Upcoming Professors for fall 2023

Dr. Ron Keller has taught this class at MI for years to kick off the 2nd year of each Spiritual Formation Group. Dr. Keller  is a nationally Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor and a certified Temperament Therapist. He has a MAT from Fuller Seminary and a Ph.D. in Christian Counseling Psychology. Ron is passionate about helping people discover and capitalize on their uniqueness in order to accomplish more than they could ever imagine or hope for. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife and has five adult children. He and his wife enjoy sailing, photography, kayaking and biking.

About Intro to Temperament: This course is a unique integration of the powerful Arno Profile System–an analysis of your unique, God-made Temperament–and an adapted version of the time-tested Twelve Steps, along with application of scriptures into both. This helps students understand, accept and appreciate themselves and God’s calling on each of their lives. 

Pam Hulstrand has served in pastoral ministry since graduating from college with a degree in Social Work. She has served in a variety of capacities: Youth Ministry, Lay Pastor, Director of Missions and Young Adults, Small Groups, Caring Ministers, Women's Ministry and Nursing Home Chaplain. Her deepest passion is to build strong marriages through her ministry, On Bended Knee Ministries. Pam has been a trainer for Prepare-Enrich for the past 17 years training hundreds of pastors and counselors to be certified facilitators.  Pam also comes alongside churches to help them grow their marriage ministries through offering Marriage Matters Seminars and helping train Marriage Mentors.

As a mother of two young adult girls through the gift of open adoption, Pam's other passion is adoption. She served as the Outreach Coordinator for Bellis, a non-profit which offers adoption education and support. Pam's post college education was through the North Heights Lay Ministry Training Center and Luther Seminary. Pam loves the opportunity to get to know the students at The Master's Institute Seminary.  

Pam is the primary instructor for the Weddings Course and Eric is the primary instructor for the Funerals Course although they both assist in both courses. Eric is also on the Board of Directors for The Master’s Institute. 

About Pastoral Acts: A Theology and Practice for Marriage, Pre-Marriage Counseling and Weddings

This course will explore pre-marriage and marriage counseling, marriage ministry, the practicalities of planning for and conducting wedding rehearsals and services, the biblical basis for marriage,the theology of ministry with cohabitating couples, divorce and sexual addictions, and how to care for your own marriage when in ministry.

Each student will receive thorough training on the PREPARE/ENRICH Certification program, providing them with the skills they need to use the PREPARE/ENRICH materials most effectively.

This is me: I am a flawed human, but like you I’m also adored, loved and empowered by God to continue Jesus’ work on earth - a crazy reality that continues to take my breath away. The passion of my life is to know and love God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and to walk with others into this full, vibrant life of discipleship through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. With a primary focus on preparing whole and healthy leaders for Christ’s Church, I have the privilege of being the North regional leader for Harvest Network, and to consult with seminaries as they develop their own ethos and pedagogy for developing whole and healthy leaders. I have an MDiv from The Master’s Institute Seminary, a DMin from Fuller Seminary, and am Vice President Emeritus of The Master’s Institute Seminary. I am insanely curious and enjoy change. I love to hike, bike, read, play silly games, sip good coffee or red wine with friends, and have deep conversations. Rob and I have been married for 40 years, and we have 3 grown children who keep bringing beautiful spouses and grandchildren into the continuously, glorious ever-changing landscape of our lives together.

About Kingdom Theology:

This course is intended to introduce students to the centrality of the Kingdom of God for Christian thought and life. Students will engage with Scripture’s witness to the Kingdom in Jesus’ teaching, but also the larger story of God’s redemptive work. They will also begin to think through how the theology of the Kingdom of God might bear witness on their ministry to our present culture.

This Kingdom of God is ancient, active and eschatological. Why did Jesus commit so much of his ministry speaking and demonstrating the Kingdom of God and yet we still understand so little? George Ladd writes, “The very complexity of the Biblical teaching about the Kingdom of God is one of the reasons why such diverse interpretations have arisen in the history of theology….The Kingdom is a present reality...and yet it is a future blessing...it is an inner spiritual redemptive blessing...a realm into which [people] enter now....and yet it is a realm into which they will enter tomorrow...obviously no simple explanation can do justice...”  

Jesus says the Kingdom of God is here right now, but too frequently we consider the promises of its future fulfillment and miss the privilege of Kingdom living now. When we have a robust theology of the eternal and historical presence and power of the Kingdom of God, we are better prepared to understand and participate in the Kingdom of God today; for our theology determines how and why we live, love, and lead today as well as how we prepare for the future. In this class, we will explore the Kingdom themes throughout Scripture, and the theological and historical impact these texts have had in Church and culture. Together, we will strive to arrive at a deeper understanding and commitment to actively participate in the work of God’s Kingdom on earth.

Kirsten B. King grew up in the Twin Cities and graduated from the University of Northwestern-Saint Paul. She holds a Masters of Theological Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Il. She lives with her husband Kenny in Saint Paul. She is part of the pastoral team serving at Capital City Church. Kirsten is an active Bible teacher and speaker for various conferences, camps, churches, and events. She has a passion for God’s Word and the way it can transform lives and bring God glory. She is also the author and host of the Good Story podcast. In her spare time, Kirsten is an avid sports fan, and enjoys spending time with her family, going out for lunch or coffee, reading, running and shoes.

About Preaching Practicum:

Preaching Practicum builds off of 1st year Theology and Process of Preaching Seminar and helps students focus on the development and delivery of a sermon. Students will engage through practice, critical analysis, and reflection on their own sermons and those of others.

This course will not only aid the student in preparing and delivering a sermon, it will also address strategies for overcoming common obstacles to effective preaching. This course will reflect on the importance of preparing and delivering a sermon that is faithful to the text and brings the hearer to a point of application as appropriate and necessary.