Semiotics, Church, and Culture Faculty and Team

Lead Mentor

Len Sweet

Visiting Distinguished Professor

Project Faculty

At the beginning of the program, Project Faculty are paired with their advisees to provide them with individual guidance and coaching. They help their advisees develop and focus their areas of specialization within the project portfolio research sequence.

Seminary faculty routinely serve as Project Faculty within the Doctor of Minstry program. See Portland Seminary faculty page for details.

Gregg Borror

Position: Project Faculty; Lead Pastor Mountain Park Church

Academic and Professional Background: BS Psychology, Warner Pacific College; MDiv. Western Seminary, Portland, OR; DMin. Portland Seminary

Expertise and Research Interests: Practical theology, philosophical and cultural considerations in light of biblical truth; Semiotic understanding and communication in contemporary context; narrative theology

Email: gborror@georgefox.edu

Web: https://www.mountain-park-church.org/

Colleen Butcher

Position: Project Faculty

Academic and Professional Background: Bachelor of Music (BMus), University of Western Ontario; Masters in Business Administration (MBA), Schulich School of Business, York University; Doctor of Ministry, Semiotics and Future Studies (DMin), George Fox University. Certifications in Project Management, Business Analysis, and Agile Software Development. Adjunct Faculty at Clark College and Gonzaga University, WA.

Expertise and Research Interests: Professional expertise in Business Process Reengineering and Change Management. Research interests/expertise in creativity and innovation, especially as it relates to teaching and learning, design thinking, semiotics, and cultural engagement.

Email: cbutcher@georgefox.edu

Web: colleenbutcher.com

Mark Chironna

Position: Project Faculty, Faculty Advisor, Bishop, Pastor, Mentor

Academic and Professional Background: DMin, George Fox Evangelical Seminary, Portland, OR; MA, Saybrook University; BA,Wagner University

Expertise and Research Interests: Post Graduate Researcher at University of Birmingham in Pentecostal Theology.

Email: mchironna@georgefox.edu; semiodocchironna@gmail.com

Office: 321-304-4111

Karen Claassen

Position: Project Faculty; Designated Pastor

Academic and Professional Background: BA, University of California at Santa Cruz; MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary; DMin, Portland Seminary .

Expertise and Research Interests: Multi-cultural, Aboriginal-Indigenous, and intergenerational ministry; leadership formation; mentoring students; conflict mediation and management; healthy practices for legacy congregations; preaching and teaching for the contemporary context; interim and intervention strategies.

Email: kclaassen@georgefox.edu

Phone: 208-816-8402

Aaron Friesen

Position: Project Faculty (Portland Seminary); Associate and College Age Pastor at Eugene Faith Center

Academic and Professional Background: BS, Pastoral Studies, Eugene Bible College; MDiv, Fuller Theological Seminary; PhD, University of Wales.

Expertise and Research Interests: History of Holiness-Pentecostal movements in America; global Pentecostalism; Pentecostal theology; Luke-Acts

Email: afriesen@georgefox.edu; aaron@faithcenter.net

Office: 541-686-9244

Web: eugenefaithcenter.org

Cal Habig

Position: Project Faculty; Adjunct Online Faculty; Grand Canyon University (2009-present)

Academic and Professional Background: BS, Manhattan Christian College; MDiv, Emmanuel Christian Seminary; DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary.

Expertise and Research Interests: Lay leadership development; American church history; ethics in coaching relationships

Email: chabig@georgefox.edu; cal.habig@gmail.com

Office: 503-970-8449

Web: http://www.valuesdrivenleaders.com/

Dan Lioy

Position: Project Faculty and Adjunct Professor; also, Senior Research Academic at South African Theological Seminary (South Africa); Professor of Biblical Theology at the Institute of Lutheran Theology (South Dakota); and Thesis Professor at Theological University of Apeldoorn (the Netherlands).

Academic and Professional Background: BSc, University of Southern California; MTh, Dallas Theological Seminary; PhD, North-West University, South Africa; Dual clergy rostered in the Evangelical Church Alliance and the North American Lutheran Church.

Expertise and Research Interests: Old Testament and New Testament exegesis,Old Testament and New Testamen Theology,Old Testament and New Testamen Hermeneutics, Hebrew, and Greek.

Email: dlioy@georgefox.edu

Phone: 503-508-1794

Web: Bible.org blogs

David McDonald

Position: Project Faculty; Lead Pastor, Westwinds Community Church, Jackson, MI

Academic and Professional Background: Dr. David McDonald is the teaching pastor at Westwinds Community Church in Jackson, Michigan and the founder of Fossores Global Ministry development, a training network for creative pastors. His work has been been featured on CNN.com and in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Time Magazine. David lives in Jackson with his wife, Carmel, and their two kids.

Expertise and Research Interests:

Email: dmcdonald@georgefox.edu

Twitter: @fossores

Instagram: @doctordavidmcdonald

Web: fossoreschapterhouse.com

Phil Newell

Position: Project Faculty

Academic Background: BA in biblical studies, New Hope Christian College; MAET, MDiv, & DMin, Western Seminary; certified coach and spiritual director.

Expertise and Research Interests: Leadership development through coaching and spiritual direction.

Email: pnewell@georgefox.edu; phil.newell11@gmail.com

Web: tofinishwell.com

Eric Peterson

Position: Project Faculty; Pastor of Colbert Presbyterian Church in Colbert, WA

Academic and Professional Background: BA in Theology, Whitworth; MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary; DMin from Portland Seminary.

Expertise and Research Interests: Sacramental Theology

Email: epeterson@georgefox.edu; eric@colbertpres.org

Office: 509-468-9923

Web: colbertpres.org

Mindy Smith

Position: Project Faculty; Director of Church Engagement at Whitworth University

Academic and Professional Background: B.A. in Theology Whitworth 1998; M.Div Princeton Seminary 2006; D.Min Preaching as Story" Portland Seminary 2018; Ordained PCUSA Minister; 10 years as Campus Pastor, Whitworth University

Expertise and Research Interests: Mindy's doctoral work centered around women and preaching. She runs a women's preacher cohort and does private coaching for preachers working to hone their craft.

Email: msmith@georgefox.edu; mindysmith@whitworth.edu

Office: 509-777-4341

Web: https://www.whitworth.edu/cms/administration/church-engagement/staff/

Len Wilson

Position: Project Faculty; Publisher, Invite Resources; Director of Innovation and Strategy, St. Andrew United Methodist Church, Plano, TX; Author, Consultant, Coach

Academic and Professional Background: BA, Communication, Summa Cum Laude, McMurry University. Master’s study at Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania. MA, Religious Communication, United Theological Seminary. DMin, Semiotics and Future Studies (DMin), George Fox University. Launched and developed three ministries. Author, ten books. Adjunct Professor, Northwest Nazarene University. Senior Leadership Editor at Abingdon Press, United Methodist Publishing House. Silver Telly Award winner.

Expertise and Research Interests: Communication Studies, Creativity, Innovation, Worship, Technology

Email: len@lenwilson.us

Cell: 972-841-3488

Web: lenwilson.us; standrewumc.org

Sunggu Yang

Position: Project Faculty; Assistant Professor of Christian Ministries, George Fox University

Learn more about Sunggu.

Seminary Doctoral Team

The Seminary Doctoral Team manages the program online platforms, organizes the Advances, and provides support to students and Project Faculty, in-person or online. In short, this team is the 'glue' that holds the various elements of the program together.