Fonds 2006-02 - Ronald Arthur Ward

Rev. Canon Dr. Ronald Arthur Ward (1908 - 9 July, 1986) was born in Hertfordshire, England, hailing from a family of preachers. Originally a Classics scholar, Ward parlayed his knowledge into becoming a New Testament scholar, graduating from London University with Bachelor of Divinity (1934), Master of Arts, and Doctor of Divinity degrees. His Ph.D thesis was entitled, "The Aristotelian Element in the Philosophical Vocabulary of the New Testament." After ordination, Rev. Ward took a Curacy in South-East England, and was appointed Tutor of London College of Divinity, where he taught briefly.

He immigrated to Canada in 1951, where he was charged with the Church of the Messiah (240 Avenue Road, Toronto), and became a staff member of Upper Canada College. The following year, Rev. Ward took a position as professor of New Testament at Wycliffe College, a position he held from 1952 until 1963. Beginning in 1955, he held the position of Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Toronto. Rev. Ward held Canadian citizenship for more than 30 years; his other activities included preaching at noon-hour Lenten service in St. James Anglican Cathedral, Toronto, located at King and Church.

Rev. Ward was a prolific scholar, even when not at his academic post at Upper Canada College or Wycliffe College. He went on a mission to Jamaica from 1958-1960, spoke at interdenominational conferences and committees, published several articles, authored 12 books, and acted as editor or Evangelical Christian from 1959 to c.1967.

In 1963, Rev. Ward briefly returned to England, spent a year travelling through Europe and Asia, and next lectured and preached in Australia and New Zealand. He returned again to England, and became rector of the Ellingham and Kirby Cane churches in the Anglican diocese of Norwich.

In 1969, Ward relocated to New Brunswick, were he was rector of St. John’s Stone Anglican Church, and rural dean of Saint John for eight years prior to retiring in 1975. Ward was well-known in Saint John for his many public speaking engagements and his appearances on local television station CHSJ’s programme Destination. In September 1984, Rev. Ward went on an eastern Arctic mission to Povungnituk, and Sugluk, in northern Quebec, and Cape Dorset in the Northwest Territories.

In 1985, Rev. Ward continued his scholasticism. A member of the International Society of New Testament studies, Rev. Ward lectured at the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Banockburn, Illinois, in 1985.

For the last eleven years of his life, Rev. Ward lived in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, with his wife, Evelyn (Powell) Ward (b. December 1906). The couple married in September, 1933, and had three children, Phillip, John, and Timothy.