Commencement Chapel - Dr. Gary Nelson

Dr. Gary Nelson begins the 2019/2020 academic year and delivers its opening address. Dr. Nelson message is titled “A great cloud of witnesses”. In this message, he assures students they are not alone in their journey at Tyndale. Though they may fail or outwardly rebel many times, he encourages students to stay the course and finish the race that is marked for each of them with perseverance.

Dr. Gary Nelson is a published author, dynamic speaker and recognized Christian leader in Canada and around the world. On July 1, 2010, Dr. Nelson began his term as the 12th President and Vice Chancellor of Tyndale University College & Seminary.

Prior to becoming president of Tyndale, Dr. Nelson served for 10 years as General Secretary of Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM), the national and global working arm of Canadian Baptists. During those years, CBM experienced striking capacity growth, expanding the organization’s global impact in the areas of leadership development, theological education, sustainable community development and the development of key educational resources for congregations across Canada.

As a ministry leader, Dr. Nelson has served in a number of congregations both in staff and senior ministry roles. As Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church (Edmonton, Alberta) in the 1990s, Dr. Nelson was involved in the revitalizing and renewing of this historic downtown congregation into a creative and dynamic contemporary congregation.

Since becoming president of Tyndale, Dr. Nelson has nurtured change in positioning the university as a high quality Canadian academic institution.