VST Announces Amanda Currie as a 2026 Recipient of Honorary Doctorate
VANCOUVER, BC, January 15, 2026. The Board of Governors of the Vancouver School of Theology is delighted to announce that The Rev. Amanda Currie has been selected as a 2026 recipient of VST’s Honorary Doctor of Divinity.
This Honorary Doctor of Divinity (HDD) is awarded to individuals who exemplify the values of VST, an internationally recognized theological school known for its innovation and global leadership. VST’s HDD recipients have made significant contributions through the integration of theology and practice of ministry in one or more of the following: theological scholarship, ecumenical dialogue, the life and ministry of the Christian community, and interdisciplinary scholarship involving theology with other fields.
About Amanda Currie
Amanda Currie has served as Minister of Word and Sacrament at First Presbyterian Church in Regina, Saskatchewan, since August 2017. Ordained in the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 2003 and a graduate of Knox College, she has more than two decades of experience serving inner-city congregations in Saskatchewan and is widely respected for her sustained pastoral leadership and ecumenical engagement in Canada and beyond.
In her congregational ministry, Rev. Currie is known for her gifts in preaching, teaching, and worship leadership. Her sermons and educational resources have been shared widely across the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and she is especially recognized for her thoughtful liturgical leadership, intergenerational worship, and creative integration of music and prayer that invite full participation in the life of faith.
From 2019 to 2021, Rev. Currie served as the only two-year Moderator of the 145th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, guiding the denomination through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this extended term, she re-imagined the role of Moderator as one of pastoral presence and prayerful accompaniment, establishing national practices such as Walk and Pray with the Moderator to foster spiritual connection across the church.
Rev. Currie has also provided significant leadership beyond her denomination through her service as Vice-President and President of the Canadian Council of Churches. In these roles, she contributed to key program tables of the Council, including the Commission on Justice and Peace and the Christian Interfaith Reference Group, advancing dialogue and Christian unity, often through complex and challenging conversations. In recognition of her leadership and service, she was named a Knox College Alumna of Achievement in 2025.
Her commitment to Christian unity is also rooted in lived experience. Rev. Currie is married to Roman Catholic theologian Nicholas Jesson, and together they live as an Interchurch couple, participating fully in both of their Christian traditions—an experience that has deeply shaped her understanding of cooperation, difference, and shared witness.
Her wider church leadership includes sustained engagement with Indigenous communities and the church’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. She was invited by the Governor General of Canada to join the official Canadian delegation to attend the funeral mass of Pope Francis, representing Canadian Christians on the global stage. She also represented The Presbyterian Church in Canada while serving on the Program Committee of the World Council of Churches Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2022, contributing to the shaping of its global leadership.
Vancouver School of Theology is honoured to present this Honorary Doctor of Divinity to The Rev. Amanda Currie, who will receive the degree at the May 2026 Convocation ceremony.
“Amanda is certainly among the very top tier of Canadian ecumenical leaders over the past fifty years. From the very beginning, her deep experience and perceptive insight, along with her commitment to ecumenism, Christian unity, and justice, have been remarkable.”
— Pastor Peter Noteboom, General Secretary, Canadian Council of Churches
“Under Amanda’s consistently strong leadership, our congregation has grown into a close, intergenerational, and diverse community committed to carrying out God’s mission. Last year, she led a discernment process that resulted in the development of a concise statement of our Mission Priorities. Beyond that, she continues to inspire creative worship, pastoral care and inclusivity, expanding outreach efforts in the life of the congregation.”
— Dr. Jo Szostak, Clerk of Session, First Presbyterian Church, Regina
“Rev. Currie is thoughtful, engaged, and generous, using her mind, heart, soul, and strength to participate in God’s reconciling mission in the world. A lifelong learner, she contributes diligently to the faith formation of others and serves Jesus Christ with humility and courage.”
— Rev. Dr. Jean Morris, Vice-President, VST Board of Governors