Ajith Fernando
Teaching Director, Youth For Christ Sri Lanka
After leading Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka, for 35 years Ajith Fernando now serves as its Teaching Director. An Adjunct Lecturer at Colombo Theological Seminary, he spends much time teaching and discipling/mentoring younger Christians and pastors. He is the award-winning author of 20 books and his books have been published in 24 languages. Ajith and his wife Nelun have two married children and four grandchildren.
Colin Smith
Pastor, The Orchard Evangelical Free Church
COLIN SMITH is senior pastor of The Orchard Church, a thriving, multi-campus church in the Chicago area. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, he trained at London School of Theology, where he met his wife, Karen. He served as pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in England for 16 years before coming to The Orchard in 1996. Colin’s teaching extends through Open The Bible (openthebible.org), a ministry that proclaims Christ through media, mobilizes believers in evangelism, and equips next-generation leaders for the church. Colin has also authored more than a dozen books and can be heard on Premier Radio in London. Colin and his wife Karen have two married sons and five granddaughters.
Tom Nelson
Pastor, Christ Community Church
Tom Nelson earned a Masters of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and received his doctorate from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife, Liz, moved to Kansas City in 1989 to begin Christ Community Church, where he continues to serve as senior pastor. Tom is also president of Made to Flourish, a nationwide pastors’ network for the common good, where he provides overall strategic direction and is a regular speaker and facilitator.
Along with other books, Tom is the author of:
- The Economics of Neighborly Love: Investing in Your Community’s Compassion and Capacity
- Work Matters: Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work
- The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership
Deborah A. Colwill
Associate Professor, Trinity International University
Prior to coming to TEDS in January 2013, Dr. Colwill served as Assistant Professor of Leadership and Director of Institution Research and Evaluation at Asbury Theological Seminary. Her long term areas of interest in research, teaching, consulting and practice include development of emerging and mid-career leader development, Collaborative high performing teams, Organizational agility and health, and Leading change. In addition to teaching, she has served in a variety of leadership and consulting positions. Dr. Colwill enjoys the beauty of nature, watching it “shout forth the glory of God.” Her other joy is spending time with her family and friends.
Donald C. Guthrie
Professor, Trinity International University
Prior to joining the TEDS faculty, Donald worked in campus ministry with the Coalition for Christian Outreach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and served on the faculty and administration of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.
Donald grew up near Pittsburgh, in a family that is grateful for a multi-generation legacy of God’s grace. He has enjoyed serving as an elder in several local churches for thirty years. In these churches, Donald has regularly taught classes, trained teachers, led small groups, and participated in community service.
Donald is a frequent teacher at conferences and retreats, often addressing teaching and learning; systems theory in leadership, team, and ministry contexts; cross-cultural teaching and learning; power and interests in teaching and learning; intergenerational and generational lifelong learning; faith, vocation, and culture; lay member empowerment in the local church; art, beauty, and creativity in learning; and resilience and wellbeing.
Donald says, “Mary and I enjoy art, beauty, and creativity in all things made by God and humans. We make regular trips to Door County where we visit galleries, interact with artists, and craft our own pieces at a wonderful Art Farm Studio. We especially love making fused glass but also have dabbled in welding, mosaics, and woodworking. Mary is a very skilled crafter who regularly knits and quilts gifts for family and friends. We also enjoy walking in the beautiful nature preserve that surrounds our historic home in Fort Sheridan. Our walks are often preceded by sharing fellowship and food around our dining room table with colleagues and students from all over God’s world. The best part? The guests often bring their favorite dishes from their homelands!”
