Today, Transformed profiles Doug Hanson, an alumnus of Western Seminary’s Doctor of Intercultural Studies program. Doug graduated from the program in 2012, and has been involved in cross-cultural ministry both in Papua New Guinea and in the United States.
Past Ministry Involvement
In 2001, Doug and his wife Jan began training indigenous leaders at the Christian Leaders’ Training College (CLTC) in Papua New Guinea. CLTC is a non-denominational evangelical school of about one hundred students that offers diploma, bachelor and master degrees to men and women of the South Pacific. Doug taught a range of Bible, theology, and ministry courses. In addition, he served as Dean of Graduate Studies. Jan served as Registrar, taught computer courses, and led an AWANA children’s ministry.
Path to Western’s Doctor of Intercultural Studies Program
Prior to going to Papua New Guinea, Doug earned the M.Div. degree from Capital Bible Seminary (CBS) in Maryland. However, soon after he began teaching in Papua New Guinea, he realized the need for additional training to teach cross-culturally more effectively. As such, he returned to CBS and earned the Th.M. degree. In the course of completing this program, Doug sensed a need for further training.
After investigating several doctoral programs, Doug applied to, was accepted, and subsequently enrolled in the Doctor of Intercultural Studies program at Western Seminary. The cross-cultural education, communication, leadership, and contextualization courses he took at Western Seminary had a positive impact on his ministry in Papua New Guinea. In particular, Doug appreciated learning how to study culture, how to set aside undue Western influences in the interpretation and application of Scripture, and how to communicate more effectively in a culture that is not one’s own.
A byproduct of Doug’s enrollment in the Doctor of Intercultural Studies program was that it helped him to mentor CLTC Master of Theology students in writing their own theses. After completing his dissertation journey at Western Seminary, Doug felt well prepared to supervise students at CLTC as they decided on their theses topics, wrote their proposals, drafted their theses, and finalized their papers. All the while, the theses that he supervised dealt theologically with various issues facing the church in the South Pacific today.
Present Ministry Direction
Doug and Jan are currently headed to a new, but similar, ministry at the Indian Bible College (IBC) in Flagstaff, Arizona. In considering a return to the U.S. for full-time ministry, they investigated a number of teaching positions. However, through that process they realized how much their heart was set on training indigenous leaders. IBC is an excellent fit to meet that desire, and also in alignment with Doug’s formal ministry training.
IBC trains Native American men and women for ministry to Native Americans. In the U.S., there are approximately 5.2 million Native Americans, 566 federal recognized tribes, and roughly 310 reservations. Estimates are that only 5 percent of Native Americans are evangelical Christians, despite hundreds of years of missionary work among them. Doug’s new role at IBC is grounded in a conviction that the solution to the lack of evangelical Christians is not found in non-Natives trying to reach Natives; rather, the answer is found in training indigenous leaders to reach their own people.
IBC enrollment is small, but strategically significant. The college currently trains about 35 students each year, but it would like to grow that to 75 students to have a larger footprint on the Native ministry landscape. The Navajo tribe is the largest tribe represented among the student body because of the proximity of the Navajo reservation to Flagstaff. In addition to teaching, Doug will serve as Director of Development, seeking to increase enrollment and raise funds for the advancement of the college. Jan will be providing a range of administrative support to the college. Many graduates of the college serve in pastoral and parachurch ministries on reservations.
There is a strong emphasis on small-group and personal discipleship at IBC. Since alcoholism, drug abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse are all prevalent on a number of reservations, many students come from dysfunctional homes. IBC tries to create an intimate discipleship environment that allows students to flourish spiritually in preparation for future ministry.
Doug believes that his training at Western Seminary in the Doctor of Intercultural Studies program will continue to pay dividends as he and Jan move from a ministry to tribal people in Papua New Guinea to tribal people in the States. Contextualization issues will be on the forefront of ministry to Native Americans, as will a range of social issues. However, Doug is confident that the truth of God’s Word speaks into every situation. Please be in prayer that God would continue to powerfully use Doug and Jan as they embark on this new endeavor!
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