Issue link: http://denverseminary.uberflip.com/i/1300894
Dr. Mark Harden EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dr. Mark G. Harden comes to Denver Seminary with a variety of experiences in theological education, including having served as lead faculty, program director, academic dean, and president. He is an ordained Baptist pastor and holds Masters of Arts degrees in theology and ministry studies, from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and Marygrove College, respectively, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Michigan State University. Dr. Harden is a practical theologian with broad experience in community development, evangelism, mission, and local church ministry. Specializing in family and child ecology, he has also worked with several faith-based, nonprofit and international agencies. His teaching and research topics include ministry in the context of race, class, and poverty, as well as intercultural and social competence, and organizational development. Dr. Harden has held human service certifications in law enforcement, in addition to various certifications from the U.S. Department of Education, National School Safety Center, and the Institute for Intercultural Communications. He is married to Sharon Harden. They are the parents of four grown children. Participants in TGI opportunities will be: • Empowered to address difficult social issues and make a difference in society. • Able to educate people of faith about how to address critical social and ethical issues. • Equipped to overcome challenges of a public faith in contemporary society. • Supported by improved capacity and readiness to create a gospel presence through learning and innovation. • Able to facilitate ways for others to achieve spiritual growth and faithful witness in ministry. • Significant forces in ministry. a judgmental attitude, and paternalistic stereotypes in the broader American culture. Many churches avoid addressing tough social and cultural issues, adding to a pervasive skepticism about the role of the Church in the world. To address these challenges, The Gospel Initiative will use collaborative research and experiential peer-based learning to support and empower ministries to become more relevant, responsive, reliable, and resilient when engaging social issues. It will bring together cohorts of ministry leaders, issue experts, and others to collaborate via a Ministry Innovation Exchange. TGI will also build a repository of resources that will hold examples, data, and activities to forward best practices via its Ministry Exploration Lab. In addition, TGI will provide educational training and research opportunities, and access to workshops, professional development, and conferences. Results of the research will be broadly disseminated. We're looking forward to forging ahead in this new territory, via The Gospel Initiative, as we continue to engage the needs of the world with the redemptive power of the gospel and the life-changing truth of Scripture. ENGAGE 5