Christian Ministries Department Faculty
Gregory C. Carlson, PhD
Chair and Professor of Christian Ministries and Director of the School of Biblical and Religious Studies.
Dr. Carlson came to the Christian Ministries Dept. in 2007. Before coming to Trinity, he was global training director for Awana Clubs International. Greg also taught at Grace University, Omaha, NE and served in various roles during a 20 year period including professor, dean of graduate studies and chair of Christian education. He was ordained in 1978 and has served as a youth pastor, pastor, adult education/family pastor and in a variety of roles in teaching and ministry.
Areas of research and teaching interest include youth ministry, family ministry, ministry skill development and educational psychology. He has authored and edited a variety of books including Rock Solid Teacher; Discover the Joy of Teaching Like Jesus (Gospel Light), and Understanding Teaching Effective Biblical Teaching for the 21st Century (Evangelical Training Association). He was contributing author for Four Perspectives on Children’s Spiritual Formation and Foundations of Christian Formation and Development (both published by Broadman-Holman Academic).
He has served on the boards of several ministries including the Evangelical Training Association (ETA), North American Professors of Christian Education (NAPCE), Heartland Christian Ministries Conference, Omaha, Nebraska and Omaha Area Youth for Christ. Dr. Carlson is an associate instructor with Walk Thru the Bible. He conducts seminars in the areas of teaching, family ministry, leadership, youth ministry, Christian education and Bible in a variety of venues, including teaching in China, India, West Africa, Russia and Jamaica.
Dr. Carlson received his education from Grace University (BA Biblical Studies and History/Philosophy); Talbot School of Theology, Biola Unversity, LaMirada, CA (MA Christian Education) and University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Ph.D. Community and Human Resources).
Michael T. Cooper, PhD
Phone: 847.317.8010
Email
Dr. Cooper's Website
Dr. Cooper joined the Christian Ministries faculty in Fall 2002 to help strengthen and develop our emphases in Intercultural Ministries and Pastoral Ministries. Before coming to Trinity he was a missionary in Central and Eastern Europe for 13 years, 10 of which were church planting in south-central Romania.
Cooper earned a Bachelor of Environment Design from Texas A&M University in 1987. During home assignments as a missionary he completed a Master of Arts in Missions from Columbia Biblical Seminary and School of Missions. Then, in May 2004 he graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School with a Doctor of Philosophy in Intercultural Studies. His dissertation is entitled, "Prolegomena to a Christian Encounter with Contemporary Druidry: An Etic Perspective on a European Native Religion and Its Relationship to the Western Religious Landscape." He is published in Mission Studies, Global Missiology, Common Ground Journal, Christian Education Journal and has presented academic papers to the Evangelical Missiological Society, Evangelical Ministries to New Religions, Center for Studies on New Religions and Midwest American Academy of Religion.
Dr. Cooper is married to his long-time friend and ministry partner. Together, they are on associate staff with Christian Associates International, a church planting organization focusing on Europe. They have three children and actively minister in their home church, Lake Region Bible Church, an Evangelical Free Church in Round Lake, Illinois.
Phone: 847.317.7165 Jana is associate professor of Christian Ministries at Trinity International University's College of Arts and Sciences. Before assuming her position at Trinity in 1990, Sundene was associate director of youth at Willow Creek Community Church. She also held a variety of Christian education positions in the surrounding area. Sundene earned her Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. She received the Master of Arts in Communication Theory at Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois, and the Master of Arts in Educational Ministries from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Sundene's areas of expertise include interpersonal communication, small groups, women in youth ministry, leadership training, effective speaking, and youth ministry. She has written in several publications, including contributions to Reaching a Generation for Christ (Dunn & Senter) and Christian Education Journal.
Jana Sundene, MA
Email
Adjunct Faculty:
Dr. Mark Senter (Special Classes)
Prof. Sean Gartland (Camping Courses)
Prof. Cheryl Guth (Children's Ministry)
Prof. Tom Raven (Integrated Field Experince)
