M.A. (Theological Studies) Faculty

Jeannine Brown

Professor of New Testament and Program Director of Online Programs | j-brown@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2000

Dr. Brown has focused much of her research and writing on the Gospels, hermeneutics, and interdisciplinary integration. In addition to a book on biblical hermeneutics (Scripture as Communication, now in second edition) and two books on integration, she has published three commentaries on Matthew's Gospel and one on Philippians (Tyndale NT series). She is a member of the NIV translation team and is an editor for the NIV Study Bible, revised edition (2020). Her current writing projects includ. . . read more.

Joshua O. Carroll

Program Director & Assistant Professor of Pastoral Care & Formation | joc23858@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2021

With more than 20 years dedicated to pastoral ministry, spiritual leadership, and life coaching, Rev. Dr Joshua O. Carroll thoroughly delights in helping people from all walks of life, intentionally engage their entire soul in relationship with the triune God and people in community. After earning his PhD in New Testament from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland—and two master’s degrees, one in Theology and one in Spiritual Formation from Talbot School of Theology, he continues to br. . . read more.

Herb Grant

Program Director & Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy and Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy | h-grant@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2012

Dr. Grant's clinical and research interests focus on couples therapy, ambiguous loss, mental health for underserved populations and clinical supervision. Dr. Grant brings over 20 years of clinical experience and 16 years of regulatory experience to his teaching at Bethel. He is committed to helping students develop their faith as they develop their clinical ability.

Sara Heacox Sosa

Assistant Professor of Children's and Family Ministry | sara-sosa@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2024

I am excited to be in a role where I can equip leaders for ministry to children, youth, and families! I have served in a variety of ministry roles including pastor, consultant, and speaker. I am an ideator, strategist, and researcher who loves to follow trends and discover new pathways for ministry. Two years ago I created an online community called LunchBox that was built to network, resource, and train children and family ministry leaders. It currently serves over 480 people! Outside of B. . . read more.

Peter Vogt

Seminary Dean | p-vogt@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2001-2014 as Professor, 2019 as Dean

As the Dean of Bethel Seminary today, Peter is passionate about striving to be a radically counter-cultural follower of Jesus and helping others grow in their capacity in this area as well. His responsibilities include casting a vision for robust online education, partnership with local churches and denominations, identifying ways of serving alumni and local pastors, maintaining all aspects of accreditation for degree programs, representing the seminary to internal and external partners, an. . . read more.

John Anthony Dunne

Associate Professor of New Testament | j-dunne@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2017

Dr. Dunne's research interests lie primarily in the New Testament, the life and letters of Paul (esp. Galatians), Christian origins, and second temple Judaism. Within these frameworks he is fascinated by many things, including: theologies of suffering and mortality, ritual practices and participation with Christ, symbolism associated with ancient fermented beverages, critiques of imperial ideology, intertextuality with antecedent texts, and the reception of the Bible in contemporary popular. . . read more.

Kaz Hayashi

Associate Professor of Old Testament | kah54922@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2022

A Japanese Old Testament scholar, archaeologist, minister, and husband and father.

DesAnne Hippe

Professor of Theology | dhippe@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2003

DesAnne Hippe brings with her over 20 years of experience teaching systematic theology, ethics, and practical ministry on campus, online, and in the church. Over the years, she has taught for Marquette University, Trinity International University's Milwaukee extension site, Bethel Seminary, and Wesley Seminary. This experience, along with her time working as a psychiatric social worker and a pastor, helps her to equip her students and ministry leaders in solid biblical and theological fou. . . read more.

Peter Jankowski

Associate Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy | pjankows@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2004

Jankowski's research focuses on differentiation of self and spirituality; positive psychology; psychotherapy effectiveness; faith integration in psychotherapy; narrative and experiential therapy; and clinical supervision.

Sandra Oslund

Library Liaison to Seminary Programs | s-oslund@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2003

As a member of the Seminary faculty, I collaborate with the teaching faculty in fulfilling the seminary’s educational mission. I am also the University Library liaison to Seminary programs and provide research assistance to Seminary students.

Andrew Rowell

Associate Professor of Ministry Leadership | a-rowell@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2013

Dr. Andy Rowell has taught mission, discipleship, and church leadership at Bethel Seminary since 2013.

Tucker Anderson

Adjunct Faculty | andtuc@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2021

In addition to his teaching role at Bethel Seminary, Tucker serves as a full-time associate pastor. His current academic and pastoral interest is the relevance of biblical theology for preaching and discipleship formation. He resides in the Twin Cities with his wife, Alia, and their two daughters (Myra and Ella).

Sara Evans

Adjunct Instructor of Theological Studies | see53584@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2024

Evans holds a doctorate in theology from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. While there, her research focused on the formative power of liturgical practices, particularly the embodied aspects of rituals practiced by the community of faith. She was privileged to study a variety of theologians and traditions in order to have a broad grasp on this subject matter. Her interests lie in helping believers to articulate their faith through theological reflection, telling stories, an. . . read more.

Katie Friesen Smith

Adjunct Faculty, D.Min. Thesis Advisor | smikatj@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2008

Dr. Friesen Smith has 25+ years of experience in the local church, higher education and camping ministry. As a practical theologian, she seeks to create a bridge between Scripture and living out faith in a post-modern era. Her research interests are in spiritual formation, leadership and emotional intelligence. Along with teaching, she serves as the director of Bethel's Youth Theology Institute for high school students.

Natalie Hendrickson

Adjunct Faculty | natalie-hendrickson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2000

Natalie is an Adjunct Faculty member who teaches internship and spiritual formation courses for the seminary. She formerly served as the Director of Supervised Ministry and Student Assessment at Bethel Seminary San Diego.

Donna Johnson

Director of Internship and Placement | de-johnson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1999

Director of Internship and Placement /Adjunct Professor

Peter Kapsner

Teaching Partner in Theological Studies | kappet@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2002

New Testament and Practical Theology

Adaobi Nduka

Adjunct Instructor of Internship & Placement | a-nduka@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2024

Adjunct Professor of Internship and Placement

Lyn Nixon

Adjunct Faculty | nixlyn@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2009

NT Greek, Hermeneutics, New Testament, Biblical Theology, The Use of the OT in the NT

Stephanie O'Brien

Adjunct Faculty in Preaching and Biblical Communication | wilstek@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2005

Stephanie specializes in Biblical communication, storytelling, practical theology, missional theology and church governance and structure. She is Lead Pastor at Mill City Church in Northeast Minneapolis. In addition, she is a consultant in the areas of church leadership, structure, and mission.

Cristina Plaza Ruiz

Adjunct Assistant Professor | cplazaru@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2008

Professor Plaza Ruiz is a Marriage and Family Therapist and adjunct assistant professor at Bethel Seminary. She is passionate about seeing families thrive and live healthy lives. Her focus is clinical practice serving the immigrant and refugee community in the Twin Cities, supporting immigrant families in the adjustment process to a new culture and a new environment, and processing immigration trauma and loss and the accompanying life challenges that come with it. Her interest in leadershi. . . read more.

Jeff Sanders

Adjunct Faculty | j-sanders@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1993

Part of the Spiritual Formation adjunct faculty team.

Bill Sieben

Adjunct Faculty | wjs63472@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2024

Bill Sieben’s Doctor of Ministry degree was focused on Narrative Theology, and it considered the research and therapeutic techniques within mental health therapy to expand a hermeneutical lens. In his private practice work he is passionate about working with families, couples, individuals, teens, and adults across the lifespan. With experience in both residential and outpatient settings, Bill’s clinical work is trauma focused.

Dustin Thompson

Adjunct Professor of Biblical Studies | dustin-thompson@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2025

I am a PhD student researching the intersection of spatiality in apocalyptic writings in Second Temple Judaism with a view to Revelation 21-22. I am married with two daughters and currently reside in Chaska, MN. I have greatly benefited from my own MATS education at Bethel and look forward to serving Bethel Seminary community.

Keith Whitfield

Adjunct | Keithswhitfield@gmail.com | Started at Bethel: 2024

Keith Whitfield lives in Wake Forest, NC with his wife of 24 years. They have two adult children who are in college. He teaches Christian Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary also serves a Pastor for Theological Development for the Summit Church in Durham, NC. Before joining the faculty at Southeastern, he spent two years pastoring, church planting, and training church planters in Nashville, TN. He also pastored for five years in southeast Virginia. Keith has publishe. . . read more.

David Clark

Professor Emeritus | d-clark@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1988

Dr. Clark's academic discipline is philosophy of religion. In addition to philosophy of religion, he teaches theology, ethics, and apologetics. He has special interests in epistemology, the problem of evil, and the relation of theology to science. His approach to these topics emphasizes dialogue: he invites students to learn how to ground their faith perspectives with solid critical reason. And, in this day of uncivil discourse, he also challenges students to share the Gospel by first liste. . . read more.

Paul Ferris

Professor Emeritus | pferris@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1998

Content and exegesis of the First Testament and biblical languages

Ben K Lim

Professor Emeritus | b-lim@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 2002

Dr. Lim's teaching, writing, and specializations include systemic relational therapy, premarital counseling, marriage enrichment, parenting, multicultural therapy, spiritual issues, missionaries, and pastoral self-care, trauma, grief, and loss issues. In addition to training therapists, he also teaches pastoral care classes for ministers of the Gospel. An ordained minister, Ben has pastored for many years in different churches in Malaysia, Singapore, Texas, and California. Ben is a Clinical. . . read more.

Mark McCloskey

Professor of Ministry Leadership Emeritus | m-mccloskey@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1998

Biblical theology of leadership, leadership formation, organizational leadership development, team building, virtue-based leadership, strategic planning

Mark Strauss

University Professor of New Testament Emeritus | m-strauss@bethel.edu | Started at Bethel: 1993

Dr. Strauss is the author/coauthor of 20 books and many articles, and editor/co-editor of 40 volumes, with expertise in Gospels, Hermeneutics and Bible Translation. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Committee on Bible Translation for the New International Version and as an associate editor for the NIV Study Bible.