About Richard

A Pastor

I am Richard Manley-Tannis, currently Principal of St. Andrew's College at the University of Saskatchewan, a Diaconal Minister in The United Church of Canada, serving as a Chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces, and a scholar-practitioner working at the intersection of theology, organisational change, and relational practice.

A Deacon's Musing is my long-running public blog. I began writing here in 2008 as part of a wider conversation about faith, culture, leadership, and what it means to live thoughtfully in times of profound transition. Over the years, the blog has become a place where I think out loud carefully, critically, and with others in mind.

A Chaplain

Why I Write

I write because institutions change, stories fray, and people are often left searching for language that can hold what they are experiencing.

My academic work is grounded in relational construction and practical theology, with particular attention to how narratives shape institutional life, conflict, and the possibilities for repair. My doctoral research, completed in 2020, explored how the United Church of Canada might move from deficit-based accounts of change towards more generative, relational ways of understanding its life and mission.

This blog is where that scholarly work meets lived experience.

Here, I reflect on leadership in liminal and uncertain spaces; conflict, mediation, and restorative practice; faith in a secular and plural public sphere; institutional change and organisational life; and culture, language, and the stories we tell about ourselves.

My Work and Context

A Friend

Alongside writing, I serve as Principal of St. Andrew's College, an ecumenical theological college affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan. My work there focuses on leadership, governance, academic life, and the ongoing task of re-imagining theological education in a rapidly changing context.

I am also a Diaconal Minister, called to a ministry of education, service, and social transformation. Over the years, this has included work in organisational development and change; conflict resolution and mediation; restorative justice and community-based practice; and leadership development within faith-based and not-for-profit contexts.

What You Will Find Here

A Deacon's Musing is not a platform for certainty or answers neatly tied with a bow.

Instead, you will find essays that linger with questions rather than rush to conclusions; reflections that take institutions seriously without idealising them; writing that values conversation, curiosity, and care; and occasional cultural musings.

A Confidant

An Invitation

This blog is offered as an invitation rather than a declaration.

If you are a student, leader, practitioner, or fellow traveller navigating change, whether in the church, the academy, or beyond, you are welcome here. I hope these musings offer language, perspective, or companionship along the way.

Richard Manley-Tannis
Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan

A Deacon's Musing is the blog of Richard Manley-Tannis, Principal of St. Andrew's College at the University of Saskatchewan.