College Union

Leadership Bios

Sally Morgenthaler

Speaker: Tues. & Wed, Dec. 15-16, 7:30 p.m.

Workshop: Pastoral Leadershipo - Wed., Dec. 16, 1:30 p.m.

Worship Evangelism author

Sally Morgenthaler is recognized as an innovator in Christian practices worldwide. Since 1992, she has been pioneering new worship forms characterized by both cultural relevance and worship faithfulness. Her prophetic role among church leaders and local congregations continues to increase in denominational scope and impact, as her work now broadens into new forms of leadership and the untapped potential of women. Known best for her book Worship Evangelism (Zondervan, 1998), Morgenthaler became a trusted interpreter of postmodern culture and a guide to the crucial shifts the North American church must make if it’s to have a transforming presence within pre-Christian communities. She also has been a contributing author in eight books. Her latest collaborative effort is An Emergent Manifesto of Hope, released in April 2007 by Baker Books. Morgenthaler’s chapter, “Leadership in a Flattened World: Grassroots Culture and the Demise of the CEO Model,” has been hailed as a prophetic work - a clear alternative to the ego-driven ministry leadership paradigms of the 1980s and 1990s. For the past 12 years, Morgenthaler has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses. Academic venues include Yale University, Asbury Seminary, Bethany Seminary, Claremont Institute for Continuing Ministry Studies, Denver Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, George Fox University, Gordon Conwell Seminary, Mars Hill Graduate School, Baylor University, Oral Roberts University, Regent University, Texas Christian University, The Conservatory for Praise and Worship, Hesston College, Malone College, and Covenant Bible College. Morgenthaler has been a featured speaker at numerous worship conferences, including Injoy’s Catalyst, The American Society for Church Growth, The Beeson Institute, The Emergent National Conference, Net Results, Integrity Hosanna’s Seminars4Worship, and The National Pastors Convention. Morgenthaler lives in her native state of Colorado, where she runs SoulPix, a card company featuring her intimate photography of the Rocky Mountains.

Rudy Rasmus

Speaker: Mon., Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m. www.stjohnsdowntown.org

Rudy and his wife, Juanita, have led the St. John’s United Methodist Church for 17 years. In this brief span of time the couple has transformed the spiritual landscape and the face of poverty in Downtown Houston. Beginning with 9 existing members in 1992, St. John’s has grown to over 9,000 members (3,000 of the total either are or were formerly homeless) in seventeen years into one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the country where every week people of every social and economic background share the same pew. They attribute the success of the church to a compassionate congregation who has embraced the vision of tearing down the walls of classism, sexism, and racism and building the bridges of unconditional love, and universal recovery.

William J “Billy” Abraham

Albert Cook Outler Professor of Wesley Studies
Perkins School of Theology
Speaker: Theology and Young Adults Tues., Dec. 15, 11:15 a.m.

Billy Abraham received his BA with honors in philosophy and psychology at the Queen’s University of Belfast, a Masters of Divinity at Asbury Theological Seminary, and Ph.D. at Regent’s Park College at Oxford in Philosophical Theology. He joined Perkins School of Theology in 1985. He has received grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Lily Grant from the Association of Theological Schools, and has received two book awards as well as giving numerous invited papers and lectures at international conferences and symposia. He has authored eight books, co-edited three, and has numerous articles in scholarly journals. His research interests include Divine Revelation, and the Epistemology of Christian theology

Mike Gaffney

Speaker: Young Adults Wed. and Thurs., Dec. 16-17, 11:15 a.m.
Workshop: TBD Tues, Dec. 15, 1:30, and Wed., Dec. 16, 3:30 p.m.
www.younglife.org
Mission Wide Director of Young Life College and Co-Founder and Director, Ascent Network

Mike is Mission Wide Director of Young Life College, part of an international organization that seeks to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. Young Life College focuses this effort on college and university students around the world. He is also the Co-Founder and Director of Ascent Network, which exists to encourage, connect, and develop church based college ministries around the world since 1997. He spent six years as Director of University Ministries at First Presbyterian Church of Boulder, CO, where he and his wife, Shari, began and developed an outreach to students at the University of Colorado. Mike and Shari also spent 14 years at University Presbyterian Church of Seattle, WA, serving a ministry that impacts over 2000 students annually.

Mike is a Graduate of Univ. of Washington with degrees in Psychology and Sociology. He received his MA in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and is and Ordained Minister and Ordained Elder.Mike was a member of the 1982-86 Husky Football Teams, three year lettermen including Orange Bowl season. He is married 23 years to High School and College sweetheart; Shari
Three daughters; Olivia (17), Lily Anna(15), Sophia(14).