Faculty Commitment
The Faculty in Department of Religion bring competence, spiritual commitment, excitement and experience of the Adventist ministry and biblical and theological scholarship that is meant to encourage and excite the students in discovering God’s will and human place in different ministries of the church. The role of the faculty is to equip those who are called by God.
The Faculty who serve in the department are chosen for their expertise in Biblical knowledge, their personal dedication to Jesus Christ, and their experience and proven leadership in denominational work. Their objective is to make the Bible and its truths a living reality and to show how Christian principles offer satisfactory answers to the perplexing problems facing the world today. They seek to inspire everyone to live wholly dedicated to the service of the Master.
Religion Department Faculty
Olive Hemmings
Ph. D. in Theology, Ethics, and Culture, CHAIR. Serve as Faculty at WAU
Bogdan Scur
MA, Religious Studies, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, 1995. Serve as Faculty at WAU
ADJUNCT
Alex Barrientos – MD M.Div., Andrews University Theological Seminary, Michigan. – Serve as Senior Pastor of Sligo SDA Church in Takoma Park.
Daniel Xisto – Level II Clinical Pastoral Education, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA; 2013; Master of Divinity, Andrews University, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Berrien Springs MI, 2012 –Serve as – Ordained minister at the Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Michael F. Younker – Ph.D. degree in Religion – Serve as Educational/Historical Research Specialist.
Paul Graham – Doctoral studies at Liberty University in the area of Ministry Leadership – Serve as pastor at Potomac Conference of SDA.
Emil Peeler – Doctor of Ministry Claremont School of Theology,1992 – Serve as Pastor, Adjunct Professor.
Noah Washington – Doctor of Ministry in Family Ministry –Serve as Associate Pastor of the Emmanuel Brinklow.
Rick Johns – Doctorate of Ministry in Leadership in Community Spiritual Transformation. – Serve as a pastor, on the Adventist HealthCare pastoral advisory board.
Sung K. Kwon – Ph.D., DMin – Serve as – serves at Andrews University as an Associate Professor of Leadership and Director of M.A. Leadership in Social Innovation concentration.
Marcus Harris – Doctorate in Ministry – Serves as Senior Pastor at Dupont Park SDA.
Dr. Ramone Griffith
Patricia Prasada-Rao
Prof. Geoffrey Crowley
Pranitha Fielder
Prof. Geoffrey Crowley
Proximity to the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and to over 60 churches in the greater Washington area presents a unique opportunity for the Religion Department to draw on the many fantastic opportunities of engaging numerous experts in the field of leadership, Adventist ministry and outstanding scholarship.
The Religion Department at Washington Adventist University is committed to preparing laity and leaders of the Seventh-day Church to fulfill the Jesus Commission: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:19-20) The department is committed to providing well-rounded Christian instruction for the increasing numbers of Christian students. Accordingly, it is a goal of the department that all of the course offerings will provide not only a solid foundation of Biblical knowledge and theological competence, but also create an environment in which personal faith can grow.