Guest Lecturers

We believe strong Christian leaders are the most qualified instructors to teach others to lead. Therefore, our faculty members have proven track records in leading successful churches and Christian organizations, as well as excellent academic credentials.

Miriam Adeney

Anthropology

• BA, Wheaton College
• MA, Syracuse University
• PhD, Washington State University

Professional Experience: Miriam Adeney currently is the Associate Professor of Global and Urban Ministries at Seattle Pacific University, Teaching Fellow at Regent College, Adjunct Professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, and the mentor of Christian writers in Asia and Latin America. A few of her many writings include How to Write: A Christian Writer’s Guide, God’s Foreign Policy, and Daughters of Islam.

Dennis W. Bakke

• BA, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
• MBA, Harvard University, Boston, MA

Professional Experience: Dennis was cofounder of AES – a multinational company that at one time was the third largest owner of electrical power in the world behind the governments of Russia and France. AES and Dennis gained international attention through his unusual business practices of decentralizing decision-making among his 36,000 employees, his low overhead corporate office of less than 100 employees, and his purchase of millions of acres of rainforest to offset power-plant carbon-dioxide emissions. Prior to 1981, Dennis was Deputy Director of the Energy Productivity Center, Carnegie-Mellon University. In addition, he served for 18 months as Chairman of the International Energy Agency Conservation Group in Paris, France. He left FEA to attend the National War College, graduating with Distinction in 1977. Graduating with Honors from the University of Puget Sound, Dennis went on to receive an MBA from Harvard University. In 2005 he published the NY Times best-selling book, Joy at Work in addition to the award-winning documentary The Power Trip that chronicled AES’ work in Tbilisi, Georgia. Dennis is currently the President and CEO of Imagine Schools, a company that operates elementary and secondary (K-12) charter schools in 10 states. http://www.dennisbakke.com. Dennis currently serves as a Director of Young Life of Washington, DC, Founder and Co-Chairman of the Mustard Seed Foundation, and Board member of Council for Excellence in Government.

Leslie Braxton

Pastoral Studies

• BA, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA
• MDiv, Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, NY
• DMin, United Theological Seminary, Cincinnati, OH

Professional Experience: Leslie Braxton is Senior pastor at New Beginnings Christian Fellowship. For twelve years, Dr. Braxton served as senior pastor of the historic First Shiloh Baptist Church of Buffalo, New York, and more recently at Mount Zion Baptist Church of Seattle. As an avid promoter of holistic ministry and community empowerment, Rev. Braxton’s accomplishments include the development of the First Shiloh Housing Development, Inc,. the First Shiloh Youth Foundation, Inc., which annually serves hundreds of disadvantaged youth in Western New York, and the founder of the First Shiloh Christian High School.

Michael Mata

Urban Studies

• BA, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego
• MDiv, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego
• MA, University of California, Berkeley
• PhD candidate, University of Southern California

Professional Experience: Michael Mata has extensive experience in urban-related programs on the congregational level, as well as ecumenical and interfaith levels. His skills and expertise lie in developing practical approaches to faith-based community development, congregational redevelopment, trans-cultural ministry, and community conflict transformation. His research interests include social-cultural analysis of the urban landscape and assessing the social ecology of religious institutions in urban communities. Michael is Transformational Development Specialist for World Vision US, is adjunct assistant professor of Urban Ministries at Claremont School of Theology, and also serves on the Board of Regents at Bakke Graduate University.

Delia Nüesch-Olver

Anthropology/Global Urban Mission

• BS, Mercy College
• MA, Long Island University
• PhD, Syracuse University

Professional Experience: Dr. Nüesch-Olver is currently Associate Professor of Global & Urban Ministries at Seattle Pacific University before which she was Director for Social, Urban, and Ethnic Ministries for the Free Methodist Church of North America. An ordained minister, she has planted several urban churches throughout her years in ministry. Born and raised in Argentina of Swiss descendants, she combines the best of the Latin-American and European cultures in personality and approach.

William O'Brien (Regent Emeritus)

World Christian Missions/Board of Regents

• BA, Hardin-Simmons University
• MA, Southwestern Baptist Seminary
• DD, Hardin-Simmons University (honorary doctorate)

Professional Experience: Bill O’Brien holds a liberal arts degree from Hardin-Simmons University and a Master of Church Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His alma mater conferred a Doctor of Divinity degree on him in 1981. His missions career spans 41 years, including field service in Indonesia, executive vice president of the Foreign Mission Board, SBC in Richmond, VA, and director of the Global Center at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. O’Brien is the first vice-president of the board of The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, an international adjunct with the Plowshares Institute working in conflict transformation, and is Senior Associate for the Evangelical Fellowship of Missions Agencies. He currently serves as president of the American Society of Missiology.