Dr. Melanie Hulbert is a storyteller and speaker. As a university sociology professor and now as a university administrator she brings a unique and scholarly prospective to issues of organizational leadership and change, diversity and reconciliation, women’s leadership, identity development and the millennial generation. Dr. Hulbert speaks across the nation on university campuses, at businesses and organizations, and community retreats. She lives in a small mountain town in the Rocky Mountains where she enjoys everything that has to do with the outdoors and adventure. She’s a world traveler, a marathoner, and loves her family.
Dr. John Dendiu grew up in Ohio. Throughout his career John has served as a music teacher, Campus Crusade staff member, missionary and church planter in Indonesia, a Pastor and most recently professor of Bible and Ministry at Bethel College until retiring in 2016. Lately he has served in the Elkhart County Jail ministry and as a hospice volunteer. John is married to Diane and they have three children and six grandchildren.
Dr. Cristian Mihut was born and raised in Romania. He attended Bethel College where he graduated with a double major in mathematics and Biblical studies. He went on to earn a masters degree in philosophy from Texas A&M University and a PhD in philosophy from the University of Notre Dame. Cristian’s latest research project explores the genealogy of our current notions about forgiveness. He loves to play the guitar and dance about the soccer field and he maintains that his biggest accomplishment is marrying a woman “twice his wit and thrice his virtue”. Cristian and Andrea have four lively and inquisitive children.
Mandy Young is a self-proclaimed southern social butterfly who loves her family, friends, sweet tea, the color pink and most of all, Jesus. Her greatest joy is traveling around the country sharing her story and speaking about the challenges of body image. For her entire life Mandy has suffered from massive life threatening infections while at the same time undergoing grueling, painful and exhausting immune studies in an effort to find out why she continued to get sick. She’s been hospitalized more than a hundred times for days, weeks, even months at a time as doctors studied her and fought to keep her alive. Mandy’s mysterious medical history and exuberance for life has been featured countless times nationally on shows such as CNN’s Medical Mysteries, NBC Nightly News, the Montel Williams Show, Extra, and in countless newspapers and magazines. Whether speaking to thousands or small gatherings, Mandy feels blessed to travel the country and share the story God has given her.
Jon Swanson studied communication at Wheaton College and rhetorical theory and criticism at the University of Texas. He taught and worked in higher education for 15 years at Missionary Church, Mennonite and Catholic colleges . He then worked as an administrative/ executive pastor for 15 years in the Missionary church, where he is ordained. Currently, Jon is a Parkview Hospital chaplain, church consultant with The Center for Congregations and for Arbor Research Group, he is also a Bethel Adjunct Professor and mentor. Jon and his wife Nancy have been married since 1983 and have two adult married children. Their daughter, Hope, graduated from Bethel in 2013. Jon writes regularly at 300wordsaday.com.
John Kaehr returned to Bethel in 2012 after 15 years in pastoral ministry. He has served as a Resident Director for the last 6 years and currently fulfills the role of Associate Director for Community Life. John loves working with college students helping them grow in their love of God’s word as they take their next steps with Jesus. John lives here on campus with his wife Melissa and their 7 year old daughter Hannah.
David Bennett comes to Bethel as the first stop on his tour for his book A War of Loves.
David is a Fellow at the Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics and has recently completed his postgraduate diploma in theology at the University of Oxford as well as his Masters in Analytical and Exegetical Theology at the University of St. Andrews. He is currently reading for his doctorate in Theology at Oxford University. David is a passionate Christian apologist who speaks and writes on a wide range of topics including sexuality and faith.
Suze Fair serves as team lead for the Internship Experience at the Corporate University. She served for a dozen years as an ordained Pastor and strategic leader at Fellowship Missionary Church. Higher Education is also a part of Suze’s professional story as she was an Assistant Professor of Communication for Taylor University Fort Wayne for nearly a decade. Her time in ministry, as well as, higher education forged in Suze a deep and abiding commitment to the next generation. While Suze has had a variety of rewarding and life giving careers, being married to her husband Kelly is one of her greatest joys. Kelly and Suze served together at Fellowship Missionary Church for ten years. They are the parents of three adult children.
David Cramer has a passion for how the Christian faith makes a difference in contemporary society. He works for Baker Academics in Grand Rapids, Michigan and currently serves as Managing Editor of the Institute of Mennonite Studies. David is the teaching Pastor at Keller Park Church an urban congregation in South Bend. His writing has appeared in scholarly and popular outlets including Christian Century and Sojourners and he is currently working on a book on the topic of christian nonviolence.
