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In Conversation: Dave Toycen at Urbana 09 - Part One

Inter-Varsity Director of Communications, Matt Sylvester, sat down with Dave Toycen, President of World Vision, to talk about Urbana and the relevance of the work that it is doing in helping to challenge students to address issues of social justice, poverty and a lifetime of Kingdom action. This is Part One of a two-part interview released on www.ivcf.ca.

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Matt Sylvester: I’m with Dave Toycen, President of World Vision Canada. Dave, how are you enjoying your time at Urbana so far?


Dave Toycen: It’s great. It’s been over 30 years since I was here at the last Urbana, so it’s changed a lot. It’s certainly hipper and lots of great presentation stuff is going on – the latest technologies – so that is fantastic.


MS: What is your favourite experience so far?


DT: This is just my first day, so I really enjoyed the speaker last night from Latin America. She was just outstanding. I enjoyed the manuscript Bible study this morning. I cut my teeth on inductive Bible study and I really enjoyed it. We looked at the second chapter of John this morning, Jesus’ first miracle, and it’s loaded with Jesus as God and Jesus’ humanity as well. It’s wonderful.


MS: You and I share a colleague who ran into you in Africa where you were carrying an Urbana 06 bag. So, he relates this back to me and that makes me interested in what makes Urbana so relevant that you are toting your Urbana bag overseas – though maybe it’s a very well-made bag – that World Vision is so much a part of Urbana, so much that Urbana is in Africa with you, the President of World Vision.


DT: Well, first I will say that the bag was very relevant in terms of its size, being very handy. But I took a secret pleasure in promoting that in a small way because Urbana was critical in my own formation of being with, at that time what was about 15,000 students, all trying to struggle to answer that question: “What do I do with my life? How do I bring greater meaning and greater commitment to Christian missions?” So I believe in Urbana very strongly.

Also, there’s self-interest. As a faith-based organization, as a Christian organization, we need great people on our staff because your organization is only as good as the capacity of your people. I see Urbana as a great place to see some of God’s special people for the next generations.


MS: So talk about that next generation as it relates specifically to your Canada and your ministry there.


DT: I’m excited about today’s young people especially because they have such a passion for not only a commitment to faith in Christ, but seeing the expression of that faith in caring for the poor and marginalized. I think there is a greater commitment to those issues, at least that I’ve seen in my own lifetime. So, I’m excited about that. Yet there is a great hunger for the spiritual, the vertical dimension as I call it, so I think this generation has a very powerful combination.

Inter-Varsity prides itself on the development and training of leaders, getting Canadian students to accept the challenge that God has for them in ministry. Speak to me about the relevance of Inter-Varsity’s work in training those leaders and how they are helping resource you.

I think we are looking for more and more opportunities for an organization like World Vision to be partnered in various ways with student work, particularly with Inter-Varsity, because it is an opportunity to bring what I think is a growing passion among young people to have an experience, to be more connected, with the deep needs of our world. I think, for an organization like World Vision, that is not something we should be looking to do ourselves. Yes, we do have some work that we do with university students, but it’s very small compared to Inter-Varsity, so here’s a chance to work together.

Also, I think one of the things that the public is looking for is increased leverage, effectiveness and efficiency, even in Christian organizations. So, let’s find the things we have in common so we can add value to each other and do things together. I’m a real fan of that, so I see Inter-Varsity and the Urbana experience as a great partnership opportunity.


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This is the conclusion of Part One. Part Two available soon on www.ivcf.ca.

Posted: December 31, 2009



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