Anglican Deaconess Ministries appoints Dr Louise Gosbell as Principal of Mary Andrews College.
– 16 August 2021
Anglican Deaconess Ministries is pleased to announce that Dr Louise Gosbell, currently Acting Principal and Dean of Students at Mary Andrews College, has accepted the role of Principal of Mary Andrews College, effective 24th August 2021.
Announcing Louise’s appointment, ADM CEO, Rev Jo Gibbs said: “I am very excited and thankful to God to see Louise taking up the permanent role of Mary Andrews College Principal. She has a deep love for God’s Word, a passion to see every Christian woman growing in the gospel, and an amazing ability to come alongside women encouraging them to grow in Christ.
“Louise has been part of the ADM family since 2010, and she deeply gets the DNA of Mary Andrews College and the women who study with us. Over the last few months, Louise has proven her exceptional leadership of the team as Acting Principal. I can’t think of a better Principal to lead the College through this next chapter and I’m excited to see what God will do through her faithful leadership.
“Louise was chosen after a rigorous selection process from a strong field of candidates. She is a passionate educator known for her commitment to accessibility and inclusion, and a leading theologian in the overlap of disability and biblical studies. I am delighted she has accepted this appointment.”
Louise has been connected with ADM since 2010, first as a scholarship recipient, then as a MAC casual lecturer, an ADM Fellow, and most recently MAC’s Dean of Students and Acting Principal.
After completing a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Theology (Honours) through the Sydney College of Divinity, Louise completed her PhD in Ancient History at Macquarie University in 2015. Louise’s PhD thesis on physical and sensory disabilities in the gospels, The Poor, the Crippled, the Blind, and the Lame was published with the renowned academic publisher Mohr Siebeck in 2018. Louise has gone on to publish extensively in the field, with forthcoming work to appear in the Routledge Handbook of Marginalization in the Bible and the Journal of Disability and Religion.
“Louise has a deep love for God’s Word, a passion to see every Christian woman growing in the gospel, and an amazing ability to come alongside women encouraging them to grow in Christ.”
Dr Louise Gosbell celebrates with graduands at the 2020/2021 MAC Graduation
Dedicated to making theological education accessible to all students, Louise’s work as Dean of Students has seen her develop a range of new student support systems. These have provided critical assistance to MAC students with disabilities, mental health challenges and those who are primary carers to a person with a disability. Louise is focused on enabling all of the women at MAC to grow in knowledge of God’s word and practical skills so they can use their gifts and skills in service to God and His people.
Louise has also faithfully served with many areas of disability ministry, driven by her conviction that church should be accessible to all and inclusive of all. Louise has served on the oversight committee of the Jesus Club and as the Sydney Coordinator of CMB Australia’s Luke 14 Program. She is currently on the Resource Team for Our Place Christian Communities, is a board member of Embracing Ministries and has been newly appointed as a member of the Core Council of the Institute on Theology and Disability in the USA.
Reflecting on her appointment, Louise said: “It’s a great privilege to step into the role of MAC principal following in a long line of godly women who have served the college in its 130 years.
“In my time working at MAC, I have seen so many women have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of God’s word and develop practical skills to use in life and ministry. To be able to watch women grow in their confidence in themselves as they grow in their relationship with God is an incredible privilege. MAC is a college purpose-built to train women which means we understand the challenges women face in juggling many competing demands on their time. And I’m excited about being able to continue to serve MAC and grow our reach to equip everyday women to serve Christ.”
Louise, who was born and educated in Australia, is married to Mark and they have three teenage daughters.
Read some of Louise’s writing:
For families living with disability, churches mustn’t go “back to normal” after COVID-19
When disability welcomes you to church
Listen to Louise on the ABC Radio program Soul Search:
'The world's largest minority' — International Day of People with Disability