Adrian Helleman

Adrian and his wife, Wendy, were GSC’s first scholars! They have served with Global Scholars Canada since 1995. He has taught on 11 campuses in 5 different countries as a GSC scholar, including Russia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and The Gambia. Most of his classes focus on Philosophy or Theology. Adrian is also an author, and has written and presented many other articles and lectures. He continues to fundraise for the Gambian Scholarship program as both he and Wendy have transitioned to part-time service with GSC back home in Canada.

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TEACHING WITH GLOBAL SCHOLARS CANADA

Russia, Nigeria, Tanzania & The Gambia

1. RUSSIA – St. Petersburg & Moscow – 1995-1998

Click here to read a 16-page account of the Helleman’s first year in Moscow

• Moscow State University – Civil Society, Ethics, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, and World Religions
• Moscow Christian School of Psychology – Theological Anthropology
• Open Christianity, St. Petersburg – Reformation

2. NIGERIA – Jos & Ogbomosho – 2003 – 2008

• Theological College of Northern Nigeria – Inter-disciplinary Colloquium (masters level)
• Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary – Issues in Contemporary Theology (masters level), Post-modernism and Religious Pluralism (doctoral level)
• St. Augustine’s Major Seminary – History of Medieval Philosophy, History of Contemporary Philosophy
• Nigerian Missionary Institute – Ecclesiology
• University of Jos – Many courses at Diploma, Under-graduate, and Post-graduate levels

3. TANZANIA – Mwanza – 2009

• St. Augustine University – History of Political Thought (masters level)

4. THE GAMBIA – Kololi – 2012-2015

• Gambia Theological Institute – Systematic and Historical Theology

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PUBLICATIONS

Adrian also authored a book in 2004 – Let Justice Flow Down Like a River: A Study  Guide on Biblical  Justice. Jos: Stream Publishers.

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SPECIAL MOMENTS IN GSC MINISTRY

The Beginning

“Our involvement in what is now GSC began with my search for full-time work. After getting my PhD, I worked for a while as an interim pastor, but I needed to find an academic position. Thus, early in 1994, I pursued an ad in Christianity Today for a teaching position in Port Harcourt in Nigeria with an organization called IICS. The ad listed only a phone number and a postal box. But the 800-phone number was not accessible in Canada, so I wrote letters to both Christianity Today and IICS. At the time we had no idea what the acronym stood for, the International Institute for Christian Studies. It is the ancestor of Global Scholars (USA).

When IICS sent us the preliminary application forms we immediately filled them out. There were further forms, and when these were completed we heard that we would be interviewed. That phone call came on my birthday in 1994. But instead of us going to Kansas City, where IICS headquarters are located, the Executive Director, Daryl McCarthy flew to Toronto for an interview. And we learned that he had a special interest in meeting the Canadian applicants, as the potential start of a Canadian branch of IICS. Once this lengthy application process was completed, we were accepted by the board of IICS. Early in 1995 we attended an orientation session, mandatory for all applicants.

Our next step was to raise the necessary funds. IICS is a faith mission. Fortunately, we still had a network of supporting churches and individuals. But to be able to issue tax receipts for donors, it was important to set up a Canadian charity that could receive funds on our behalf. The incorporation of this charity did not happen without a few legal hiccups. Our first assignment was to organize a board that would supervise our work and look after the finances. The first board members came from Ontario and British Columbia. The new name for this charity was Christian Studies International, a name that was kept until its 20^th anniversary (2015), following the recent selection of a new name for the American board: Global Scholars. The Canadian board then adopted its new name: Global Scholars Canada. 

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. We needed a place to work. We were first considered for placement in Lithuania or Romania. But then we learned that Dan Clendenin, who was serving at Moscow State University, felt burnt out and was looking for someone to replace him. He had heard of our availability and wanted us to come to Moscow. We were still short of the funding needed for initial placement, but a generous donor in the US provided a grant sufficient for us to travel by September of 1995. That was how we arrived in Russia, where we spent seven wonderful years.”

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VOLUNTEER MINISTRIES

“Since our return to Canada, I have served and still serve on several boards, including the Lighthouse, Citizens for Public Justice, and Logos, a student ministry at York University. I have also served on numerous committees. This is a pleasure we were unable to enjoy while we served outside Canada.”