Gary has been teaching at Montreat for almost ten years and enjoys teaching even more as the years go by. He has a history degree from Stanford University and two theological degrees from Fuller Seminary. He brings to his teaching almost twenty years of missionary experience and enjoys collecting inspiring stories and amazing anecdotes about how the light of Jesus Christ has brought healing and hope to a rich variety of cultures. His hero is John Mackay, a brilliant missionary statesman, and Dr. V.B. has ventured through libraries in several countries in an effort to discover and publish new insights about his hero. He wanted to be a missionary from a young age, having grown up in a Christian family in Hawai'i and having had the opportunity to meet many missionaries on their way to share the Gospel in Asia and the Pacific. One of the best decisions he ever made was to marry Dr. Marlene Medefind Van Brocklin. They have one child, a daughter, who is preparing for ministry in Latin America, where she grew up. He loves to take road trips through Yosemite National Park in his Toyota Prius, and is currently the interim pastor of a Hispanic congregation in Hickory, NC. Feel free to drop by his office some time and he will be willing to entertain you with a story or two.

gvanbrocklin@montreat.edu

The Rev. Dr. Donald R. Shepson, Assistant Professor of Bible and Christian Education

Don has a B.A. in Sociology from Wheaton College (1990); M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (CE emphasis, 2001); and a Ph.D. from Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. Don joined the Montreat family in 2006 with several semesters of teaching. He is interested in the process of spiritual formation and has published on the subject in Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development. Don's doctoral dissertation addressed various academic factors that influence a student's spiritual formation, espcially the mentoring relationship. He spends a lot of time with his students discipling, mentoring, and teaching toward that end.

Don grew up in Northern Illinois and, after finishing college, spent a number of years in minsitry as a camp and conference center program director, camp director and assistant pastor or Christian education and youth. He married in 1998, to Sara, and they now have 4 children: Emory, born in 2001, Tabitha born in 2003, Wyatt born in 2005, and AnnaKiele born in 2009. Don loves spending time with them camping, hiking and playing baseball. Individually he likes reading, running, cycling and participating in traithlons. His life of faith started as a result of a Christian family who always participated in the life of the church (Christian & Missionary Alliance). While in seminary, he moved into a more liturgical style of worship and is now also an Anglican Priest (The Anglican Mission in the Americas).

dshepson@montreat.edu

Dr. Mark Wells, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Ethics

Mark came to Montreat College in August 2006 with several years experience teaching philosophy, ethics, theology, and leadership studies. He is a graduate of Friends University (B.A., 1990), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.A.T., 1996), and Baylor University (Ph.D., 2004). He is currently working on a book of essays on Christ-centered Servant-Leadership. His philosophical and theological interests include classical philosophy, apologetics, ontology, theology of worship, and theological anthropology. He is keenly interested in the theology of Dietrich Bonheoffer and the Swiss Reformed theologian Karl Barth. He spent the summer of 2007 on a fellowship as a visiting scholar at St. Olaf College studying and writing on the works of Soren Kierkegaard. He has also done a great deal of work on the early Church Fathers and creeds of Christendom.

Mark grew up in Seattle, Washington. He comes from a large family--three brothers and three sisters--and family is very important to him. Married to his wife, Julie, in 1993, he now has two boys--Austin, born in 2000 and Caleb, born in 2002. He spent several years working at Christian summer camps and several more years working as a youth pastor and choir director/worship leader at Baptist, Christian, and Congregational churches. He currently attends Montreat Presbyterian Church. In his spare time Mark enjoys running, singing, soccer, hiking, and reading classic novels, as well as attending concerts, ballets, operas, and sporting events.

mwells@montreat.edu

The Rev. Stephen L. Woodworth, Chaplain, Homiletics Instructor, Instructor of New testament

Steve Woodworth is a native of New Hampshire who first came to Montreat College in the fall of 1995. Having graduated from Montreat with a B.S. in Outdoor Education (1999), Chaplain Steve returned to Montreat College in 2003 to serve as both an RD and as an assistant to the previous chaplain. In 2006 he continued completing his theological studies by earning an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Chaplain Steve has served as the college chaplain since 2006 with the primary responsibility of fostering the spiritual development of each student through the chapel program, student ministries, mentoring, and pastoral counseling. In addition, he teaches in the areas of homiletics and the New Testament.

Chaplain Steve is currently completing his Doctorate in Ministry (D.Min.) at Gordon-Conwell in the area of Christian Leadership. In addition to his work at Montreat College, he also serves on staff with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, serving The Cove Training Center as a Pastor in Residence. Chaplain Steve is married to his college sweetheart Carrie, and they now have 3 young boys: Luke, Andrew, and Zachary. In addition to making swords, forts, and bows and arrows, the Woodworth family spends much of their time hiking, biking, gardening, camping, and cheering for the New England Patriots. Steve’s two heroes are Dietrich Bonheoffer and Henri Nouwen, two individuals who have fostered his passion to see college students make the transition from the inherited faith of their parents to a vibrant faith of their own. Chaplain Steve is an ordained Teaching Elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).

swoodworth@montreat.edu

Marlene Medefind Van Brocklin, adjunct lecturer in Biblical, Religious and Interdisciplinary Studies

Marlene grew up in California in a nurturing Christian family. The Lord used her loving family and the wonderful folks at Central Presbyterian Church of Merced to get ahold of her at an early age and she has been following Him ever since. She received her B.A. from Whitworth College, M.A. from Fuller Theological Seminary School of InterCultural Studies and Doctor of Ministry degree in Gospel and Culture from Columbia Theological Seminary. For nineteen years she and her husband, Gary, served the church in Latin America. Her daughter, Annelies, is currently preparing to return to Latin America as a missionary. Dr. Van Brocklin taught at Montreat College from 1996 to 2003 and returned in 2008. While away from Montreat College she taught at International College and Graduate School and Bible Institute of Hawai'i. She is an elder in the Presbyterian Church and has served on the boards of Presbyterians for Renewal and John Stott Ministries. Dr. Van Brocklin enjoys culture-watching, reading, walking, and tracing her family back through the generations.

mvanbrocklin@montreat.edu

Dr. Paul L. Owen, Associate Professor of Greek and Religious Studies

Paul has taught at Montreat College since 2001. He is a graduate of Life Pacific College (B.A., 1993), Talbot School of Theology (M.A., 1997), and the University of Edinburgh (Ph.D., 2000). He also did graduate studies at Dallas Theological Seminary (1993-1994). After being raised by a single parent in southern Idaho, God took his life in a new direction at the age of 13 after the loss of his mother to cancer. During his teenage years he lived in foster homes, a story which is chronicled in his new memoir The Long Winter: One Man's Journey Through the Darkness of Foster Care (Author House, 2010).

His religious affiliation is with the Episcopal Church. His most recent publication is (with Larry Hurtado) Who Is This Son of Man? The Latest Scholarship on a Puzzling Expression of the Historical Jesus (Continuum, 2011). He has published numerous journal articles in places like the Trinity Journal, Calvin Theological Journal, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Review of Biblical Literature, and Journal of Biblical Literature. He has also contributed to several other books in the field of religion, including Of Scribes and Sages: Early Jewish Interpretation and Transmission of Scripture (Continuum, 2004). His main research interests focus on historical Jesus research, apocalyptic themes and literature, Pauline theology, and the field of Mormon studies. His hobbies and interests include dog rescues, reading about wild predators like grizzlies and wolves, and fiction dealing with nature themes (The Call of the Wild by Jack London is his favorite book). Among his favorite authors are Edward Abbey, Rick Bass and Pope Benedict XVI.

powen@montreat.edu

Mr. Thomas L. Oxenreider, Instructor of Interdisciplinary Studies & Assistant Dean for Work & Vocation

Tom has a B.A. in Economics from The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (1989) and an MBA from Wheeling Jesuit University (1995). He is currently pursuing a Master of Worldview Studies from the Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto, ON. He came to Montreat College in 1994 to work in Career Services and Residence Life. Shortly after coming to the college, he began teaching and has taught a range of classes in Interdisciplinary Studies and Business Administration. In his current position, he is focusing on the first-year student course (IS 102: Foundations of Faith and Learning), along with developing campus work opportunities for students. He enjoys assisting students with vocational discernment. His interests are in the areas of vocational exploration, Christian theology of work, and the integration of faith and learning.

Tom grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania and, while a student at Pitt-Johnstown, became involved in campus ministry. That God found Tom on a college campus forever changed his life. Following graduation from college, he joined the ministry of the Coalition for Christian Outreach and worked on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University as a Graduate Assistant in Campus Life while he completed his Masters in Business Administration. He married Anne in 1992, and they have a daughter, Helen, born in 1998. He loves spending time with his family, listening to music, cheering for the Philadelphia Phillies, and playing with nearly any type of electronic gadget

TOxenreider@montreat.edu

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