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Background: Sean grew up in the Northwest corner of Ohio, and the majority of his extended family still lives throughout the state. He has a strong Christian family heritage, with his grandfather ministering as a preacher and his parents serving as youth leaders. Sean has been worshipping with Churches of Christ since 1996.
Personal Information: Sean married Beth on June 14, 1997. Beth currently works for Johnson Bible College as well. They have three children: Ethan, Charis, and Levi.
Education: After starting his college career at Ohio State University, Sean graduated from Bluffton University (Ohio) in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Youth Ministry. He earned a Master of Marriage and Family Therapy from Abilene Christian University in 2000. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in Family Therapy from Texas Woman’s University. His dissertation is entitled “Ministers’ Experiences with Family Ministry in Churches of Christ” and is currently being researched.
Ministry Experience: Sean is co-founder and current board member of the Texas Family Institute in Abilene, TX, who recently received a $950,000 grant to facilitate premarital education in a 30 county region in Northwest Texas. He has developed contracts with multiple congregations across Ohio, ministering through workshop facilitation, weekend enrichment events, counseling, and consultation in the areas of church leadership and congregational body dynamics. Currently he is serving as a ministry leader at Laurel Church of Christ in Knoxville, TN, in the newly developed Life Abundant ministry.
Teaching Experience: Sean began university teaching at Abilene Christian University, where he taught in the Student Success Program – a program designed to help at-risk students succeed in higher education. He also taught courses at ACU in the Family Studies program and in the graduate Marriage and Family Therapy program. Most recently he taught at Bluffton University in a ¾-time capacity in the Psychology Department. Sean joined JBC in the fall of 2007, where he teaches one undergraduate course (Family Ministry) each year and spends the remainder of his time teaching and supervising students in the MA in MFT/PC program.
Academic Interests and Experience: Sean’s primary academic interests are in the area of family ministry and the professional development of therapists. He is a clinical member and Approved Supervisor with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, and member of the National Council on Family Relations. He has worked as an Assistant Director of a federally funded program designed to help under-represented groups in higher education, and has published in the area of the experience of ethnic minorities.
Interests and Hobbies: Sean’s passion is his family, where he spends the majority of his time and energy. His other interests include outdoor activities such as camping and running, woodworking, and watching sporting events. He is an avid Ohio State fan… Go Buckeyes! |
