Dr. Nabeel Jabbour earned a Th.D in Islamics from the University of South Africa. He comes from a Christian background, born in Syria and raised in Lebanon. From 1975 to 1990, he pioneered and directed the Navigators work in Cairo, Egypt. In addition to his Navigators work as a Missions Consultant, he teaches intensive courses on Islam in seminaries across the country. He has authored six books, two in Arabic and four in English. You can view his full bio and books on his website www.nabeeljabbour.com
Dr. Cashin is professor of intercultural studies at Columbia International University (CIU). Dr. Cashin obtained his bachelor of arts degree in history from Gordon College and his master of arts and doctor of philosophy in indology from Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. While in Sweden, Dr. Cashin served as pastor of two churches. He wrote and taught courses and seminars in Islamic history, theology and Muslim-Christian relations. For nine years Dr. Cashin served in Bangladesh as missionary, church planter, educator and development worker with SIM International.
Dr. Peter Riddell has a Ph.D. in Quranic Exegesis and has been a scholar of the Quran for more than thirty years. He is founder of two Centers for Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations: Centre for Islamic Studies (CIS) at London School of Theology and Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths (CSIOF) at Melbourne School of Theology. He is the Academic Vice Principal for Melbourne School of Theology (MST). He is also and adjunct faculty for Columbia International University.
Warren and his wife Carol served for 23 years in Pakistan with Christar. He is a faculty member of the Seminary and School of Ministry at Columbia International University. Due to his understanding of radical Islam, he has been quoted widely in both Christian and secular publications. His book on religious extremism in Pakistan and its effect on Christian ministry was chosen as one of 15 most significant writings on mission in 1998. Dr. Larson is the former Director of the Zwemer Center.
President Emeritus, IMB
View All ArticlesDr. Jerry Rankin is the president emeritus of the Southern Baptist International Mission Board (IMB). He served with the IMB for 40 years, the last 17 years as president. Prior to becoming president of the IMB, Dr. Rankin and his wife Bobbye served for 23 years in Asia, initially as missionaries in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world. He has authored several books and is also Adjunct Faculty at Columbia International University.
Trevor, Katie and their three children live in Columbia, South Carolina where he serves as the Managing Director of the Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies. He is also a professor of Muslim Studies and Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University (CIU). He and his wife served as missionaries and worked in South Asia among a 100% Muslim population. After returning from the field, Trevor completed a Master’s Degree from Columbia International University in Muslim Studies. He also has a Ph.D. in Muslim Christian Relations from the Australian College of Theology.
Shirin comes from an Iranian-American heritage and is the author of Muslims Next Door (Zondervan) and Wanting All the Rights Things (Relevant). She grew up in a home with a Muslim father and a Catholic mother. She came to Christ through the influence of an American neighbor and began attending church and youth ministry regularly. Later she joined Cru as a college student, and served for over 20 years in direct ministry in the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Shirin also facilitates the Persian Women’s Leadership Network (PWLN), which equips and empowers women leaders to serve the Persian world. She is the founder and facilitator of this women’s leadership initiative. She invites the top women leaders of over 20 strategic organizations who serve Farsi-speakers to participate in the Network and leadership trainings. Some of her publications include:
“The enduring gift from my father: Freedom of religion.” Women in the World.
Phil Parshall is one of the leading authorities on ministry to Muslims. He and his wife Julie have over 40 years experience sharing the love of Christ with Muslims in Asia. In 1962 they joined with International Christian Fellowship (now SIM) in Bangladesh and later served in the Philippines. Phil has authored numerous books on Islam and Muslim evangelism.
Martin Accad has been serving as director of the Institute of Middle East Studies at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary since 2003, having served as well as Academic Dean of ABTS for 5 years between 2004 and 2008. He joined ABTS in 2001 after receiving his DPhil (PhD) from the University of Oxford for a dissertation on the interpretation of the Gospels by Muslims of the 8th to the 14th centuries. Before that, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, and an MPhil in Eastern Christian Studies from the University of Oxford. Accad’s academic career has been influenced from the beginning by current affairs. He defended his doctoral dissertation on September 11, 2001 and found himself immediately thrust into the teaching of Islam for the sake of better Christian-Muslim understanding. In 2006, he was invited by Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena (CA) to take up the faculty position of Islamic Studies. https://imeslebanon.wordpress.com/author/marzaatar/
Ed Smither serves as professor and dean of intercultural studies at CIU. Ed spent 14 years serving in intercultural ministry in North Africa, France, and the USA. He earned a PhD in Historical Theology from the University of Wales-Trinity St. David and a PhD in Intercultural Studies from the University of Pretoria (South Africa). Ed’s areas of interest are early Christian studies, the history of mission, non-western mission movements, and theology of mission. His most recent books include Brazilian Evangelical Missions in the Arab World, Rethinking Constantine, and Mission in the Early Church. Ed is married to Shawn and they have three children.
Dr. David Garrison, PhD University of Chicago, has been a missionary pioneer in the understanding of movements to Christ for more than 30 years. Books he has written or edited include: Church Planting Movements, Any-3: Anyone, Anywhere, Any Time, T4T: A Discipleship Re-Revolution, The Camel: How Muslims Are Coming to Faith in Christ! and, most recently, A Wind in the House of Islam. Garrison is also managing editor of the websites: www.ChurchPlantingMovements.com and www.WindintheHouse.org.
IMES
View All ArticlesColin Chapman has lived in the Middle East for 18 years in four different spells since 1968, working with the Anglican Church and IFES. He also taught Islamic Studies at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon. In the UK he taught at Trinity College, Bristol, and the Selly Oak Colleges in Birmingham. He has written several books on Christianity and Islam.
North Africa
View All ArticlesCash and Ann are true pioneer missionaries, living for 30 years in the Sahara Desert working with the Tuareg people. They grew up in Columbia, attended Columbia International University, and married in 1958. Leaving for the mission field in 1960, they raised 3 children in severe and primitive conditions. Their love for the Tuareg was obvious in their adaptation to their ways, dress, food, and customs. Their continuing work is a strong testimony to the missionary call, conducting workshops on the mission field and the US teaching believers how to witness to the Muslim people. Cash and Ann have been used mightily to stir the hearts of churches and young people for the cause of missions. Each of their three married children attended CIU and has spent time on the African mission field.
Bob Blincoe is President of US Frontiers. He and his family lived in northern Iraq in the 1990s. He studied for the PhD with Ralph D. Winter on the subject of “A New Social Contract Relating Mission Societies to Church Structures.”
Mark Robert Anderson is an author and lecturer on Islam, the Qu’ran and Muslim-Christian dialogue. He has an Masters degree from McGill University in Islamic Studies and another from Westminster Theological Seminary, and also has years of experience living in the Arab world. He has just written The Qur’an in Context: A Christian Exploration, a college textbook on understanding the Qur’an. Mark’s passion is to help people understand Islam and the challenges facing Muslims and Christians today in a way that is fair to all and to foster Muslim-Christian dialog. He lives with his wife in Vancouver, Canada.