confidence that Dr. Ross will do an excellent job and will be an asset to the future success of Trinity Western University,” notes Provost Dr. Susan Wendel.
“This appointment also signals TEDS’s commitment to working closely with local churches; such partnerships are critical for training men and women for ministry,” added Dean Dr. David Pao.
About Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Founded in 1897, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is one of the world’s leading evangelical divinity schools, known for its commitment to Scripture, rigorous scholarship, and global ministry impact. Now part of Trinity Western University, TEDS continues its mission of forming faithful servant leaders for the Church worldwide.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students for life. Uniting faith and reason through Christian teaching and scholarship, TWU is a research institution offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in the humanities and sciences as well as in several professional schools. TWU has its main campus in Langley, B.C. and campus sites in Richmond, B.C. and Ottawa, Ont.
Learn more at twu.ca or follow @TrinityWestern on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. For media inquiries, please contact media@twu.ca.