Dr. Annette Bourland Huizenga named interim dean of the faculty

09-01-2023

McCormick alum Dr. Annette Bourland Huizenga, MATS’99, will serve as interim dean of the faculty. Most recently the dean of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, Dr. Huizenga looks forward to building on McCormick’s commitment to impact the world by offering experiences that help to form community changemakers and world-class faith leaders.

While a pastor at LaSalle Street Church in the late 1990s, Annette Bourland Huizenga felt the need to broaden her theological knowledge. She asked a McCormick intern who was serving at the northside Chicago church, “where can I get a better background in biblical studies for preaching and teaching?” The student replied, “Well, you should go to McCormick.”  Dr. Huizenga, who already had a master’s degree in religious education from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C., made a mental note. “I looked around at a couple other schools,” she says, “and then I went to a worship service [at McCormick]. …What I encountered felt supportive…like a community. McCormick seemed to have a greater understanding of the non-traditional student… a willingness to help me build a program around my particular interest. I chose McCormick.”

This summer, Dr. Huizenga was named McCormick’s interim dean of faculty and she’s looking forward to working with McCormick’s faculty and staff to help ensure that every student feels the same sense of community, belonging, and support that she experienced.

 “I love the seminary’s mission,” she begins, “the variety of things we’re doing in the city – SBI [Solidarity Building Initiative], the programs of our cultural and academic centers, the way we connect with churches and reach out to people who are often underrepresented in theological education. It will be exciting to be part of and support the many new things that are happening here.”

Dr. Huizenga earned her Master of Arts in Theological Studies from McCormick in 1999 and was recognized for her academic scholarship with the T.B. Blackstone Fellowship in New Testament Greek and the Nettie F. McCormick Award in Old Testament.

“What I remember most about my days as a McCormick student was observing my instructors and learning how to teach from their examples,” says Dr. Huizenga, who served as an adjunct faculty member at McCormick for six years, teaching Introduction to Biblical Hebrew, the Book of Matthew, and other courses. “Each had a different teaching gift; I was blessed by their range of styles.” Dr. Huizenga received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2010 and most recently served as dean of the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

An avid reader of history and mystery books, Dr Huizenga also enjoys reading books recommended by her grandchildren. Gardening and bird watching also are favorite pastimes. She and her husband have seen more than 1,150 species of birds during their travels throughout the world; they keep a record of their sightings. “It’s not just bird watching” she says, “it’s being outdoors, hiking, and seeing some beautiful places.”

Returning to the seminary this semester, Dr. Huizenga will have her eyes focused on enhancing what she sees as an already strong commitment by McCormick’s faculty to provide rigorous and transformative academic and cultural experiences that can inform the lives and ministries of the seminary’s students. “I think students will find engaging and passionate instructors who can help them see the value of reading biblical texts in the original languages…instructors who will offer time to reflect on theological history and discover why it’s relevant in today’s world,” she explains. “Students will be asked new questions of both ancient texts and current society. We’ll think through the challenges then and now to find the responses and actions needed to make society more humane. Theological education has something to offer today’s conversations…ways to respond – not merely react – to today’s needs. I believe that’s McCormick’s strength and why we are here.”

Dr. Annette Huizenga
Interim Dean of the Faculty