THOMSON, Sharyn

Originally from Winnipeg, Sharyn has always been interested in different languages and cultures. After completing a degree in Linguistics and French, she worked in business for six years before beginning a master’s degree in Christian Studies at Regent College, Vancouver. While there, she attended Urbana and began exploring mission opportunities, joining Wycliffe in 1986.

In 1989, Sharyn moved to Burkina Faso, West Africa where she served in several support roles before joining the Buamu language project. She served as linguist, exegete and project leader until that project transitioned to national leadership in 2009. She continued to support the team in an advisory capacity while pursuing further training in linguistics until the New Testament was completed in 2011.

From 2012 through to September 2022, Sharyn served in several different leadership roles in Francophone West Africa, completing her service there as general director for the work of SIL (Wycliffe’s key partner organization) in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Niger. 

In January 2023, Sharyn joined the leadership team of Wycliffe Canada, serving as interim president from February – October 2023. Sharyn continues to support the president and senior leadership team of Wycliffe Canada as Vice President, Senior Executive Advisor. In this role, she provides prayerful and strategic counsel to the team with a particular focus on policy and language programs in Canada. 

While Sharyn’s roots are in Winnipeg, Vancouver is now her Canadian home.