Meet Dr. Charles Christian
I have been a minister in the Church of the Nazarene since 1991. My Christian background is varied, but my family and I settled into the Church of the Nazarene when I was in my early teens, and I have been part of the Church of the Nazarene ever since.
I went to Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, for my undergraduate work, majoring in business and minoring in music. I've been a musician most of my life and play several instruments. My hope was to go to law school and work in the music industry. I felt a call to vocational ministry in my teens, but I found reasons not to surrender completely at first. At the end of college, I became a staff member at my local church in Irving, Texas, and finally surrendered to a vocational call to ministry. I finished up my business degree, but went directly to seminary at Southwestern Seminary in nearby Fort Worth, Texas. At SMU, I met my wonderful wife Edna. She is from the Pacific North West. She and I finished college, and later (during our first few years of marriage), we finished graduate school together. She has an M.A. in counseling from Dallas Baptist University.
We pastored in Texas from the early 1990s until 1998. We moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1998, and both of our boys were born in Oregon (Jacob in 1999, and Zachary in 2003). Along the way, I met some theologians through my seminary professors who introduced me more deeply to the world of academics. I met my doctoral adviser, Dr. Adrio Konig, just before I moved to Oregon, and he invited me to study with him. I finished my PhD in 2003 about six months after my second son was born. Along the way, I have taught at several universities and seminaries, all the while pastoring full time. I have been a pastor in Texas, Oregon, Washington, Ohio, and since 2012, Missouri. I have served our denominational headquarters, the Global Ministry Center, as Communications Coordinator for the USA/Canada Region. I now continue ministry as a writer, editor, and preacher, while also serving as an anchor for broadcast news in the St. Joseph, Missouri area.
My interests include my wife and kids, music, sports (especially, baseball), and reading. My wife and I have served on the boards of several community non-profit organizations.
I also love working with men and women preparing for ministry, and since 1995, I have been blessed to serve on District Boards of Ministry in three different districts.
I love the diversity of backgrounds and cultures represented by NBC! I also love the fact that as a fully online school, the faculty, the students, and the design of the curriculum encourage and intentionally promote a strong sense of community. The community we develop here, can be a part of the growing Community of Faith God allows us to serve with, as we continue in ministry.
Dr. Charles Christian, NBC adjunct professor, pastor, musician, communications, writer, broadcaster and editor
Published: 03/30/2020
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