David Vanderbilt (’70, M.Div. ’74, Th.M. ’76) received additional degrees from UNC Wilmington (M.A. ’04) and Salve Regina University (Ph.D. ’16), writing his dissertation on Thomas F. Torrance and scientific theology. He retired in May, having served churches in Southern California and North Carolina over 42 years of ordained ministry. He and his wife of 48 years, [Jennifer (Clark ’76)], currently live in Jacksonville, N.C.

Cecil Stalnaker (M.Div. ’72, Th.M. ’75) and his wife, Kathleen, recently retired from Greater Europe Mission after 41 years, having served 34 years in Europe (Belgium and the Netherlands). Cecil annually returns to the Netherlands to teach at Tyndale Theological Seminary, near Amsterdam, where he is a professor emeritus of intercultural studies and practical ministries and a member of its board.

Mark House ('76, Th.M. '94) is the academic dean and professor of biblical studies at New Geneva Theological Seminary in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Bracy Ball (M.A. ’78) worked in three different pastoral posts in California for 30 years. He also served as vice president of the Biblical Counseling Foundation (BCF) for 10 years, and helped write Self-Confrontation: A Manual for In-Depth Discipleship, which has been translated into 14 languages and used throughout the world. Over the last 10 years, he has served as president of WordTruth. He and his wife, Raylene, have two children and seven grandchildren, and now live in Las Vegas, Nev.

Jonathan Brentner (M.Div. ’78) is a writer, blogger, teacher and retired financial analyst. Through his writing, he reaches thousands each month with his perspectives on Scripture and biblical prophecy. He has written adult Sunday school curriculum for David C. Cook since 1984 and retired in 2016 to write full-time. Shipwrecked! is his first book.

Don Duncan (’78, M.Div. ’81) has pastored at Ballard Baptist Church in Seattle, Wash. since he graduated from Talbot. He and his wife, Kristi, have been married 38 years and have four children and three grandchildren.

Roger Depriest (M.A. ’79) returned to school after many years of pastoral ministry, earning his doctorate in biblical studies (New Testament) in 2012 at Clarks Summit University. He has served full-time as the executive director (and founder) of Grace Biblical Counseling Ministry in Virginia Beach, Va., since 2013.

Jonathan D. James (M.A. ’82) became an associate pastor in Melbourne, Australia. In 1985, he joined AEF International, a mission with 200 national missionaries in Asia. In 2008, he received his Ph.D. from Edith Cowan University in Australia. Additionally, he has published a book, Transnational Religious Movements: Faith’s Flows, for which he was recently interviewed by Radio National in Australia.

Tim Dwyer (M.Div. ’83) is a professor and chair of the ministry department at Warner University in Lake Wales, Fla. Tim has been teaching New Testament for 29 years, including 13 years at Anderson University and 13 years at Roberts Wesleyan College. He earned his doctorate from the University of Aberdeen in 1990. He has been extensively involved in preaching, teaching and pastoring in the local church. He and his wife, Paula, recently celebrated their 34th anniversary.

Dennis Allen (M.Div. ’84) retired from classroom teaching and currently teaches adult Bible classes and leads a discipleship group at his church. He has begun the process of turning former sermons into commentaries, with Colossians: Complete in Christ already published, and 1 Peter: Preparing for Persecution, in the works. He has also published a historical fiction mystery, Revenge at Ravenna.

Bret Johnson (M.Div. ’85) started a new missions organization called The Hastening, based on 2 Pet. 3:12. His hope is to raise a new generation of zealous goers and senders to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission and hasten his return. [Sallie Johnson (Howard, ’86)], now married to Bret for 31 years, joins him on this journey. Sallie is now the nurse manager at St. Rose Hospital in the Las Vegas Valley where she has served for 16 years.

Joseph Caplan (M.Div. ’86) released his memoir, The Money Man: A True Life Story of One Man’s Unbridled Ambition, Downfall, and Redemption, in April of this year.

Bob Niemond (M.A. ’86) recently published The Great Commission Christian: Four Steps to Making Disciples.

Ted (Th.M. ’86) and Dana Witmer serve with Crossworld at Shalom University in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Ted is the director of development and teaches Old Testament. Dana provides medical care in pediatrics and tropical medicine, and spiritual mentoring through church-based support groups. Over their 30 years of service, the university and medical works have greatly grown with teams of Congolese coworkers.

Jocelyn Brunson (Motas, M.A. ’88) relocated from Molokai, Hawaii, to Hastings, Neb., in 2006. After 14 years as a stay-at-home mom, she returned to working with children and has served for eight years at Children’s Ark, which is part of the Good Samaritan Village. She has a huge heart for children and also serves in the children’s ministry at Lakeside Community Church of the Nazarene.

Lyle (M.Div. ’88) and Dana Castellaw have been serving at TerraNova church in Irvine for the past 10 years, along with John Reed (M.A. ’92). They love the church’s heart for reaching “far from God” people in the community, and also its heart for the unreached Muslim world. Lyle and Dana provide shepherding and mentoring for couples in ministry through Standing Stone Ministry.

Steven W. Schultze (M.A. ’89) serves as vice president for the Los Angeles Mission as part of the executive leadership team, overseeing emergencies services and men's rehabilitation/recovery programs.

Mike Palumbo (M.Div. ’92) has served as a missionary for over 30 years with United World Mission and Latin America Mission for over 30 years. He was widowed in 2008 after almost 23 years of marriage to Tami, with whom he raised five children. Four of his children have graduated college, one of whom graduated from Biola in 2010, and another who is in her senior year at Liberty University. He married Nancy in 2015 and the newlyweds welcomed their son, Josiah Miguel, in 2016. Last year, they also became first-time grandparents to their grandson Michael Lewis Palumbo.

Henry Matarrita (M.Div. ’94) and his wife Darlene share the gospel of Jesus to Jews and Gentiles around the world with World Mission Outreach.

Jeff Beltz (M.Div. ’95) is serving as the pastor of life groups, men, connections and marketing at Arizona Community Church in Tempe, Ariz. Also on the pastor team is Bill Meiter (M.Div. ’98).

Priscilla Jensen (Kusardy ’97; M.A. ’99) is the head women’s tennis coach at Fresno Pacific University. She previously served as the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at the program she started at San Diego Christian College, where she was also voted the Wilson/ITA West Region Coach of the Year. After having suffered multiple cardiac arrests at age 29, and pronounced dead in the ER, doctors told Jensen she would never play sports again. Fourteen heart surgeries later, she now serves the Lord on the tennis court by teaching her players how to develop spiritually, academically and athletically.

Alex McLellan (M.A. ’02) was recently invited by Josh McDowell to serve as an evangelist/apologist and speaker with Josh McDowell Ministry. Born in Scotland, Alex has served in full-time ministry for 15 years, speaking and teaching in a dozen countries around the world. Alex’s passion is connecting and communicating the truth of the gospel — until the whole world hears!

Sau-Heung Lam (M.A. ’03, ’05) currently lives in Hong Kong and has published a three-part series of books through China Alliance Press titled Stroll from Genesis to Revelation.

Jonathan Reibsamen (M.A. ’06) started a new position as associate professor of philosophy and director of the philosophy major at Columbia International University in Columbia, S.C. He and his wife, Julie (Gibbs ’06), have three children: Evalia, Ethan and Emmett.

Adam (’07, M.Div. ’10, Th.M. ’11) and Anna (Hamner, ’04) Day, with their son Luke, moved to Manila to teach at the International Graduate School of Leadership. The school offers a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and trains students from 20 different countries in Asia to minister to the unreached. Adam teaches New Testament and mentors a small group of students. Anna teaches in the certificate program, training students’ wives, and disciples a small group of women.

Adam Rollefson (M.A. ’08) was recently hired as the student pastor at Fivestone Church near Dallas, Texas.

Gary Chang (M.Div. ’09), developed a heart for missions through one of his classes at Talbot. He and his wife, Jennifer, have been appointed by World-Venture to be missionaries to Japan. They are currently working on partner development and mission preparation, hoping to go the summer of 2018. For ministry updates, visit Chang4Japan.

Abbie Sprunger (Smith, M.A. ’09) recently published Stretch Marks I Wasn't Expecting: A Memoir on Early Marriage and Motherhood. She and her husband, Micah, live in Savannah, Ga., as the caretakers of Wesley Gardens Retreat. They have three children, one of whom they brought home from India this summer.

Katie Dudgeon (M.Diva. ’10) took on the position of city team leader in May with ReachGlobal, the international arm of the Evangelical Free Church of Amer- ica (EFCA). Now working in Berlin, Germa- ny, she has served in Europe since 2011.

Justin Green (M.A. ’10) was in the process of raising support for a ministry to churches that calls them to love homosexuals when he was struck with chronic pain and a slew of debilitating and mysterious health conditions that have eluded medical understanding and help. Unable to leave the house most days, he continues his work through God Loves Homosexuals, an information-based site aiming to be a simple resource of hope, equipping and transformation for those, particularly in the church, who are seeking to become a redemptive solution for those with same-sex attraction. Justin appreciates prayers for health and endurance.

Agam (M.Div. ’10, Ph.D. ’15) and Oge (M.A. ’15) Iheanyi-Igwe moved to Eugene, Ore., this summer where Agam serves as an assistant professor of Bible and world Christianity at Northwest Christian University, and is working toward developing and leading the university’s Center for World Christianity. Oge started a chaplain residency at Oregon State Hospital in Salem this fall. They are trusting God as they adjust to the Pacific Northwest and are thankful for these opportunities.

J.R. Miller (D.Min. ’11) is the author of Elders Lead A Healthy Family (2017), a book for current and future Christian leaders, church planters, bivocational pastors, students and anyone interested in reshaping leadership to transform churches into vibrant communities of faith through a fresh approach to church as a family and biblical eldership.

Bill Curington (’12), under the pseudonym William Michael Davidson, has published The Remnant, part one of his three-book science fiction series.


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