David Long

Rev. Dr. David Long serves as Director of Mission at St. Joseph Health, where he provides executive leadership in mission integration, ethics formation, spiritual care, and Catholic identity across rehabilitation, long-term care, and community-based services. A member of the senior leadership team, he works to ensure that governance, leadership culture, and frontline practice remain aligned with the healing mission of Jesus.

David holds a Doctor of Practical Theology from McMaster Divinity College, with expertise in practice-led research and the application of theology within complex institutional settings. His work focuses on how mission-driven organizations embody their values through systems, governance, theological reflection, spiritual discernment, and organizational culture. At St. Joseph’s, David has helped develop Dialogues for Mission, a year-round living pastoral cycle that integrates reflection, discernment, action, and renewal across the organization. This approach treats mission not as a static program, but as an ongoing rhythm of praxis—where theological reflection informs organizational learning, cultural transformation, and strategic direction. He has also advanced a Tiered Formation Competency Framework and Mission Fidelity Indicators at the operational and governance levels, helping leaders assess how faithfully Catholic identity is expressed through decision-making, culture, and the experience of care.

These initiatives were recently highlighted at the Canadian Catholic Health Association Bishop’s Forum Spotlight on Excellence. David is passionate about forming leaders and organizations where dignity, compassion, justice, and hope are not aspirational values alone, but visible realities in the daily life of healthcare ministry.