Monthly Archives: September 2019

September 20, 2019
Comments Off on Faculty Spotlight: Gabriel Estrada

Faculty Spotlight: Gabriel Estrada

The School of Christian Ministries is blessed to have dedicated and passionate faculty members who love Jesus and desire to help others love Him more. This regular feature will help you get to know our faculty members more.

Name: Gabriel Estrada

Current Title: Visiting Professor

Education: Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies at Gateway Seminary. Previously earned an M.Div from Beeson Divinity School, and a Bachelor of Applied Theology from California Baptist University.

Joined the School of Christian Ministries: Full-time in Fall 2019 (previously served as an adjunct professor)

Brief Background: Prior to pursuing occupational ministry, Professor Estrada worked in law enforcement as a police office. He has worked in education since 2012, and has been serving in the local church since 2004. For the past three years, Prof. Estrada served as an itinerary preacher/pastor traveling to different churches on the weekend.

Professor Estrada has also been teaching at CBU for the past three years, and is involved in making disciples on campus through ISP (International Service Projects). In summer 2019, he helped lead a group of students to Nepal where they trekked through the Himalayas to advance God’s kingdom. Professor Estrada hopes to continue this ministry in the future and to also be a part of an urban inner city church planting team. In addition to his teaching and ministry work, Professor Estrada spends most of his time with his wife and seven children.

Q&A with Professor Estrada

Q. Why are you excited to join CBU’s School of Christian Ministries?

I am excited to work alongside the professors that I studied under and continue to build relationship with the faculty and students on campus.

Q. What is your favorite thing to do for fun?

I enjoy hiking with my family.

Q. What is your favorite Bible passage?

Difficult question. Over the years, I have referred back to Mark 6:34 as my favorite verse for several reasons. First, I am amazed to read how Jesus expressed compassion for the lost. Mark records that Jesus “saw the great crowd and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Second, I am encouraged to see how Jesus responded to the lost by shepherding them through teaching. Although in this passage Jesus provides for their physical need of hunger, he first addresses their spiritual need and leads them in the instruction of God’s word. Third, there is an important lesson here to remember as a teacher of God’s word that compassion precedes instruction, and instruction is never disconnected from compassion—the perfect blend of love and truth. I pray the LORD will open the eyes of my heart to see the needs of my students, so that I may teach God’s word with passion for his glory.

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September 13, 2019
Comments Off on Faculty Spotlight: Matt Leonard

Faculty Spotlight: Matt Leonard

Name: Matt Leonard

Current Title: Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Education: Earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from University of Southern California (USC) in 2019. Previously earned a MA in Philosophy (California State University, Los Angeles, 2010), and a Bachelor of Applied Theology and a Bachelor of Philosophy (California Baptist University, 2008).

Joined the School of Christian Ministries: Fall 2019

Brief Background: Dr. Leonard has taught numerous philosophy and logic courses at USC, UC Davis, CSULA, CBU, Johns Hopkins’ Center for Talented Youth, and the Prison Education Project. His research interests are in metaphysics and epistemology and he has published papers in Mind, Synthese, Erkenntnis, and Ratio.

Q&A with Dr. Leonard

1. Why are you excited to join the School of Christian Ministries?

I’m a CBU alum. Fifteen years ago, I started as a freshman here at CBU, so I know just how special the SCM is. I enrolled as a BAT student and took as many theology classes as I could pack in during my time at CBU. During my Sophomore year, I took my first philosophy class and was immediately hooked. I loved the idea of having to defend why it is that I believe what I believe. So I added a philosophy major, as well. The faculty here are great. I still can’t believe that I get to join them! I’m stoked.

When it comes to life’s ultimate questions, most people don’t believe much. While some people do have beliefs about these questions, very few people go through life ever thinking about why it is that they have these beliefs. I am so excited to be able to hang out with students and challenge them to really think about why they believe what they believe.

Does God exist? Does the evil in the world disprove the existence of God? Is there an objective standard to morality? Or is morality subjective? If it is in fact objective, what is it that makes a wrong action wrong? Is an action’s being wrong determined by its consequences or are potential consequences irrelevant for why wrong actions are wrong? What does it mean to know something? Do you know whether or not you are dreaming right now? Are you sure?! Do you have a soul? Or are you completely made up of physical material? Do you have free will? Or is everything already determined? Can you be free if God knows the future? What is time? Is God inside or outside of time?

I am thrilled to be able to think through some of life’s ultimate questions with students here at CBU.

2. What is your favorite thing to do for fun?

It’s a tie: cooking and hanging out with my family at Disneyland. I love to cook steak (specifically, tomahawk ribeyes, the king of all steaks, which should be prepared only with salt and pepper, eaten at medium rare, with an internal temperature of 122 degrees) and pizza (specifically, Neapolitan pizza, the best pizza in the world: 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius, bufala mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil). I also love to hang out at Disneyland with my wife and my three kiddos. Lately, I’ve been attempting to trick my 4 year old into riding Splash Mountain, but he won’t fall for it…

3. What is your favorite Bible verse? Why?

2 Corinthians 5:21: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” I don’t think I have one favorite verse or passage from Scripture, but this verse gets close. What Paul is saying here is quite mind-blowing.

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September 6, 2019
Comments Off on Faculty Spotlight: Andrés Vera

Faculty Spotlight: Andrés Vera

Name: Andrés Vera

Current Title: Assistant Professor, New Testament

Education: Currently finishing a PhD in New Testament from Southern Seminary. Previously earned a M.Div in Biblical & Theological Studies (Southern Seminary), and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences (McMaster University).

Joined the School of Christian Ministries: Fall 2019

Brief Background: Professor Vera comes to CBU from Southern Seminary where he serves as Adjunct Instructor of New Testament Interpretation. He has taught courses in English and in Spanish in the United States and in the Dominican Republic. His research interests are in the field of Pauline soteriology, specifically the ethical implications of salvation in the book of Romans. Professor Vera has contributed various articles to the Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words (ed. Tremper Longman III and Mark Strauss, Baker; forthcoming).

Q&A with Professor Vera

Q. What are you excited to join CBU’s School of Christian Ministries?

I can already tell that the School of Christian Ministries is a very special place. My first impression of the faculty was nothing short of fantastic. The faculty really set the atmosphere for a school/department and I think it would be every New Testament professor’s dream to work with a faculty as warm, servant-hearted, and sharp as the one at the SCM. I love the double emphasis on teaching and scholarship, on discipleship and on academics. I also really appreciate the diversity of students and colleagues I’ll get to work with. I love that as part of the faculty at the SCM I will have the opportunity to train the next generation of pastors, missionaries, and counselors as well as the next generation of nurses, engineers, teachers, and graphic designers. What a privilege!

Q. What other types of teaching have you done?

I have always enjoyed teaching. Whether it’s teaching someone the rules to a new board game, or teaching someone else a few words in Spanish, I love being part of the learning process for someone else. I worked a swim instructor for a while teaching youth to do one of the things I loved to do the most—swimming! After high school, I also taught private violin lessons and was more and more convinced that I really enjoyed teaching and seeing the smile and joy in my students throughout the learning process.

Q. What is your favorite thing to do for fun?

My favorite thing during my free time is to spend time with family doing whatever they feel like doing. Aside from that, I enjoy swimming, playing volleyball, eating ice cream, photography, watching documentaries, and of course, reading.

Q. What is your favorite Bible passage?

That’s a tough one. I think Ephesians 2:8-10 is so helpful in reminding us of who the Christian is and what he has been called to do—how we were saved and for what purpose.