VST Announces Cork Lecture 2025: The Holy Spirit and The Christian Life | Rev. Dr. Rob Fennell
register for the lecture and workshop here
The Vancouver School of Theology and St. Andrew’s Hall are pleased to announce that Rev. Dr. Rob Fennell of the Atlantic School of Theology will be the keynote speaker for the 2025 Cork Lecture and Workshop.
Rob’s keynote lecture will explore the presence and power of the Holy Spirit as God’s dynamic, transformative life at work in the world. This timely and timeless theme will resonate with those preparing for leadership in the church, lay leaders, and all those seeking a deeper encounter with the Spirit in both personal and communal life.
The Rev. Dr. Rob Fennell is Associate Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada. Since joining AST in 2006, he has served in a variety of leadership roles, including Academic Dean (2017–2023) and Acting President (2022–2023). He holds a ThD from the University of Toronto and an MLitt in New Testament from the University of St. Andrews.
Rob’s teaching and research explore the intersections of hermeneutics, the Holy Spirit, pilgrimage, evangelism, congregational vitality, and devotional writings from figures such as C.S. Lewis and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He is the founding director of Camino Nova Scotia, AST’s social enterprise-based summer pilgrimage program. His recent publications include Camino Close to Home: How to Plan and Thrive on Local Pilgrimages (Norvalis, 2023) and Turning Ourselves Inside Out: Thriving Christian Communities (with Russell Daye, Fortress, 2021). Rob is also the recipient of the United Church of Canada Foundation’s McGeachy Senior Scholarship (2022–2024) for his research on the Holy Spirit across Christian traditions.
Free public lecture Friday August 8, 7 p.m. | Workshop Saturday August 9, 9:30am – 12:30pm (lunch included)
The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life
Who is the Holy Spirit—and how can the Spirit be known? And what difference does that make in our lives and world events? From a vague “something” to a real “Someone,” Rob will trace a deeper understanding of the Spirit as the dynamic, transformative presence of God in our midst.
In the accompanying workshop, participants will explore how the Holy Spirit—God’s own self—lives at the beating heart of spirituality. Together we will reflect on the Spirit’s presence in our personal lives, our churches, and our callings. Come with an open mind and heart to dive into the Spirit’s embrace.
Both the public lecture (free) and the workshop ($10—includes lunch) require registration.
The Cork Lecture and Workshop is jointly sponsored by VST and St. Andrew’s Hall in honour of Mardee Cork, a generous supporter of theological education. The Cork Lecture and Workshop is made possible through allocations from a permanent fund held by St. Andrew’s Hall with all distributions exclusively at the direction of the VST President. The Cork Lecture and Workshop focuses on congregational vitality.