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Dr. James Flanagan
Commission Chairman
President, Luther Rice University
Ph.D., M.Div., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; M.Div., Liberty University; B.S., Southern Illinois University
Dr. Flanagan was raised in Southern Illinois where, at the age of nine, he was saved and at twenty-five surrendered to the ministry.
Beginning in 1982 he served on the faculty of Luther Rice University, Lithonia, GA. In 1985 he became the Vice President of Academic Affairs and served in that capacity until 1993 when he was named Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. In 1994 Dr. Flanagan became the fourth President of Luther Rice Seminary and University.
He has served as a staff member at various churches in Texas and pastored Colonial Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL. He and his wife, Ruth, reside in Conyers, GA. They have two sons, Jared and Timothy, and one grandson, Noah.
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Dr. Benson Karanja
Commission Vice-Chairman
President, Beulah Heights University
Ed.D., M.L.S., Clark Atlanta University; M.B.A., Brenau University; B.A., Beulah Heights Bible College
An immigrant from Kenya, East Africa, Benson M. Karanja attended Beulah Heights Bible College in 1987. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree, he continued his education at Brenau University, receiving a Master of Business Administration. He furthered his studies at Clark Atlanta University earning both a Master of Library Science and a Doctorate in Education degrees.
In 2004, Dr. Karanja became President of Beulah Heights University, making him the first African immigrant to become President of an American college. Under his tutelage, Beulah Heights University has become a multicultural institution whose students represent over 45 countries.
Dr. Karanja is a servant for meaningful change. He acts as a mentor to migrant ethnic leaders in an effort to close the cultural gap introducing them to Christian leaders and business people in the United States.
His global non-profit organization, the African Resource Group (ARG) strives to promote and encourage mutually beneficial partnerships in the nation of Kenya based on leadership, integrity, transfer of skills and knowledge, and ethics. He also founded African Resource Foundation (ARF) with a mission to equip and develop leaders in an effort to create sustainable entrepreneurial opportunities. He has served on the East African Business council linking American business people with business and investment opportunities in East Africa.
As coordinator of the Association of African Consortium Theological Studies (AACTS), Dr. Karanja has been instrumental in uniting 16 professionals from Kenya and increasing their understanding of the power of partnership. Dr. Karanja is a distinguished member of several boards including Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), Calvary Leadership Institute, Gospel Magazine, AFG, ARG, and Moi African Institute. He was honored with a Head of State Commendation from the President of the Republic of Kenya and for his outstanding humanitarian effort by the Georgia House of Representatives.
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Dr. Gary Weier
Commission Treasurer
Vice President of Administration, Bob Jones University
Ph.D., Rhetorical Studies, Purdue University; M.A., Speech Communication, B.A., Speech Communication, Bob Jones University
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Dr. Jeffrey Amsbaugh
Pastor, Grace Baptist Church, Columbus, GA
D.Min., Temple Baptist Seminary; M.Div., Luther Rice Seminary; B.A., Tennessee Temple University
Dr. Amsbaugh began pastoring in the Philadelphia area in 1985 where he also served as a professor at the Northeast Baptist School of Theology. He has pastored at Grace Baptist Church in Columbus, GA since 1999 and teaches at the Columbus Baptist College. He is superintendent of Grace Christian School and serves on several boards and associations including the Sword of the Lord cooperative board.
He is a frequent Bible and missions conference speaker and has preached in numerous college chapels. He has been an adjunct professor in India, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and the U.S. He has served as a Bible professor at the Northeast Baptist School of Theology in Philadelphia and at Columbus Baptist College in Columbus, GA.
Dr. Amsbaugh, a prolific writer and guest speaker in churches, colleges and conferences around the world, has conducted numerous family seminars and couples retreats. His ministry’s emphasis on producing strong families and strong Christian leaders has uniquely prepared him to address issues of concern to the home and those entering the ministry
Dr. Amsbaugh has served with several boards and associations, as well as on several doctoral dissertation committees. His own thesis currently is being used in college missions classes across America. He has authored numerous commentaries and curriculums.
Dr. Amsbaugh lives with his wife Karen and three daughters, in Columbus, GA, where he serves as President of the Freedom House. In addition he serves on the Board of Directors for the Christian Serviceman’s Center, Inc.
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Dr. Michael J. Adams
President, Faith Evangelical Seminary
D.Min., Claremont School of Theology; M.Div., Regent College; B.S., University of Oregon
Dr. Adams was called into the pastorate in 1978 and served in full-time Christian ministry for ten years before joining the Faith Evangelical Seminary. He has been with the seminary in various capacities since 1988 including: Professor of Applied Theology, Academic Dean, and Executive Vice-president.
In addition to his seminary and commission duties, he functions as the Executive Director of Polynesian Missions, an organization dedicated to the advancement of the gospel in the Kingdom of Tonga and the South Pacific. He has served as a commission member of TRACS (Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools) since 2004.
As a guest lecturer and expository preacher committed to the inerrant Word of God, he travels throughout the United States serving the conservative, evangelical community of faith. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the United States Supreme Court Historical Society.
Dr. Adams and Kimberly, his wife of 34 years, have two married daughters: Alison and Lindsey.
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Dr. Beth Ashburn
Provost, Piedmont Baptist College and Graduate School
Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro; M.A., University of North Carolina at Greensboro; BRE, Piedmont Bible College
Before assuming her current role as provost of Piedmont Baptist College and Graduate School she served as the Chair of the General Education Division and as the Dean of Academics.
Her love of teaching began during her years as a High School English teacher and has grown into a strong commitment to excellence in Christian Higher Education. Her career has included several opportunities to teach internationally.
Dr. Ashburn and her husband Cliff have three sons and two granddaughters and are happy to be a part of the local church ministry of the Salem Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, NC.
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Dr. Roy Atwood
President, New Saint Andrews College
Ph.D., University of Iowa; M.A., Westminster Theological Seminary; B.A. Dordt College
Dr. Atwood served on the faculty of the School of Communication at the University of Idaho for almost 20 years and as the Director for five. He taught at Gonzaga University in Washington for four years and was a Visiting International Development and Training Professor at Egerton University, Kenya, East Africa in 1992.
He has been a Senior Fulbright Scholar twice, first at Warsaw University’s Institute of Journalism in Poland in 1991 and also at the Institute for Communication Research at Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education in South Africa in 1998. He conducted funded post-Communist media policy research in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary in 1995.
Dr. Atwood received the (TRACS) Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools’ Leadership Award in November 2009. His scholarship in media history has been honored nationally with the Faculty Research Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication’s History Division in 1993.
He is the author of numerous books, monographs, and scholarly articles on media studies and education published in Canada, England, South Africa and the United States. He is a former editor of The Journal of Communication Inquiry, the founding book review editor of American Journalism, and served as a guest editor of Ecquid Novi: Journal for Journalism in South Africa in 1998.
Dr. Atwood is a teaching elder of Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow, Idaho. He and his wife Beverlee have been married for 37 years and live in Moscow, ID. They have two children and ten grandchildren.
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Dr. Matthew Beemer
Senior Vice President, Trinity Baptist Collegee
Ph.D., Louisiana State University; M.A., B.S., Pensacola Christian College
Dr. Beemer was raised in a Christian home in southern Michigan where he accepted Christ as his savior at 13. He attended Pensacola Christian College completing a B.S in Computer Science and a Master of Arts in Interpretative Speech. He completed a Ph.D. in Speech Communications at Louisiana State University. Dr. Beemer served at Pensacola Christian College as Dean of Communicative Arts (1988-1995) and then as Vice President for Academic Affairs (1995-2006).
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Dr. William Bowden
Retired Educator
Post-Doctoral Studies, University of Edinburg and University of Michigan; Ph.D., M.A., University of Tulsa; Ph.D., M.A., Southern Nazarene University; B.A., Southern College
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Dr. Kathy C. Franklin
Provost/Executive Vice President, Virginia University of Lynchburg
Ph.D. Union Institute and University; L.H.D. Virginia University of Lynchburg; M.Ed. Lynchburg College; B.S., Virginia State University
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Mr. Jeffrey Froehle
Accountant, Cay Insurance Services, LLC
B.A., Purdue University
Jeffrey Froehle, a native of Dayton, OH, attended Purdue University where he graduated with a B.S. in Agriculture with a major in Entomology in 1964.
Mr. Froehle entered the U.S. Air Force in 1964 where he served as a Special Agent in the Office of Special Investigations until concluding service in April 1969. After leaving the service, he became a management trainee at Van Dyne-Crotty, Inc., a Dayton, OH based industrial laundry company. In December 1971 he left to accept a position as a staff accountant at Alexander Grant & Co., now Grant Thornton, an international accounting firm.
While working with Grant Thornton & Co., Mr. Froehle concluded his studies at the University of Cincinnati for the additional courses necessary to sit for the unified C.P.A. exam, which he passed in 1973.
Jeffrey Froehle started his own CPA firm in Springboro, OH in 1977 where he was led to the Lord and accepted Jesus Christ as his savior. During this period, Mr. Froehle was introduced to TRACS and some of its member institutions.
In 2005, Mr. Froehle merged his practice with a CPA firm in Savannah, GA, Deemer, Dana & Froehle, LLP where he has since then retired. He currently resides in Savannah, GA. Following his retirement, Mr. Froehle has served on various TRACS team visits and recently accepted a position as Treasurer with a group who wishes to establish a Christian-based charter school in the Savannah area.
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Dr. Scott Henderson
Assistant Professor of Bioethics and Apologetics; Chair of the Department of General Studies, Luther Rice University
Ph.D., Duquesne University; M.A., Franciscan University of Steubenville; M.A., Southern Evangelical Seminary; B.A., Florida Bible College
In 1994 Dr. Henderson received his B.A. in Biblical Education from Florida Bible College and in 1997 a M.A. in Apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary. In 2001 he received a second Masters degree in Philosophy from Franciscan University of Steubenville. At Franciscan University, he was a lecturer in Philosophy from 2005-2008. In 2009 Dr. Henderson completed his Ph.D. in Health Care Ethics from Duquesne University.
Other experiences include work at Easter Gateway Community College, LCC International University in Lithuania. Currently, he is employed by Luther Rice University as an Assistant Professor of Bioethics and Apologetics as well as the Chair of the Department of General Studies.
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Dr. Susan Lovett
Vice President for Academic Affairs, Tennessee Temple University
Ed.D., M.A., Liberty University; M.S., B.S., University of Alabama
She began her career in higher education as a professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Liberty University. During her time at Liberty, she served as department chair, faculty senator, member of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, and chair of the Academic and Admissions Policy Committee. She currently serves as the Vice President for Academic Services at Tennessee Temple University.
Dr. Lovett has been active in AAFCS and serves with the state affiliates. She served as the Vice Chair for College and University Division for VAFCS and as Vice Chair for External Relations for TAFCS, speaking and participating in the national and state conventions. Her other professional experiences include the administration of a church school and daycare and teacher at the elementary and secondary levels.
In Christian ministry, Dr. Lovett speaks and sings for church events, marriage conferences, and Bible studies. She has been in ministry with her pastor-husband, Danny, for nearly thirty years. They live in Chattanooga, TN.
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Dr. David R. Nicholas
President, Shasta Bible College and Graduate School
Th.D., Grace Theological Seminary; Th.M., Talbot Graduate School of Theology; M.S., University of Southern California; M.Div., Los Angeles Baptist Theological Seminary; B.A., Los Angeles Pacific College (now Azusa Pacific University).
Dr. David R. Nicholas is President and Professor of Theology and Apologetics at Shasta Bible College & Graduate School in Redding, CA. As host and Bible teacher on Truth for Today, a radio ministry, Dr. Nicholas is heard daily throughout areas of Northern California over KVIP and KIBC. He currently is a member of the Board of Trustees of Corban University, Salem OR, and served for several years on the Board of Christian Heritage College (now San Diego Christian College). From 1992-95 he served as President of the Shasta County Evangelical Ministerial Association. He regularly ministers in churches and Bible conferences and is known for his blend of Bible exposition and evangelism. He is listed in Who’s Who in Religion (4th edition) and Who’s Who in America (51st, 52nd and 53rd editions).
In addition to pastoring churches in California and Indiana, he has served as dean and president of three Christian colleges. He has authored several books, articles, and scholarly research papers including Foundations of Biblical Inerrancy (BMH Books), 1978; What’s A Woman to Do . . . In the Church? (Good Life Productions, BMH Books and Regular Baptist Press), 1979; “The Problem of Abortion,” and other articles which have appeared in Moody Monthly, The Baptist Bulletin and the Creation Science Research Quarterly. Other more recent works include: Church Discipline: Option or Obligation? (Shasta Bible College), 1991; Evangelism and the Local Church, (Shasta Bible College), 1995; A Christian Response to the Ecology Movement, (Shasta Bible College), 1996 and “Judgments, Various,” Premillennial Dictionary of Theology, ed. By Mal Couch (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1996), pp. 225-27. He is widely appreciated for his artistry on the trombone and has released an album on CD entitled, Trombone Testimonies, featuring gospel favorites that warm the heart.
Dr. Nicholas and his wife Donna are the parents of two married daughters, Joy Lynn Davidson and Faith Elizabeth McCarthy. They are the proud grandparents of four grandsons: Triston , Dylan, Zachariah, and Andrew.
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Mr. Harry Schmidt
President, Christian Life College
Graduate Studies, Olivet-Nazarene University, King's University; B.Th., Chicago Bible College (Christian Life College)
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Dr. Barkev Trachian
Chair of the Nominating Committee
Vice President of Graduate Studies, Piedmont Baptist College & Graduate School
Ph.D., M.A., Bob Jones University; B.A., The American University of Beirut
Dr. Trachian was born in Aleppo, Syria of Armenian missionary parents. Being saved at the age of seven gave him an early experience of the mission field.
After attending the American University of Beirut on a Rockefeller Scholarship and earning a B.A. in English, he enrolled at Bob Jones University (BJU), where he earned an M.A. in Christian Education and a Ph.D. in Church Administration. Dr. Trachian completed College Board Institutes at the University of North Carolina and at Harvard University. He was licensed to preach and ordained as a deacon at Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Currently, he serves as a deacon at Salem Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Dr. Trachian has served as Registrar and Academic Dean at Faithway Baptist College and at Baptist University of America as well as Dean of Men and Registrar at Tennessee Temple University. He served as President of Temple Baptist Seminary for twelve years. He has been a member of the Georgia Governor's Committee on Private Post-Secondary Education and a member and interim chair of Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Currently he serves as chair of the Nominating Committee of the TRACS Accreditation Commission.
Dr. Trachian's papers and published articles include "Contemporary Theological Issues," a paper presented at the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches National Convention, June 2010; "Is Change Biblical?" VOICE (March/ April 2008) 15-18; "An analysis of the Traditional Seminary Curriculum," and a paper presented at the Bible Faculty Leadership Summit, August 2000. Dr. Trachian is the editor of Aletheias, a journal of Piedmont Baptist Graduate School.
While studying at BJU, Dr. Trachian met and married Paulette Mullis, a professor of Home Economics with a B.S. from BJU and an M.S. from Virginia Tech. His primary hobby is playing the violin. The Trachian's have four children and seven grandchildren.
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Dr. Christian Wei
President, EUCON International College
Ph.D. in Theology, Bob Jones University; M.A. in Theology, Bob Jones University, B.Th. in Theology, Orient Fundamental Bible College; B.A. in History, National Chung-Hsing University
Dr. Wei completed his B.A. in History in 1986 at National Chung-Hsing University where he also received the "Golden Key" award, an award received by the top student.
He has founded several churches, ministries, and schools. Several include Chinese Bible Church in Greenville, SC; Christian Bible Church in Saipan; Christian Bible Church of Greenville; Christian Way Missions; EUCON International College; and EUCON International School in Saipan.
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Dr. Michael Windsor
Director of Library Services and Professor, Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Virginia Beach
B.A., M.A., University of Wisconsin – River Falls; M.Div., Th.M.,Th.D., Central Baptist Theological Seminary of Minneapolis
Dr. Windsor was born and raised in Wisconsin. His education included six earned degrees, culminating in a doctorate in historical theology.
Dr. Windsor has pastored for sixteen years and has been engaged in seminary ministries for over two decades.
He and his wife Virginia have four grown sons and eleven grandchildren.
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Commission
