Conference Presenters

Main presenters include Stanton Jones, Provost and professor of psychology at Wheaton College, Robert Gagnon, New Testament scholar from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Richard Davidson and Roy Gane, professors of Old Testament from Andrews University, Mark Yarhouse, professor of psychology at Regent University, and Pastor Dwight Nelson of Andrews University. There will be a number of other presenters from the fields of theology, psychology, law and political science.

Gerald Chipeur, QC is a partner with the Canadian law firm Miller Thomson LLP. Gerry has an LL.B and LL.M from the University of Alberta. He has practised law in Alberta and across North America since 1984. His practice focuses on government issues. Most recently religious freedom, environmental and health care matters have required the majority of his time and attention. Both the governments and those litigating against governments have sought his counsel and advise. His litigation practice has taken him to the Supreme Court of Canada on over a dozen cases. He has authored law bulletin articles, most of which have addressed religious freedom and health law topics. He has represented religious individuals and church institutions in litigation weighing religious expression and autonomy against statutes restricting speech and employment practices in relation to homosexuality.

Richard M. Davidson is J. N. Andrews Professor of Old Testament Interpretation and chairperson of the Old Testament Department at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan. He has been with the Andrews Seminary faculty since 1979. Davidson attended Loma Linda University, Riverside, California, graduating in 1968 with a bachelor of arts degree in theology. He earned his Master of Divinity degree summa cum laude from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in 1970, and his Ph.D. in Biblical Studies at Andrews in 1981. Davidson has written numerous articles on topics related to human sexuality for refereed journals and Adventist denominational papers, as well as various chapters in scholarly books (these may be viewed on his website: www.andrews.edu/~davidson), His most recent major publication is the 850 page book Flame of Yahweh: Sexuality in the Old Testament (Hendrickson Publishers, 2007).

Carlos Fayard, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, where he serves as Director of the Clinical Psychology Internship, Director of Psychotherapy Training in the Psychiatry Residency program, and Chair of the Committee on Religion and Psychiatry. Fayard completed his undergraduate education at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Alliant International University in San Diego. He is the co-editor of a forthcoming volume entitled A Christian Worldview and Mental Health: Seventh-day Adventist Perspectives, and the author of the article in press 'Love the Lord with all your mind': Explorations on a possible neurobiology of the experience of God and some implications for the practice of psychotherapy.

Robert A.J. Gagnon is Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 1994. He has a B.A. degree from Dartmouth College, an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. His main fields of interest are Pauline theology and sexual issues in the Bible. He is also an ordained elder at a Presbyterian Church (USA) in Pittsburgh. He is the author of The Bible and Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001); co-author (with Dan O. Via) of Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003).

Roy E. Gane is Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Languages at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He is currently President of the Adventist Theological Society. After completing his Ph.D. (1992) in Hebrew language and literature at the University of California, Berkeley, he taught in the Religion Department of Pacific Union College from 1992-94 before moving to Andrews University. His academic specialty is pentateuchal law, including ritual law. His scholarly publications include numerous articles and Ritual Dynamic Structure (Gorgias, 2004); Leviticus, Numbers (NIV Application Commentary; Zondervan, 2004); and Cult and Character: Purification Offerings, Day of Atonement, and Theodicy (Eisenbrauns, 2005). He has written four other books for a wider readership.

Stanton L. Jones is Provost of Wheaton College. Before his appointment as Provost in 1996, he was Rech Professor of Psychology and Christianity and Chairperson of the Wheaton College Psychology Department. He has been a Research Fellow of the Pew Evangelical Scholars Program, and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Chicago and the University of Cambridge. He previously served a three-year term as a member of the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association, the central governing body of the APA. Among his recent scholarly works are three books published by InterVarsity Press: Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation (with Mark Yarhouse), Psychology and Christianity: Four views (with Eric Johnson), and Homosexuality: The use of scientific research in the Church's moral debate (with Mark Yarhouse).

Miroslav M Kis, PhD, was born in Croatia, formerly Yugoslavia. After technical high school (specialization in watchmaking), military service and a watchmaking business, Dr Kis pursues his education. First, BA in theology with minors in pedagogy and Hebrew at Seminaire Adventiste in Collonges-sous-Saleve, France, (1973) then MDiv from SDA Theological Seminary in 1976, followed by a PhD in Philosophical Ethics from McGill university in Montreal, Canada (1983).His pastoral ministry begins in California, then Canada, where he serves also as a youth director for Quebec Conference, and assistant professor of religion at Canadian Union College. Since 1983 he serves as Professor of Christian Ethics and since 1985 as Chair of Theology and Christian Philosophy Department at the Seventh Day Adventist Theological Seminary, Andrews University. Besides teaching, Dr Kis consults, and speaks internationally. His publications include a book Follow Me, and numerous articles and chapters in scholarly and professional journals, and books within and outside of the SDA Church. He and his wife Brenda have raised two wonderful sons, Andrej and Adam and are proud grandparents of Zachary and Julie.

Bill Knott is the editor and executive publisher of the Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines, the oldest and most widely distributed journals of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church. Before joining the Adventist Review staff in 1997 as an associate editor, he served as a pastor in New England, Michigan, New York, and Washington State. He is a graduate of Atlantic Union College, and earned a master of divinity degree from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. In 2006, he completed a Ph.D. in American Religious History at George Washington University. Knott has authored hundreds of articles for church periodicals during nearly 30 years of ministry, and is a frequent speaker at camp meetings, academic conferences, youth and young adult events, and pastors’ meetings. He is married to Deborah (Rochon) Knott, M.S., who is a specialist in the Office of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty at the church’s world headquarters. The Knotts have two sons—Evan, 18, and Brady, 17.

Nicholas Miller, Director of the Andrews University International Institute of Religious Liberty, is an attorney with a background in theology and church history. He has worked as a trial attorney for the government, as an advocate for religious freedom on Capitol Hill, and as a litigator for religious colleges, hospitals and churches. Mr. Miller has appeared before the Supreme Court in cases relating to religious freedom, as well as before many other state and federal courts. He has spoken and written widely on the relationship between gay rights and religious liberty. He is presently obtaining his Ph.D in American legal and religious history from the University of Notre Dame. He lives in Berrien Springs, Michigan with his wife, Leanne, a practicing physician, and his children, Patrick (12) and Kelli (10).

Dwight K. Nelson Since 1983 Dwight Nelson has served as senior pastor of the Pioneer Memorial Church of Seventh-day Adventists on the campus of Andrews University (Berrien Springs, Michigan), and an adjunct professor in its theological seminary. He is the speaker for the weekly radio and television program, “New Perceptions.” And is host of the television program, “The Evidence.” He has authored ten books, including Outrageous Grace, The Eleventh Commandment, and What ‘Left Behind’ Left Behind and his newest book, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus. He is married to Karen Oswald Nelson, a registered nurse. They have two children, Kirk and Kristin.

Alan J. Reinach, Esq., has served as Executive Director of the Church State Council, the religious liberty education and advocacy arm of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which covers the states of the southwest, as well as Hawaii, for the past fifteen years. During this time Hawaii and California have been on the leading edge of issues revolving around gay rights, generally, and same sex marriage. The Church State Council has publicly supported California Ballot Propositions 22 and 8, in support of retaining the definition of marriage, and joined a friend-of-the-court brief submitted to the California Supreme Court on behalf of Protestant, Catholic and Jewish organizations defending Proposition 8. Reinach's legal practice emphasizes employment discrimination cases on behalf of those suffering religious discrimination. He is also a commissioned Seventh-day Adventist minister. He has written extensively on the conflict between gay rights and religious liberty, and is the co-author and co-editor of the book: Politics & Prophecy: the battle for religious liberty and the authentic gospel. He also hosts the weekly radio program, "Freedom's Ring," syndicated nationally with an estimated weekly audience of about one million listeners.

Gary V. Wood is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Andrews University where he has taught since 2006. He has a B.A. from Newbold College, an M.A. from California State University, San Bernardino, and a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University. His fields of interest include political philosophy and American politics. He is author of Heir to the Fathers: John Quincy Adams and the Spirit of Constitutional Government (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2004).

Mark A. Yarhouse is Professor of Psychology and the Hughes Chair of Christian Thought in Mental Health Practice at Regent University. He has B.A. degrees from Calvin College, M.A. degrees in Theological Studies and Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College, and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College. In 2000 he chaired a groundbreaking symposium at the American Psychological Association's annual convention that brought together gay psychologists and conventionally religious psychologists to discuss common ground in treatment options for persons sorting out sexual and religious identity conflicts. He is co-author of Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation (2007) and Sexual Identity: A Guide to Living in the Time Between the Times (2003). He has spent several years promoting dialogue between people who view the topic of sexual identity differently.

Scot J. Zentner is Professor of Political Science at California State University, San Bernardino. He holds a B.A. from California State University, San Bernardino and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He has published numerous reviews and book chapters, as well as articles in journals such as Polity, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy. His research interests include political philosophy and American politics.