The Board of Ridley College is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev’d Canon Dr Rhys Stewart Bezzant as the tenth Principal of Ridley College.

Faculty, staff, and students were the first groups in the Ridley community to be informed of the news earlier this week and have welcomed the news warmly.

Rhys is no stranger to the Ridley community. He has been on the Faculty since 2004, teaching Church History, Christian worship and ecclesiology, and leads the Anglican Institute, nurturing students seeking ordination in the Anglican church. Beyond Ridley, Rhys serves as a Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, and on the Liturgy Commission and the Doctrine Commission of the Anglican Church of Australia. His research on the texts and teachings of Jonathan Edwards and his role as Visiting Fellow at Yale Divinity School are all well known. See his profile here.

Perhaps more importantly than academic and other credentials, Rhys has a demonstrated experience of and love for mentoring, equipping the next generation of men and women for God’s mission. And if love of coffee defines being Melburnian, Rhys is truly a son of this city.

Rhys has recorded a video which can be viewed here.

The Board of Ridley looks forward to working closely with Rhys when he commences his new role in January 2025, and is so grateful for the faithful prayers of many in the broader College community during the search for a new Principal. The College has so much for which to be thankful.

Seak-King Huang
Chair, Board of Ridley College