Chapel 2007 - 2008

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Carri Svobodo is a gifted teacher who enjoys working with middle school students. Since 2000, she has taught English at Santa Barbara Christian School; previously she spent seven years at Santa Barbara Junior High School. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in English and earned her teaching credential there. Carri grew up as the only Christian in her family and attended church with neighbors.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Westmont inaugurated Gayle D. Beebe, its eighth president, Friday, April 11, with a day of events and lectures focusing on “The Global Imperative: Education and the Knowledge Society in the 21st Century.” Beebe, who assumed leadership of Westmont July 1, 2007, was installed at a ceremony in Westmont’s Murchison Gym at 10:30 a.m. Under his leadership, Spring Arbor was named a top-tier university by U.S. News & World Report in its America’s Best Colleges and Universities publication. The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities awarded the university the 2003 Racial Harmony Award, which honors institutions making considerable progress in the areas of diversity, racial harmony and reconciliation. Dr. Beebe was also instrumental in improving campus facilities at Spring Arbor, which completed a $45 million capital campaign during his tenure, including a major academic building. Prior to leading Spring Arbor, Dr. Beebe served as dean of the school of theology at Azusa Pacific University. In addition to teaching courses in the philosophy of religion and theology there, he chaired the department of ministry and directed the Friends Center. His career includes five years as senior pastor of Sherwood Community Friends Church in Sherwood, Ore., and positions as interim pastor and pastor of adult ministries. Dr. Beebe has published numerous academic articles and edited several publications. He spent five years working with Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Lynda Graybeal and Thomas Oden to write the acclaimed “Renovare Study Bible.” He and his wife, Pam, have three children: Anna, 15, Elizabeth, 13, and Ricky, 9.

An expert in African rhetoric, critical rhetoric and the history of rhetoric, Omedi Ochieng completed his bachelor’s degree at Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya, and his master’s and doctorate degrees from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. His dissertation explored “The Praxis of Sagacious Rhetoric: Sage Philosophy and the Rhetoric of African Philosophy.” He joined the Westmont faculty in 2005.

Walter Owens, Jr. serves the Rev. Senator James T. Meeks and the 20,000-member congregation of the Salem Baptist Church of Chicago as its Minister of Music and Arts. He completed his undergraduate work at Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and graduate work at Butler University (Indianapolis, IN) where Dr. Michael Shasberger served as advisor and mentor. He recently served on the Advisory Committee of the newly-published African American Heritage Hymnal (GIA Publications) and is a sought after choral clinician in Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland. His wife, Rev. Terri Owens, is the Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Divinity School and they share the privilege of raising a 16-yr.old son, Walter III, who is pursuing a musical career in composition.

Dennis Bakke- Through his best-selling book, Joy at Work: A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job, successful entrepreneur and CEO Dennis Bakke describes a way for business leaders to organize their operations and relate to the workforce that yielded positive results for him at AES, the energy company he co-founded and led until 2002. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound, Harvard Business School and the National War College. As CEO of Imagine Schools, he oversees charter schools in 10 states

Green-Frederica Matthews-Green is a wide-ranging author whose work has appeared in such diverse publications as the Washington Post, Christianity Today, Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. She is a regular columnist for the multi-faith Web magazine Beliefnet.com. She has published eight books and more than 600 articles. She speaks frequently, especially at college campuses such as Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Wellesley, Cornell, Baylor and Westmont.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Mr. Lundberg has served on the staff since February 2003 and oversees relationships with alumni, parents and friends as they relate to securing critical resources to advance the mission. A member of Westmont’s Board of Trustees from 1993-2002, he served as Chair of the Development Committee and chaired the successful “Embracing the Past, Ensuring the Future” capital campaign. Prior to coming to Westmont, he was CEO of General Offshore Corporation, a multinational telecommunications and data network company. He is currently chairman of the board of Sports Outreach Institute, and serves on the board of Providence Hall School. He holds a B.A. from Westmont in Economics and Business and an MBA and a professional designation in contract management from UCLA.

Cecil M. Robeck, who has worked at Fuller Seminary since 1974, is professor of church history and ecumenics and director of the David J. DuPlessis Center for Christian Spirituality. His recent publications in the field of ecumenics have focused on the Holy Spirit, the Church, unity in the Pentecostal perspective, and potential contributions the Pentecostal Movement can make to the world Christian Movement. Previously, Robeck served as an instructor in religion at Southern California College (now Vanguard University) in Costa Mesa, California, and as a trustee for Bethany Bible College (now Bethany University) in Scotts Valley, California. At Fuller, he has served in several administrative positions, including associate dean for Academic Programs in the School of Theology, director of Academic Services, director of Student Services, and director of Admissions and Records. An ordained minister with the Assemblies of God, Robeck has also worked on ecumenical issues for nearly 30 years with the World Council of Churches, the Vatican, the World Alliance [now Communion] of Reformed Churches, and other groups. He serves as a Consultant to the Chairman of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization for long-term relations with the Vatican. For the past 13 years Robeck has served on the steering committee of the Global Christian Forum. He also participated with Pope John Paul II in worship events in Rome and Assisi. For 18 years he has met annually with the Secretaries of Christian World Communions and he appears regularly as a panelist on broadcasts of the American Religious Town Hall Meeting.

As senior pastor of Community Covenant Church in Goleta, Dennis Wadley and his wife, Susan, started Bridges of Hope International in 2002. A year later, they moved their family to South Africa to create an effective and reproducible model of holistic community development in areas ravaged by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This model has now been adopted in communities in South Africa and Swaziland. The Wadleys plan to return to Santa Barbara in 2008 to direct Bridges of Hope.

After majoring in political science at Westmont, Toya Cooper earned a law degree at the College of Law at Willamette University. She clerked in the juvenile section of the Marion County District Attorney’s Office. After her admission to the California State Bar, she worked in the private sector in the Bay Area before returning to work at her alma mater, Westmont College.

Born in Costa Rica, Dennis Leon is the youngest of six children. He grew up in Esterillos Oeste, a small beach town with only one church and five bars. Excelling in sports, he made the Costa Rica National Surf Team for three consecutive years and was recognized as the Best Latin American Surfer of 2000. He came to California in 2001 for a surfing competition and stayed. In 2003, he revived the Santa Barbara chapter of Christian Surfers. His wife, Kyle Schmidt Leon ’05, is a Westmont alumna. He is the Pastor of the Pura Vida Church in Santa Barbara.

Francis Chan is the best-selling author of books, Crazy Love & Forgotten God, and the host of the BASIC.series. He has also written the children’s books Halfway Herbert, The Big Red Tractor and the Little Village and Ronnie Wilson’s Gift. Francis is the founding pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, and is the founder of Eternity Bible College. He also sits on the board of directors of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact. Francis now lives in Northern California with his wife, Lisa, and their four daughters and one son.

Mark Scandrette is a minister, noted spiritual teacher, and author of Soul Graffiti: Making a Life in the Way of Jesus. He is the cofounder and Executive Director of ReIMAGINE, a center for life integration based in San Francisco — offering a series of workshops and retreats that integrate Christian spiritual formation, the arts, community-building and social action. Mark addresses changes in our society and the resulting consciousness that raises new questions about what it means to be faithful to the way of Jesus — and how to understand the unfolding story of Scripture. He addresses the church's need, along with every other social institution, to grapple with how to thrive in a rapidly changing, always-connected, mobile and global culture.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Pastor Carol A. Houston ministers in the Watts community of Los Angeles, California. With a passion for winning souls and empowering disciples of Jesus, she has served as Senior Pastor of Bethel Unspeakable Joy Christian Fellowship Church, Inc. for fifteen years.Pastor Carol received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Denver where she also taught Physical Education and Recreation. For eight years she was a secondary school educator in the City of Compton, California. Her postgraduate studies include Physical Education and Recreation, Gerontology, Educational Administration, Speech Communication and Theology.Pastor Carol serves as trustee of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California and Helping Hands, Inc. in Garden Grove, California. She ministers in many areas and has blessed the Body of Christ through her teaching. As Jesus did with His twelve, Pastor Carol is committed to empowering her team of twelve to win souls and make disciples.

As Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, Jane Hideko Higa oversees all of the Student Life programs and personnel at Westmont College. She has held several leadership roles in the student development profession: chair for the Commission of Chief Student Development Officers for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), member of the Racial Harmony Commission for the CCCU, and Vice President and President Elect for the Association of Christians in Student Development (ACSD). She has either chaired or served as a member of various audits and program reviews in Christian Colleges across the nation. She has also served as a member of an accreditation site visit under the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Dr. Telford Work is an associate professor of theology at Westmont College. He received his bachelors degree in political science from Stanford University, his M.A. in Biblical Studies and Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and his doctorate in Theology and Ethics from Duke University. Dr. Work has served in a variety of ways at the churches he has been a part of , from leading youth ministry and small groups, to being the teaching pastor and a deacon. Dr. Work is a well pubilished author, writing articles for many Christian publications as well as authoring multiple books.

Gayle Beebe became Westmont eighth president July 1, 2007. He comes from Spring Arbor University, where he served as president for seven years. He earned doctorate in philosophy of religion and theology from Claremont Graduate University, an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker Center at CGU and an M. Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was general editor of the Renovare Spiritual Formation Study Bible and co-authored (with Richard Foster) Longing for God: Seven Approaches to the Christian Life.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

For the past 29 years, Reed Jolley has been one of teaching pastors at Santa Barbara Community Church. An avid surfer and a Westmont Alum, Reed exclaims that he is: "the proud father of three and an even prouder husband of my first wife."

Betty Overton is the program director and coordinator of Higher Education programming at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Michigan. In this role, she provides leadership to a team effort, develops and reviews programming priorities, evaluates and recommends proposals for funding, and administers projects. In addition, Dr. Overton is responsible for maintaining accurate and current knowledge about trends, movements and policy developments relating to education, youth and philanthropic organizations. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was dean of the Graduate School at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Dr. Overton earned a B. A. and M. A. in English from Tennessee State University and a Ph.D. in English from the George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. She served as a faculty member for Session 323, Higher Education: Institutional Structures for the 21st Century, 1995, and is an alumna of the Salzburg Seminar Special Session, Educational Reform in South Africa, 1996.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Michael Shasberger joined the Westmont faculty in 2005 after a distinguished career in higher education and church music. A graduate of St. Olaf College in Minnesota, he earned a doctorate in choral music, vocal performance and church music at the University of Southern California. He has extensive experience as a conductor and soloist in a wide variety of musical performances, including opera and classic works. Dr. Shasberger's endeavors here at Westmont include conducting the Westmont College Choir and Chamber Orchestra, private voice instruction, working with the office of the campus pastor, and developing artistic collaborations with the Santa Barbara arts community. He is also the Artistic Director of the Denver Bach Society, Founder and Director Emertitus of the Musica Sacra Chamber Orchestra of Denver, and sings with the Santa Barbara based Vocal Scholars vocal ensemble.

Warren Rogers became interim academic dean in January 2007. He has taught physics at Westmont since 1994 and served as department chair. A graduate of Harvey Mudd College, he earned his master’s degree and doctorate at the University of Rochester. He actively involves students in his scholarly research and has been appointed to the prestigious position of fellow of the American Physical Society.

Jack Hayford is president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. He is an internationally recognized scholar and teacher and serves as chancellor of the King College and Seminary. He is also the founding pastor of Church on the Way in Van Nuys, Calif. A prolific author and composer who has written more than three dozen books and 600 hymns and choruses, he has served as president of LIFE Bible College and on various interdenominational committees and councils.

Kelly was the Youth Pastor of Santa Barbara Community Church from 1994 till Feb 2009. She founded the ministry there, and eventually led the ministries with 5th/6th, Jr High and High School, guiding over 200 students and 50 leaders.Kelly is currently teaching, both at a local Christian high school (teaching Bible and doctrine) and at Westmont College, where she trains students in church and parachurch internships.Before working in church ministry, Kelly worked with Young Life as a volunteer and then on staff serving as a Regional Director.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Renee Curtis has lived in Santa Barbara for 20 years and joined the Westmont board in 1996. She has four children, three grandchildren and has been married to her husband, Bill, for 40 years. Her son Ryan graduated from Westmont in 1996. She is on the Leadership Team at Ocean Hills Covenant Church, where she is involved in women ministry and the speaking team. She believes there should be two G in the alphabet: one for God and one for golf. She pursues them both with passion.

Herma Williams became provost and academic vice president at Fresno Pacific University in 2006. Previously, as associate provost at Gordon College, she helped build enrollments of under-represented students and recruit a more diverse faculty. Williams earned her doctorate at Iowa State University, completed post-doctoral studies at Harvard University and was named a Kellogg Foundation and Ford Foundation fellow. She and her husband, Eric, have two grown children.

Ben Patterson earned his bachelor’s degree from La Verne University in 1966 and his master’s of divinity from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in 1972. Ben served the New Providence Presbyterian Church of New Jersey from 1989 until his appointment as Dean of the Chapel at Hope College in 1993. From 1975 to 1989 he was with the Irvine Presbyterian Church of California, of which he was the founding pastor. Ben has written several books including: Serving God: The Grand Essentials of Work & Worship, Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, amongst many others. For over ten years the Reverend Ben Patterson has been the Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.

Denny Wayman has been pastor of Free Methodist Church in Santa Barbara since 1976. He maintains a full practice as a pastoral counselor and co-writes a movie commentary, Cinema In Focus. A contributing editor to Human Behavior for Light and Life Magazine, he is assistant superintendent for the Southern California Conference of the Free Methodist Church. He and his wife, Cheryl, clinical director of the Cliff Drive Christian Counseling Center, have two grown sons