Thomas A. Halstead
Chairperson, Department of Biblical Studies
Professor of New Testament & Greek
Dean of The Master’s Institute

B.S., M.S. California State University, Northridge
M.Div., Talbot Theological Seminary
Ed.D., Nova Southeastern University
Joined TMC in 1985.

Dr. Halstead served as an Associate Pastor at Grace Community Church for ten years before coming to The Master’s College. He led a missions team in the summer of 1990 to the Soviet Union and also to India in 2001 and 2005. He went to New Zealand with a missions team in 1998, 1999 and 2002, to Albania in 2003, and Japan in 2004. In 1994, he studied at the Institute of Holy Land Studies. Also in 1994 and 2003, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Teaching/Teacher of the Year Award. He has also been recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers in 1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Dr. Halstead is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society. His teaching style emphasizes dialogue and discussion. His classes are oriented toward practical application, personal relevance and content mastery. Also, Dr. Halstead is an adjunct professor for the Center for Professional Studies at TMC.

Robert H. Turner
Administrator, Central Coast Bible Institute

B.S., Lafayette College
M.B.A., Drexel University

Mr. Turner has over forty-five years of business
experience covering four careers, including management positions with Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO); Vice President for a management and systems consulting firm; associate professor and Director, Center for Professional Studies at The Master’s College; and church leadership.

Dr. J. Gregory Behle
Professor of Christian Education

B.A., Biola University
Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary
Ph.D., University of Southern California
Joined TMC 1986

As a TMC professor, Dr. Behle is a three-time recipient of the TMC “Teacher-of-the-Year” Award (1989, 1997 & 2003). In addition to teaching responsibilities at The Master’s College he has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California and at Biola University. His research and scholarly interest focus on the foundations of American higher education (historical, philosophical, & social); historical aspects of student life and collegiate culture; and the role of religion in higher education. He is particularly noted for his work on early history of the University of Illinois and the historiography of the land-grant college movement in general. His publications have appeared in Christian Education Journal, The Master’s Seminary Journal, History of Education Quarterly, Christian Higher Education and History of Higher Education Annual.

Dr. Behle is recognized in several biographical directories including Who’s Who in American Education and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. He is a member of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and the History of Education Society (HES). He has been inducted into Phi Delta Kappa, the international educational honor fraternity. He also serves as Academic Coordinator and as a short-term instructor for the Israel-Bible Extension (IBEX) program of The Master’s College. He is a member of Evangelical Free Church of the Canyons. He enjoys kayaking, travel, reading. skiing, and spending time with his wife Kelly, and his children, Brittany and John.

Dr. Robert B. Somerville
Director of MABS and MABC Summer
Institute Program

B.A., The King’s College
M.Div., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
D. Min., Westminster Theological Seminary
Joined TMC 2005

Dr. Somerville has served as a Pastor-Teacher in the Evangelical Free Church since 1970. While pastoring in the greater New York area, he handled the crisis telephone calls for the Family Radio station and out of that ministry wrote the book, Help for Hotliners: A Manual to Train Telephone Crisis Counselors. In 1980 he accepted the call to a church planting ministry in Visalia, CA and while serving there he established the Biblical Counseling and Educational Center equipping laymen and pastors in the field of Biblical Counseling. He has spoken widely on the subject of Biblical Counseling, teaching seminars in the U.S. as well as speaking to missionaries in Europe, Central & South Africa, and Japan. Dr. Somerville is a fellow and serves as a member of the Board of The National Association of Nouthetic Counselors. Dr. Somerville’s wife Mary is a tremendous asset to his pastoral and counseling ministry. Mary holds a Master’s degree in counseling from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, has authored two chapters in the book Women Helping Women, and has just published the book One With a Shepherd: The Tears and Triumphs of a Ministry Marriage. Bob and Mary have two children and five grandchildren.

Dr. Daniel K. Wong
Professor of Biblical Studies

B.S., Swatow University
M.Div., Th.M., Talbot School of Theology
Ph.D., Dallas Theological Seminary
Joined TMC 2000

Dr. Wong has received awards for excellence in thesis writing and in eschatology. His specialties include Johannine literature, parables, and Old Testament prophecy and its use in the New Testament. He has served as pastor of a Chinese church in Los Angeles since 1984 and prior to joining TMC, he was president of Chinese for Christ Theological Seminary. In 2002, 2003–2004, 2005, and 2006 he was recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Dr. Wong has published a number of scholarly journal articles as well as periodical articles. He is currently writing a nineteen volume New Testament Commentary Series with Kregel Publications.

Dr. Ernest H. Baker
Professor

B.A., Washington Bible College
M.Div., Capital Bible Seminary
D.Min., Westminster Theological Seminary
Joined TMC 2005

Dr. Baker has been in ministry for 25 years with extensive experience over the last 13 years in Blacksburg, VA, in training and equipping pastors and laymen in the skills of Biblical Counseling. He has completed two levels of training with Peacemaker Ministries and developed a conflict resolution course for IFCA International. He has Level II Certification with the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors and is currently seeking Fellow status with NANC. He and his wife Rose Marie have been married for 25 years and are thankful parents of six children, three boys and three girls.

Dr. Steven Boyd
Professor of Old Testament & Hebrew

B.S., M.S., Drexel University
Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary
M.Phil., Ph.D., Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion
Doctoral Studies, Dropsie College
Joined TMC 1998

Dr. Boyd was an Associate Research Scholar on the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, interim pastor and visiting faculty member at Capital Bible Seminary, Multnomah Biblical Seminary and Northwest Baptist Seminary before coming to The Master’s College. He is a specialist in biblical Hebrew, Semitic Languages and Old Testament Studies and is a member of both the Society of Biblical Literature and The Evangelical Theological Society.

Dr. Boyd is a creation-science researcher, author, and lecturer. He was on the R.A.T.E. team (an Institute for Creation Research (ICR) project, which studied radioisotope dating and the age of the earth) to research the linguistic characteristics of Biblical creation texts and is a contributor to their latest publications reporting their findings: Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth: Results of a Young-Earth Creationist Research Initiative and Thousands... not Billions: Challenging an Icon of Evolution- Questioning the Age of the Earth (both the layman’s book and DVD). He also has written a chapter for the forthcoming Biblical Authority and the Age of the Earth. In addition, he is an area editor for the 2008 International Creation Conference. He is currently involved in a new, ICR-sponsored, multi-year research project called FAST (Flood Activated Sedimentation and Tectonics), which is investigating the Genesis Flood. As part of the Flood Narrative Division of FAST, he is studying the Hebrew narrative to determine the chronology of the Flood.

Dr. Boyd teaches with an emphasis on the insights to be drawn from the original languages of the Biblical text, with a sensitivity to its historical, cultural, religious and literary context and its theological content, and with a view to personal application. He has been recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. He enjoys spending time with his wife and son, reading, singing, and computers.