Executive Team
Joel Lawrence
President
jlawrence@pastortheologians.com
Joel Lawrence (PhD, Cambridge University) is the President of the Center for Pastor Theologians. Prior to this role, Joel served as the Senior Pastor of Central Baptist Church in St. Paul, MN, Teaching Pastor at Calvary Church in White Bear, MN, and as Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at Bethel Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota. Joel holds degrees from Texas A&M University (BA), Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM), and Cambridge University (MPhil and PhD). He is the author of Bonhoeffer: A Guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark, 2010) and co-editor of Confronting Racial Injustice: Theory and Praxis for the Church (Cascade, 2022) and Reconstructing Evangelicalism (Cascade, forthcoming, 2023). In addition, Joel has an active ministry speaking in churches, seminaries, and conferences worldwide. Joel and his wife Myndi live in St Paul, MN, and have four children: Bethany, Anna, Katherine, and Micah.
Rae Paul
director of operations
Rae Paul (BA, Moody Bible Institute) joined the staff of the Center for Pastor Theologians in 2020. She is currently studying for an MA in Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Alongside her role with the CPT, she serves on staff at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, IL.
Zachary Wagner
director of programs
Zachary Wagner (MSt, University of Oxford) joined the staff of the Center for Pastor Theologians in 2017. Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, he now lives with his wife and three kids in Oxford, England where he is currently studying for a DPhil in New Testament at Keble College, Oxford.
dwight gibson
DIrector of partner engagement
Dwight Gibson (MA, Wheaton College Graduate School) joined the staff of the Center for Pastor Theologians in 2023 having previously done consulting work with the organization. Dwight also serves as the Chief Explorer for The Exploration Group which he founded in 2008 and previously served as Interim Vice President of Advancement at Trinity International University. He is finalizing a book, The Explorer's Way (working title) that codifies the methods of great explorers and their application for today. Dwight lives in an old bank built in 1907 in Riverton, NJ, along with his wife, Jackie. Their three children are all married, and they have two grandchildren.
Support Staff
SETH PORCH
MARKETING AND MEDIA COORDINATOR
Seth Porch (ThM, Bethlehem College & Seminary) joined the staff of the Center for Pastor Theologians in 2023. He grew up in West Africa where his family served as missionaries. He now lives in Minneapolis, MN with his wife and three children.
jessica burgos
Administrative Assistant
Jessica Burgos (BA, Moody Bible Institute) joined the staff of the Center for Pastor Theologians in 2023. She grew up in Miami, FL. She moved to Chicago in 2017 where she currently lives.
Trent Jones
Manager for Creative Content
Trent Jones (BA, Asbury University) joined the staff of the Center for Pastor Theologians in 2019. Trent was born and raised in Elkhart, IN. He grew up in the church doing media and production from an early age. Trent has been on staff at two churches and has worked alongside dozens of churches and Christian non-profits all over the world to help them leverage media and production to communicate the grand story of God at work.
Cheryl Shoemaker
Accountant
CPT Founders & Board
Gerald Hiestand
Co-Founder, Board Chair
ghiestand@pastortheologians.com
Gerald Hiestand (PhD, University of Reading) is a co-founder of the Center for Pastor Theologians. He served as the Executive Director from 2006-2019 and currently serves as the board chair. Gerald has been in pastoral ministry since 1999 and is the Senior Pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park (Chicago). Gerald has written and edited several books, including The Pastor Theologian; Becoming a Pastor Theologian; Beauty, Order and Mystery; and Justification. Gerald is the general editor of the Center for Pastor Theologians Journal (CPTJ).
Todd Wilson
Co-Founder
Todd Wilson (PhD, Cambridge University) is a co-founder of the Center for Pastor Theologians. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books related to Christian ministry, theology, and biblical studies, including The Pastor Theologian, Real Christian, Mere Sexuality, and The Enneagram Goes to Church. Todd is also the founder of Integrated Leaders, a leadership coaching and consulting practice focused on helping high-capacity leaders find sustainable personal and professional success. Todd has over fifteen years of pastoral ministry experience, and most recently served for a decade as the Senior Pastor of Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, IL. He and his wife live in Indianapolis, IN with their seven children, three biological and four adopted from Ethiopia.
Gerald Hiestand (Board Chairman)
Senior Pastor, Calvary Memorial Church, Oak Park, IL
Chris Castaldo
Senior Pastor, New Covenant Church, Naperville, IL
Susan Elliott
Scottsdale, AZ
Matt O’Reilly
Lead Pastor, Christ Church Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
William Osborne
Senior VP of Operations and Total Quality, Boeing Defense, Space, & Security
Amy Peeler
Associate Professor of New Testament, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL
Jim Samra
Minister & Senior Pastor, Calvary Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Matthew Sheehan
Managing Director, Brean Capital, LLC
Doug Sweeney
Dean, Beeson Divinity School
Todd Wilson
Co-founder, Center for Pastor Theologians
