Ministry Conference 2008 Speakers
Asbury Seminary Speakers
Dr. Steve Elliott
Senior Pastor, First Alliance Church
Steve Elliott is a graduate of the Beeson Pastor’s Program at Asbury Seminary (’98) and presently serves First Alliance Church in Lexington, Kentucky. Over 27 years of ministry this is the third church he and his wife Marilyn have served. She too is a graduate of the Beeson Program (2004) and serves on the campus of Asbury heading up the Community Life Office. Steve is a self described, ‘turn around guy’ bringing change and health to hurting churches. (He’ll also tell you that he is often reprimanded by his church board for {as T.J. MacTavish once said} refusing to lead a purpose driven life.)
Dr. J. Steven Harper
Vice President of Asbury Theological Seminary, Florida
Dr. Harper rejoined the Asbury Seminary faculty in 1998. Before returning to the seminary to serve as the vice president and dean of the Florida campus, Dr. Harper was the director of The Pathways Initiative and dean of The Upper Room chapel. From 1980-93, Dr. Harper taught at Asbury as a professor of spiritual formation and Wesley studies. In 1993 Dr. Harper and his wife, Jeannie, founded “Shepherd’s Care,” an organization developed to minister to ministers. He has also served as executive director of A Foundation for Theological Education (AFTE). Dr. Harper, an elder in The United Methodist Church’s Northwest Texas Conference, is the author of numerous magazine articles and has written 12 books. Dr. Harper and Jeannie are the parents of two grown children, John and Katrina, and two grandchildren, Zoe and Isaac.
Dr. Tapiwa N. Mucherera
Assistant Provost, Florida
Professor of Pastoral Counseling
Dr. Mucherera joined Asbury Seminary in 1999 after graduating from the joint Ph.D. program in Religion and Theological Studies from the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology. He has previously worked as an individual and family therapist in a residential treatment center and in a family-counseling center in Denver, Colo. He also served as crisis counselor (debriefing) to families and students in Littleton, Colo., following the Columbine High School shootings. Mucherera, a native of Zimbabwe, Africa, is an ordained United Methodist minister. In 1986, he served 26 rural churches (at the same time) for a year in Zimbabwe. In the United States he has served churches in Chicago, Iowa and Denver. He is married to Bertha and they have three children Shamiso, Anesu and Ruvimbo.
Dr. Zaida Maldonado Perez
Associate Professor of Theological Studies
Prior to joining the Asbury Theological Seminary Florida faculty, Dr. Perez was director of the Hispanic Theological Initiative, a program of the Pew Charitable Trusts, housed at Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Puerto Rico, she also taught a year at the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. Her most recent publication is An Introduction to Christian Theology, co-authored with Justo L. González. She received her Ph.D. from Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Mo., and M.Div. from Eden Theological Seminary.
Dr. Perez is a member of the United Church of Christ, is married to Rev. Luis A. Pérez and has a daughter and son, Jazzlin Ruth and Alexander Luis.
Rev. Kent Reynolds
Beeson Pastor in Residence
Adjunct Professor of Preaching and Church Leadership
Prior to coming to Asbury, Rev. Reynolds served as a pastor for thirty years in the North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He served his last charge, St. James, in Athens, Ga., from 1992 until 2006, when he accepted a position at Asbury as a Beeson Pastor. St. James was known for its community and international mission focus, planted a church in one of the most challenged neighborhoods in Athens and grew significantly under Rev. Reynolds’ leadership. Rev. Reynolds brings extensive experience in international missions and leadership training having done mission in countries all over the world. His doctoral dissertation is in training pastors in Tanzania, East Africa. His educational background includes an undergraduate degree in sociology and psychology (cum laude) from the Lakeland College in Sheboygan, Wis., (1975) and M.Div. (cum laude) from the Candler School of Theology of Emory University (1978). Rev. Reynolds is married to Sandy Timnick and they have three children, Chaz (1977), Cassie (1981) and Justin (1988).
Dr. Brian D. Russell
Associate Professor of Biblical Studies
Dr. Brian Russell, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, has served on the Orlando campus since July 2000. Brian is married to Jackie Russell. They have two young daughters, Micaela (8) and Katrina (6). Brian enjoys engaging in reckless fun with his family, conspiring with friends, writing, and inspiring others to live big dreams for God.
Brian is a noted teacher. He was the recipient of the 2004-2005 Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. His motto is “Transformation not information.”
Brian has written numerous essays, book reviews, and curriculum resources. His first academic book, The Song of the Sea: The Date and Influence of Exodus 15:1-21, was published in 2007. He writes for a wider audience regularly on his widely read blog: www.realmealmininstries.org/WordPress.
Brian is an ordained minister. He has served congregations in Kentucky, Virginia, and Florida.; He is currently on the lead team of Awaken Orlando where he serves as Sculptor of Ethos.
Brian earned the B.A. in history from the University of Akron (1991), the M.Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary (1994), and the Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary – Presbyterian School of Christian Education (2002).
Dr. Stephen A. Seamands
Professor of Christian Doctrine
The son of missionary parents, Dr. Seamands grew up in India. Prior to assuming a teaching position at the seminary in 1983, he pastored United Methodist churches in southern New Jersey for eleven years. Dr. Seamands is known for gracefully merging the classical and the practical. His courses on theology and doctrine are taught with a scholar’s mind and a pastor’s heart. He is the author of several books and articles for various journals and magazines.
Actively engaged in leading seminars and retreats and conducting spiritual renewal events in local churches across the U.S., Dr. Seamands has a particular interest in theological and spiritual renewal within the United Methodist church as well as the larger body of Christ. He also has a deep concern for the spiritual needs of pastors and Christian leaders. He is also interested in the areas of emotional healing, spiritual warfare and intercessory prayer. His workshop, “The Healing Power of Forgiveness,” which he has presented at scores of churches and conferences, has ministered deeply to the brokenness in people’s lives. He is regularly involved in what he describes as “a ministry of healing prayer” to seminary students.
Dr. Seamands and his wife, Carol, are the parents of four adult children, Matthew, Jason, Joseph and Stephanie, and six grandchildren. In his leisure time, he enjoys playing racquetball as well as listening to various types of music.
Dr. Jose Javier Sierra
Assistant Professor of Counseling
Dr. Sierra came to the Asbury Theological Seminary faculty from a private practice in the suburbs of Chicago. He was also an adjunct professor at Wheaton College, where he obtained his master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology. Originally from Honduras, he served as a youth pastor in his local church, taught psychology in the National University and worked as a general manager in a transportation company. He enjoys leading workshops and presentations, for both professionals and the general community, concerning issues of parenting, communication, multiculturalism and domestic violence. As a member of the Florida campus, Dr. Sierra is responding to his call by serving students in the master’s program in counseling and in the larger community, especially among the Latinos/as in the Central Florida area through his teaching, research and clinical experience. Javier is married to Dr. Georgina Panting and they have three children at home: Alexandra, Grace, and Gabriel.
Mr. Bryan D. Sims
Co-Worship Leader
Bryan and his wife MyLinda founded Eleventh Hour Ministries in 1997, which exists to challenge students and adults alike to passionately worship God with every part of their lives. They have traveled along with a team to help lead camps, retreats, conferences and mission trips in many areas in the United States and beyond. In 2001, they joined forces with Spiritual Leadership, Inc. (SLI), whose purpose is to discover, develop and deploy passionate spiritual leaders who can create God-directed change. Ultimately, SLI envisions changed leaders, changed churches and a changed world for Christ.
Bryan is a lead-worshiper, and through SLI he is involved in training and coaching leaders to live this worship lifestyle. Their primary focus is to serve alongside leaders in churches and organizations over extended periods of time to bring spiritual awakening and missional effectiveness. Their heart in this is that the Church in the world is in desperate need of leaders who are truly following Christ and passionately and strategically moving forward in the Church's mission to the glory of God. They long to see the Church truly become what God intended (I Corinthians 12; Revelation 19:7) and as a result to see the gospel taken to every corner of the earth (Matthew 24:14). Thus, SLI creates transformational environments focused on becoming spiritual leaders and developing processes that produce the fruit of the Kingdom of God. SLI is seeing fruit in many different groups of leaders and churches especially within the United Methodist and Free Methodist Churches throughout the nation, including Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee, Kansas, Ohio, West Virginia and Florida.
Bryan is a graduate of West Texas A&M University (Bachelor of Music Ed., 1998) and Asbury Theological Seminary (M.Div., 2003) and is working on a doctorate in organizational leadership at Regent University. Spending time with family, writing music, playing sports and writing Christian training materials are some of Bryan's favorite hobbies. Also, he has recorded two albums and is working on his third. He and MyLinda have been happily married since 1997 and gave birth to their first baby, Isaiah, in February of 2004.
Ms. Dawn E. Smith
Co-Worship Leader
A singer, songwriter, and pianist with a desire to see people encounter God, Dawn Élise Smith is the Pastor of Worship and Creative Arts for The Harbour Church in Orlando and the worship leader for the Florida campus of Asbury Seminary. She also leads worship for conferences, retreats, camps, and other events and has written and performed for a variety of concerts and gatherings across the country. In Orlando, she is part of the acappella women’s group O-Town Harmony and has done commissioned work for U-Turn Dance Company. In addition to her work as a worship leader and performer, Dawn teaches piano and is the founder of Dawn’s Piano Studio. She holds a degree in contemporary music ministry from Spring Arbor University, an M.Div. from Asbury Seminary-Florida, and is an ordained elder in the Free Methodist Church.
Dr. Robert G. Tuttle, Jr.
Professor of World Christianity
Dr. Tuttle joined the Florida faculty in fall 2004 after serving on Asbury’s faculty in Kentucky since 1995. His previous teaching experience includes service at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Oral Roberts School of Theology and Fuller Theological Seminary. An ordained elder in the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Dr. Tuttle has also had years of experience pastoring churches in Colorado, North Carolina, Illinois and England. In addition to his knowledge of evangelism, he is a recognized scholar in the area of Wesleyan studies. Dr. Tuttle has written nine books, three of which probe areas of Wesleyan theology, tradition and/or history, and scores of articles for such magazines as Good News, Charisma and Manna.
Joe Castillo
Sand Artist and Storyteller
Artist, author, storyteller, A native of Mexico City, Joe grew up surrounded by art and the cosmopolitan culture of an international city. In his teenage years a message presented by a Chalk artist brought him to a deep-rooted faith in Christ. Moving to Florida, he attended Ringling School of Art, and received his B.A. in Biblical Studies from Florida Bible College.
Starting his career as a Christian businessman, he founded The Advertising Library, a successful agency in Knoxville, Tennessee. After 21 years in advertising, he returned to school and received a M.A. in Biblical Studies and M. Div. from Asbury Seminary. He pastored a church in Richmond, Kentucky for five years before deciding to pursue his artwork full time.
Passionate about his craft, Joe has developed “ArtTalk” seminars to encourage artists and churches on the use of the Arts in evangelism. He has also developed a number of “ArtStory” presentations that use intricately crafted illustrations to teach Biblical truths as they unfold. The best known of these is the “Face of Christ” with small images are combined to create a larger illustration of the Savior’s face. Stories of the lives impacted by
his artwork have been compiled in his book entitled “The Face of Christ.”
His latest artistic venture called “SandStory”, is a live-art presentation performed to music and projected for a stunning visual effect. His work can be seen at JoeCastillo.com and SandStory.com. Joe is available to perform at your conference or church. Contact him at info@joecastillo.com.