(Ph.D. & M.Div., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; B.A., University of Louisville) Dr. John Hurtgen served as the second dean since the founding of the School of Theology in 1998 (2004-2024). The goal of joining God’s mission in the world by producing world changers for Christ remains Dr. Hurtgen’s constant vision and challenge. Equipping students with Biblical tools for life and ministry is his passion, as he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the NT. His research interest continues to be the intersection between sociolinguistics and the New Testament, with an initial analysis of the Book of Revelation (Anti-language in the Apocalypse of John [Mellen Biblical Press, 1993]. Although, his attention has also turned to rock ‘n’ roll (“Boy, Baby, and Bomb:  Antilanguage in the Music of U2,” in Exploring U2:  Is This Rock ‘N’ Roll?  Essays on the Music, Work, and Influence of U2 [Scarecrow Press, 2012]) and science fiction (“Revelation and Destruction in A Canticle for Leibowitz,” co-written chapter with son, Joseph Hurtgen, in Jesuits in Science Fiction: The Clash of Reason and Revelation on Other Worlds, Richard Feist, ed. [Vernon Press, 2024]). He is currently working on a book on 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: The Gift, the Shame, the Family: the Power of Grace and the Observable Life in the Pastoral Epistles (forthcoming 2027). He started working on the book during a Spring 2026 Sabbatical, during which he studied at Durham University/St. John’s College (Durham, England, Jan.-Feb.); Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY, Mar.); Andrew’s Corner/Institute for Scripture, Philosophy, and Culture (Thessaloniki, Greece, Apr.-May). Dr. Hurtgen serves as pastor of Mt. Gilboa Baptist Church (a small yet vibrant fellowship less than 20 minutes from the main campus). He and his wife Pam (of 51 years!)  have three brilliant sons, two awesome daughters-in-law, and four exceptional grandchildren.