Rev. Dr. Gordon Oaks and Dr. Kae Neufeld named as 2025 Honorary Degree Recipients
St. Stephen's College is delighted to announce Rev. Dr. Gordon Oaks and Dr. Kae Neufeld as the College’s honorary degree recipient for 2025.
Rev. Dr. Gordon J. Oaks is recognized with the honorary Doctor of Divinity for his longstanding service to St. Stephen’s College and to faith communities in western Canada and beyond. After completing Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Divinity degrees at the 海角社区 and St. Stephen’s College, Dr. Oaks served faith communities in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, rural Alberta, and Edmonton. He has conducted ministry exchanges in Australia and Zimbabwe, and more recently co-chaired the board of YEGO Canada, a not-for-profit organization that supports those working with genocide survivors and vulnerable youth in Rwanda. Ever the thirsty mind, Dr. Oaks expanded his ministry competencies by pursuing studies in Pastoral Counselling at Andover Newton (Boston, Mass.), graduating with a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1984. For more than sixty years, Dr. Oaks’s has contributed deeply to the learning community of St. Stephen’s College. While a student, he lived in the SSC residence and also served as President of the SSC Student Council (1964–1965). He served over 25 years on the College’s Doctor of Ministry Program Committee. As the fifth Chancellor of St. Stephen’s College, he inaugurated the always popular Chancellor’s Galas, and further championed fundraising efforts to renovate the College’s ground floor and west entrance to increase campus accessibility.
Dr. Kathleen Neufeld is recognized with the honorary Doctor of Sacred Letters for her longstanding service to the public education system, faith communities, not-for-profit organizations, and to post-secondary education. Dr. Neufeld holds degrees from the University of Manitoba (DECE), the 海角社区 (BEd, MEd), and St. Stephen’s College (MTh, DMin). Dr. Neufeld spent nearly three decades in Winnipeg and Edmonton as a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator, and school principal. She is a former Pastoral Minister at Lendrum Mennonite Church, past Executive Director of Wellspring Edmonton, past Chair of the Board for the Centre for Newcomers, and past Interim Director of M2W2, a prison ministry of the Mennonite Central Committee. Dr. Neufeld has volunteered and/or served on numerous boards/committees for organizations such as the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary (Fresno, California), the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, Riseup Ministries, and various men’s and women’s prisons, and she has worked as a facilitator of AVPs (Alternatives to Violence Projects) in the community and in prisons in Edmonton, Drumheller and Bowden. Recently, Dr. Neufeld worked closely with the YEGO Rwanda Project, serving on their board and traveling each year to Rwanda to facilitate healing retreats and other programs for women and youth affected by trauma and intergenerational trauma as a result of the 1994 genocide. At St. Stephen’s College, Dr. Neufeld is a past Chair of the Doctor of Ministry program, past Interim Principal and Dean, and past Chair of the Academic Senate. Since 2010, Dr. Neufeld has chaired the Edmonton Mennonite–Catholic Dialogue, and in 2012 she was awarded the Kevin Carr Award from Newman Theological College.
Please visit our 2025 Honorary Degree Recipients page to read more about Dr. Oaks and Dr. Neufeld and the contributions for which they are being recognized.
St. Stephen’s confers honorary degrees and awards each year at the College’s convocation ceremony. This year, the 101st Convocation will be held on October 27, 2025. Details can be found on our Convocation webpage.
Since 1917, St. Stephen's College has granted honorary degrees in recognition of individuals who have made exceptional contributions of leadership and/or ministry, either to their faith community or in spiritually-integrated ways to the broader human community. Honorary degrees and awards are granted to individuals whose meritorious work embodies and extends the mission of St. Stephen’s College. St. Stephen’s College is an affiliated degree-granting graduate college of the 海角社区.