Fonds F3669 - Ray and Rhea Whitehead fonds

Rhea Hildegarde Menzel Whitehead (1936-2011) was a missionary in Asia, theological educator and General Secretary of the Division of World Outreach. She was born on January 22, 1936 in St. Louis, Missouri. She received her B.A. from Elmhurst College Illinois summa cum laude in 1956 and M.A. in Adult Education from the University of Toronto. In 1961, after undertaking full-time studies of the Cantonese language, she and her husband Raymond Whitehead moved to Hong Kong where she worked in various capacities with the Church of Christ in China and the National Council of Churches/USA. In 1975 they moved to Toronto where Rhea served as Coordinator of the Education Liaison Programme of the University of Toronto/York University Joint Centre on Modern East Asia for the next two years. She subsequently worked with the Anglican Church of Canada as Regional Mission Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific from 1979-1984 and thereafter, served The United Church of Canada until her retirement in 2005. She was Area Secretary for Asia, 1984-1992; General Secretary of the Division of World Outreach, 1992-1999 and overseas personnel 1999-2005, teaching at Siliman University in the Philippines and Nanjing Theological Seminary in China. Rhea was widely respected and recognized for her exceptional work in international justice and peace. Along with her solidarity and support work in the struggle against the dictatorships in South Korea and the Philippines, overseas partners point to Rhea's pioneering work in opening up the commitment to gender justice in the context of mission partnerships. Rhea and her husband Ray played critical roles in the ecumenical churches’ ongoing relationship with the people and churches of China. Rhea meticulously took down notes of her travels and observations, at workshops and worship which documents form a large part of her records. In 2010, Rhea and Ray were awarded the Katharine Hockin Award for Global Mission and Ministry by the Canadian Churches' Forum for Global Ministries.

Raymond Leslie Whitehead (1933-) was Secretary for Theological Education in the Division of Ministry, Personnel and Education, minister, a teacher of theology and a missionary known for his work in China, the Philippines and Hong Kong. Born in Buffalo NY he left home at the age of 15 for Elmhurst College Illinois where he received his BA in 1955. Inspired by fellow students who worked the 1954 World Council of Churches in Evanston, he embarked on a year of overseas service after graduating. Travelling from Hawaii to Hong Kong to Northern India he was disturbed by the poverty and noted the local ambivalence toward Western missionaries. After his trip he enrolled at Union Theological Seminary where he received a M.Div. in 1960 and was ordained by the United Church USA in 1961. White studying he married Rhea Menzel in 1957. The couple decided to settle in Hong Kong where they worked as missionaries: educating the young, tending to the ill, advocating for workers’ rights. His work caught the attention of Newsweek where he was praised for prioritizing helping the sick and educating the young over saving souls, practicing Christianity over preaching it. His interest in current issues inspired him to return to Union Theological Seminary and earn his Ph.d. in Christian Ethics. White studying he became an Asia Research Consultant for the National Council of Churches USA. One of his tasks was to monitor the state of the Christian Church in China in light of the Cultural Revolution where he became associated with the Committee of Concerned Asian Scholars. During this time he established a friendship with Bishop K.H. Ting, leader of the Christian Church in China. They shared the opinion that the Christian Church in China could be Chinese and not exclusively a Western Imperial institution. While working as a consultant he also taught ethics at the Chung Chui College. In 1976 the Whitehead’s relocated to Canada where he became director of the Canada China Canadian Council of Churches. In 1980 he began teaching in the Toronto School of Theology. United Church Work From 1992-1995 he worked as Secretary for Theological Education in the Division of Ministry, Personnel and Education, in the General Council. In 1996 he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Winnipeg. He was ordained by the United Church in 1998. He served as an ordained minister at the University of Winnipeg until retirement in 2000. After retirement he spent two years teaching at the Divinity School of Silliman University in the Philippines and then three years at Union Theological Seminary in Nanjing by invitation of Bishop Ting. There he and Rhea became established members of the community.