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Speakers - Spring 2010

Friday, January 15, 2010
Jennifer King Soderquist: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Remembered
In addition to her contribution as Head Volley Ball Coach for 24 seasons at Wheaton, alumna Jennifer King Soderquist made her own mark on Wheaton basketball and volley ball during her years as a student at Wheaton. She and her husband, Mark, and their two sons reside in Chicago, where Mark serves as U.S. Director of Urban Ministries for International Teams. With the goal of helping local churches reach their communities, the Soderquists have chosen to serve under the local leadership of Westlawn Gospel Chapel. Through the church's childrens' ministries, tutoring programs, summer day camp opportunities, and her own involvement in leading a children's choir at church, Coach Soderquist hopes that their ministry will provide a way for Wheaton students to be exposed to the needs of people living in inner-city areas. Having lived alongside and learned from brothers and sisters in their church and neighborhood, Coach Soderquist brings a personal perspective on the life and legacy of Dr. King.

Friday, January 22, 2010
Toussaint Whetstone, Counseling Center
Toussaint Whetstone is a staff member on campus whom many students value as their counselor and friend. Toussaint earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Olivet Nazarene University, and his Masters in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College Graduate School. Prior to serving as a professional counselor at Wheaton's Counseling Center, Toussaint enjoyed working in a variety of clinical settings with various client populations across all stages of psychosocial development. His work at the Counseling Center focuses primarily on men's issues, mood and anxiety disorders in addition to working with individuals, couples and groups. His hours at Wheaton have been reduced this year to allow Toussaint to begin a doctoral program at Loyola University in Chicago. He also serves as a co-coordinator (Houseparent) of a transitional living program run by Outreach Community Ministries in Carol Stream, IL. We're privileged to have Toussaint at Wheaton and to have him speak in chapel.

Monday, January 25, 2010
Dr. Rick Richardson: Solidarity Chapel
In addition to serving as Associate Professor and Director of the Masters Program in Evangelism and Leadership at Wheaton, Dr. Rick Richardson is also an Associate Evangelist with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and is an ordained Anglican priest. He has been involved in campus ministry for 20 years and served for three years as Pastor of Evangelism and Small Groups for Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois. While earning his Master of Divinity from Northern Baptist Seminary, Dr. Richardson studied with Ray Bakke, focusing on evangelism and urban ministry, and, for a number of years, was Area Director for InterVarsity’s Chicago Urban Ministry. His desire is to use his passion for evangelism, prayer and racial reconciliation to cast a vision and equip the next generation in ministry, for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Wednesday - Friday, January 27-29, 2010
Lauren Winner: Spring Special Services
In her spiritual memoir, entitled Girl Meets God, this year's Spring Special Services speaker shares her spiritual journey that began within two profoundly different faiths. The child of a Reform Jewish father and a "lapsed Southern Baptist" mother, Lauren was raised as a Jew in the South. Told she was not really Jewish, since Jewish law dictates that Judaism passes through the blood of the mother, she chose to convert to Orthodox Judaism at the end of high school, following her parents' divorce. By the end of her senior year at college, she decided that while in graduate school in England she would convert again, this time to evangelical Christianity.

Throughout her journey, faith and practice have formed the underpinnings of her life. As a teenager, Lauren immersed herself in the activities of Congregation Beth Israel in Charlottesville, Virginia. She "traded in…more normal teenage activities for more hours, more afternoons and weekends, at the synagogue." As a college student, now an Orthodox Jew, she was drawn to Christianity through diligent study, constant questioning and careful, nearly obsessive attention to spiritual teachings. Although Lauren has converted to Christianity for good, her former Orthodox Judaism continues to inform and influence her daily life.

Lauren's insatiable quest for religious truth, combined with her refreshing honesty and humor, are revealed in her books, lectures, teaching, and, basically throughout her being. Her writing has been recognized by both Christian and secular audiences as gifted, compelling, engaging, insightful, thoughtful and entertaining. In addition to Girl Meets God, she has authored three other books - Mudhouse Sabbath, Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity, and The Voice of Matthew. Lauren has appeared on PBS's Religion & Ethics Newsweekly and has served as a commentator on NPR's "All things Considered." She has written for The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post Book World, Publishers Weekly, Books and Culture, and Christianity Today. She holds degrees from Cambridge University, Duke Divinity School, and has her doctorate in the History of American Religion from Columbia University.

When Lauren is not writing and traveling extensively to speak, she works as Assistant Professor of Christian Spirituality at Duke Divinity School. She lives in Durham, North Carolina with her husband Griff Gatewood, and, when home, can usually be found curled up, on her couch or screen porch, with a good novel.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Linsay Darnall, Jr. - A Voice for the Deaf Community
Linsay Darnall, Jr. has been in Deaf ministry for more than 20 years, working on American Sign Language Bible Translation at Deaf Missions in Iowa. Recognized as a staunch advocate for the rights of deaf and hard of hearing Americans, he has been able to reach Deaf people with the Gospel, and encourage them to seek love, forgiveness and reconciliation with hearing people, even as they battle against discrimination and oppression. Mr. Darnall will share again this evening at a Q&A session sponsored by Wheaton's ASL (American Sign Language) Club as part of this week's first Deaf Awareness Week on campus.

Monday-Wednesday, February 8-10, 2010
Missions in Focus 2010 - Missions in the Marketplace
Nigel Goodwin
A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and former student of Francis Schaeffer and Hans Rookmaker at L'Abri, Nigel Goodwin is the founder of the London Arts Centre Group, and founder and Executive Director of Genesis Arts Trust. Genesis Arts Trust promotes the Christian faith in the Arts and Media through Nigel's personal ministry to numerous individuals in the world of arts and entertainment. As a trained actor who worked in film, television and theater before combining his experience with theological training, Nigel's background enables him to understand and encourage those in the arts and media. Today the Trust maintains close links with many arts groups and individuals around the globe. Nigel's calling includes consultancy, international networking, training, conference speaking, counseling, preaching, lecturing, publishing articles, etc.

Shundrawn Thomas
At the age of 35, Shundrawn Thomas has already accomplished a great deal. He currently serves as President and CEO of Northern Trust Securities Inc. in Chicago. As a licensed minister, motivational speaker, entrepreneur and author, he has used his ministry gifts to equip and encourage individuals in the areas of faith, family, and finance. His book titles include Ridiculous Faith: Ordinary People Living Extraordinary Lives, and Start Planting!: A Spiritual Guide to Wealth Creation and Successful Investing (Adelphos Economic Empowerment). Wheaton College is privileged to have him as Board Member and as a chapel speaker for Missions in Focus.

Monday, February 22, 2010
Rev. Dr. Harold Dean Trulear - African American Church Series
Dr. Trulear comes to Wheaton from Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, DC where he serves as Associate Professor of Applied Theology and director of the Doctor of Ministry program. He currently teaches Church Music and Worship, Prophetic Ministry, Ministry and Criminal Justice, and Church and Community Studies. In addition, Dr. Trulear serves as the President of GLOBE Ministries of Philadelphia, a youth and family services agency, and is an ordained minister in the American Baptist churches/USA. He has held several faculty and administrative positions at various universities and schools of theology, and has lectured widely. Dr. Trulear's research interests include religion and public policy, the church and criminal justice, African-American religious history, and congregational studies. He is a graduate of Morehouse College and completed his Ph.D. with distinction at Drew University. Dr. Trulear and his wife, Vickie, live in Yeadon, PA, and have three children.

Friday, February 26, 2010
Dr. Alfonso Wieland - HNGR Symposium
Dr. Alfonso Wieland is a human rights lawyer and writer in Lima, Peru, and is the co-founder and Executive Director of Paz y Esperanza (Peace and Hope Partnership International) - one of the most notable human rights organizations in Peru. Paz y Esperanza seeks to defend the human rights of widows, victims of sexual, political and domestic violence, indigenous people, pastors, churches, prisoners and others by means of four offices located throughout Peru. Prior to his work with Paz y Esperanza, Mr. Wieland served for over 10 years as a member of the legal team for the National Evangelical Council of Peru, working in the area of human rights. In addition to his law degree, Mr. Wieland has post graduate degrees in sociology and theology. He is married with two children and is a member of the Christian Missionary and Alliance Church.

Dr. Wieland has published several books. In 2002, he contributed to the Spanish translation of Good News about Injustice by Gary Haugen, Founder of International Justice Mission. He also authored, In Love with His Justice (2003), reflecting on the work of Paz y Esperanza during and following the Peruvian civil conflict, and co-authored Seeking Justice For All (2006), a practical guide introducing Christians to topics of human rights and advocacy.

Monday, Wednesday, & Friday, March 1, 3 & 5
Faculty Series - "Encouraging Hope"

Mark Lewis, Arena Theater; Communication - March 1
Prior to serving as Associate Professor of Communication and Co-Director of Wheaton's Arena Theater, Mark Lewis made his living as an actor in New York for fifteen years. Since coming to Wheaton, he has become increasingly fascinated by the act of creating theater within a community or company setting, as well as in questions of actor training within the context of an undergraduate liberal arts education. He is a lover of Shakespeare, although not a Shakespearean scholar, and has a specific interest in Shakespearean performance. He and his wife Mary have three beautiful daughters, adopted from The People’s Republic of China.

Dr. Lynn Cohick, Biblical & Theological Studies - March 3
As Associate Professor of New Testament studies, Dr. Cohick's interests focus on how average Jews and Christians lived out their faith in the ancient settings of Hellenism and the Roman Empire, as well as how Jews and Christians today can better appreciate and understand one another. She also studies women in the ancient world - especially how they celebrated their religions, and she explores the impact of feminist thought on New Testament studies. Dr. Cohick enjoys studying the Apostle Paul and his epistles within their larger Jewish and Greco-Roman milieu. For three years, she had the privilege of teaching at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in Nairobi, Kenya, where she was challenged by the students’ dedication and sharp intellect. When she's not teaching or writing, Dr. Cohick enjoys reading mysteries and jogging with her husband, Jim.

Dr. Jerry Root, Evangelism; Christian Formation & Ministry - March 5
Born and raised in Southern California, Jerry Root grew up in a Christian family but did not become a Christian until his freshman year at Whittier College. He was deeply influenced by the ministries of Campus Crusade for Christ and Granada Heights Friends Church in La Mirada, California. Jerry's sister Kathy introduced him to the writings of C. S. Lewis while he was still an undergraduate. Upon graduation from college, he selected Lewis as an author who would introduce him to other authors and has made him a life study. The concept that graduation from college is "Commencement" has translated into meaning that only a foundation for learning is established through formal education, after which one commences his/her liberal arts education.

Dr. Root has pastored three different churches over twenty-three years, nineteen of which were invested in student ministry, and four years serving as a senior pastor. While pastoring, he also taught courses in Philosophy and on C. S. Lewis for ten years at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He has served on the Adjunct Faculty at Biola University since 1991, teaching courses on Lewis, and has been teaching at Wheaton College full time since 1996. Over the course of years, Dr. Root has journeyed to 31 countries and 3 continents, often serving as a guest lecturer/speaker.

Monday, March 15, 2010
Pastor David Choi
Students may remember David Choi from last year's Missions in Focus series. This year Pastor Dave has been invited back to launch us into the final quad of the year. A '97 alumnus of Wheaton College, David received his Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, and has ministered in a variety of settings - from Asian churches to multi-ethnic, inner city churches to overseas missions. He is an active member of the Lausanne movement for World Evenglization - a global congress of thousands of church, missions, and marketplace leaders from almost every country in the world - partnering and networking in a ministry towards fulfilling the Great Commission. Whether speaking internationally, in churches or on university campuses, Pastor Dave's desire is to see people come to know the Gospel and experience the love of Christ.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Dr. Anthony Bradley: Identity Series, Center for Applied Christian Ethics
Dr. Bradley currently serves as a visiting Professor of Theology at The King's College in New York City, and as a research fellow at the Acton Institute, an ecumenical think-tank dedicated to the study of free-market economics, informed by religious faith and moral absolutes. As a research fellow, Dr. Bradley lectures at colleges, universities, business organizations, conferences and churches through the U.S. and abroad. He has published articles in a variety of journals on religious and cultural issues, and is called upon by members of the broadcast media for comment on current issues. He studies and writes on issues of race in America, hip hop, youth culture, issues among African Americans, the American family, welfare, education, and modern, international forms of social injustice, slavery, and oppression.

Dr. Bradley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from Clemson University, an M.Div. from Covenant Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Westminster Theological Seminary. His first book, Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America is scheduled for publication in February 2010 with Crossway Books.

Friday, April 9, 2010
Walter Wangerin, Jr. - "On Marriage"
In addition to being an extraordinary story teller, Walter Wangerin is an award-winning author, ordained minister, and Professor of English and Theology at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, IN. The author of over 40 books, Mr. Wangerin's messages for the Faculty/Staff Chapel on Thursday, April 8, and the undergraduate chapel on Friday will be drawn from his excellent resource book on marriage - As For Me and My House.

Monday, April 12, 2010
Shane Claiborne - The Irresistible Revolution
Author, Christian activist, and speaker, Shane Claiborne is one of the founding partners of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped to birth and connect radical faith communities around the world. Shane writes and travels extensively speaking about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus. He has given academic seminars at various universities and colleges, and has spoken at denominational gatherings, festivals, and conferences around the globe. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, CNN and National Public Radio, among others. He is the author of several books including The Irresistible Revolution, Jesus for President, and Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers. He has the distinction of being one of the few chapel speakers to have met and worked with Mother Teresa in India, joined a peace-keeping group on a trip to Iraq during the war, advocated in court in behalf of the homeless, and made his own clothes!

Friday, April 16, 2010
The Reverend Dr. N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham, Church of England
Bishop Tom Wright has been invited to campus to speak for the 19th Annual Wheaton College Theology Conference, dialoguing on the theme, "Jesus, Paul and the People of God." As one of the most prolific Christian thinkers of our generation, Dr. Wright is a premiere New Testament scholar. The conference is designed to explore the meaning and implications of Dr. Wright's work, featuring a dialogue between various scholars and Dr. Wright. A series of speakers will probe key features of the theologian's thinking about Jesus and Paul, with responses from Wright and panel discussion.

Dr. Wright, a native of Northumberland in the Northeast of England, read the Classics and Theology at Oxford and obtained his Doctorate in Philosophy for a thesis on St. Paul, and his Doctorate of Divinity for books on the New Testament, particularly, Jesus in his historical context. He taught New Testament studies in Cambridge, McGill and Oxford Universities, and worked as a College Chaplain, before becoming Dean of Lichfield in 1994, Canon of Westminster in 2000, and Bishop of Durham in 2003. Dr. Wright has written over 40 books and hundreds of articles at both scholarly and popular levels, and has broadcast frequently on radio and TV. He is married with four children and two grandchildren, and lists music, poetry, hill-walking, and golf among his recreations.