Meet the Staff
Chaplain
Ralph grew up in the Lutheran tradition and knew he wanted to be a pastor from a very early age. He was ordained in 1978 after studies in the humanities at the University of Regina and theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. In 1986 he completed a journalism degree at Carleton University, Ottawa and began working as an adult educator in United Church of Canada settings.
For the decade of the 1990s Ralph worked in the Canadian HIV/AIDS sector in community based organizations and treatment services.
In 2000 Ralph returned to the study of theology, completing a Th.M. at Toronto School
of Theology (U of T) in 2004. He also became a United Church of Canada minister in
2004, and began his half-
Ralph loves the stimulating environment of the university setting, and is committed
to the notion that faith-
Throughout his student years campus ministry was a key influence in Ralph’s spiritual formation. He is delighted to be able to work in university chaplaincy now, and hopes he can be as helpful to members of the U of T communities as other chaplains have been to him in the past.
Associate Chaplains
[On leave 2014-
pastoral internship in a small church in southern Manitoba and was the chaplain for young adults at Naramata Centre in British Columbia in 2006. Jeanette has a deep interest in exploring faith, growing spiritually, developing the art of holy listening, and being a just and compassionate presence in a hurting world. She also enjoys swimming, camping, making chocolate chip cookies, organic gardening, and biking around Toronto.
Susan Kennel Harrison, Mdiv, ThM, PhDcandidate
Susan was born and raised in the US in a Mennonite family, while also having her faith formed in a United Methodist church. Susan’s passion for God and God’s people has been present for as long as she can remember ! She has served as a Mennonite pastor, Chaplin in hospital and nursing home settings and as an Intercultural student exchange program coordinator. After completing her BA at Goshen College (1987) and again after her Mdiv (1992) Susan spent time living
in the Middle East. This began her passion for Interfaith and Ecumenical bridge building. Since immigrating to Canada in the late 1990’s Susan has been involved in dialogue between Mennonite Christians and Shi’ite Muslim Clergy from Iran; Ecumenical bridge building with Bridgefolk, and Scriptural Reasoning (SR). She blogs about these involvements at the State of Formation and The Common Ground News. Susan has been leading a student group at UoT called Reading Abrahamic Scriptures Together (RAST) for 8 years, and offers pastoral conversation.