Who’s he? To begin to answer that question a person could start in one of several places.
Relationships
Judi & I have shared life as husband & wife since 1975. It’s been great. Judi is the Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling at Nazarene Theological Seminary. The fact that graduates still call her for a chat shows that she is much more than an instructor, but also a friend. We are the parents of two children: Karla and her husband, Grant, are the parents of J Oliver; Jason and his wife, AJ, are the parents of Judah James and Abel Anders. Being Nana & Papa has been a joy.
I’m the Assistant Dean and Instructor of Church Music at Nazarene Theological Seminary. This fits under the relationships header since I see my work at NTS as primarily being a mentor to pastors in training. Yes, as the Assistant Dean I have quite a bit of administrative work to do, but I always try to keep the benefit of the student in mind when working on “stuff.” I’m motivated by watching students begin to bridge theory and practice. Coaching them as they move from student to pastor provides some of the most fulfilling work I do in an academic year.
Interests
All of my academic training was in music, the masters and doctors degrees in church music. I’ve taught worship & music courses at Nazarene Theological Seminary and Western Evangelical Seminary (now George Fox Evangelical Seminary). Throughout the 24 years of my pastoral ministry I always had music responsibilities, even in the last nine years when I served as the pastor of a small congregation.
Currently I spend a lot of time in the missional church conversation. Some of my frustrations as a pastor in the 1990s found a vocabulary in the recent books on the emerging church with which I resonate. I’d do things very differently if I were a pastor today as what I sensed intuitively in the 1990s has taken on full form. I’m hopeful about the future of the church as I walk alongside postmodern natives emerging as leaders in ministry.
In the early 1990s I discovered an aptitude and interest in personal finance. Part of the motivation was the need of the congregation I served as pastor. About the same time my parents needed assistance with financial decisions. And as I approached the big 4-0, I suddenly realized that I had done very little to plan for retirement. Long story shortened, I’ve studied and passed certification exams on several personal finance topics: personal financial planning process, insurance, investments, retirement planning, income tax preparation, etc.
I’m a storyteller, and the son of a storyteller. (My father is 90-years-old and in the final stages of Alzheimer’s. A decade ago we complained about hearing the stories repeated. Now the stories are gone.) I’m interested in the role of story in spiritual formation, organizational change, and personal awareness.
I’m writer. I started by writing articles on music and worship. I must have about 25 articles published on those themes. I’ve had seven books published, with more in the works. Now I write a wide range of material: a bi-monthly personal finance column for pastors, research articles for Sunday school teachers, ministry in a postmodern context. etc. I’ve even begun a novel–my first attempt at fiction.
Who’s he? Well, you’ve got a start at the answer.
