Board of Directors

The REA By-laws state that “management of all affairs, property, and business of the Association shall be vested in a Board of Directors who shall consist of the elected officers and Board members.” The REA:APPRRE Board Handbook details the roles and responsibilities of our board, officers, and staff. Note that some members of the board also serve on the steering committee and the program conference committee.  The members of the current board are listed below. A variety of governance changes have been made in the last few years, you can read about them here and in back issues of eREACH

  • Patricia Bonilla
    Vice President
    Patricia Bonilla
    Professor
    Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
    Vernon Hills, Illinois, United States
    • REA Board
    • REA Board Steering Committee
    • REA Vice President
  • Mark Chung Hearn
    Chair of the CFP Committee
    Mark Chung Hearn
    Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
    Church Divinity School of the Pacific
    Berkeley, CA, United States
    • REA Board
    • Chair, Proposals Selection Committee
    • Program Conference Committee
  • Christine Jean Hong
    Ex Officio
    Christine Jean Hong
    Associate Professor of Educational Ministries
    Columbia Theological Seminary
    Decatur, GA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Officer
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Heesung Hwang
    Recording Secretary
    Heesung Hwang
    Assistant Professor of Christian Religious Education
    Saint Paul School of Theology
    Leawood, Kansas, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • REA Board
    • REA Recording Secretary
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Denise Janssen
    Treasurer
    Denise Janssen
    Associate Professor of Christian Education
    Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University
    Chester, VA, United States
    • REA Board
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board Steering Committee
    • REA Treasurer
  • Eunjin Jeon
    Student Rep
    Eunjin Jeon
    Student
    University of Denver/Iliff School of Theology
    Princeton, New Jersey, United States
    • REA Board
    • REA Board, Student Representative
  • Eser Kim
    Ex Officio
    Eser Kim
    Knox College, University of Toronto
    Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, Republic of
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Networking Coordinator
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Paulus Eko Kristianto
    Chair of the Standing Committee on Faith Communities
    Paulus Eko Kristianto
    Doctoral Student
    Duta Wacana Christian University, Indonesia
    Jakarta Barat, DKI Jakarta, Indonesia
    • REA Board
    • Chair, Standing Committee on Religious Education in Faith Communities
  • Lakisha R Lockhart
    Ex Officio
    Lakisha R Lockhart
    Assistant Professor of Practical Theology
    Union Presbyterian Seminary
    Moseley, VA, United States
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Executive Secretary
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Joshua H Lunde-Whitler
    Chair of the Harper Wornom Committee
    Joshua H Lunde-Whitler
    Executive Director
    Rivier University
    Newton, MA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • REA Board
    • Harper / Wornom Committee
    • Chair, Harper / Wornom Committee
  • Joyce Ann Mercer
    Ex Officio
    Joyce Ann Mercer
    Prof. of Practical Theol & Pastoral Care
    Yale Divinity School
    New Haven, CT, United States
    • Publications Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Journal Editor
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Hosffman Ospino
    Chair of the Publications Committee
    Hosffman Ospino
    Professor
    Boston College
    Waltham, MA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • REA Board
    • Chair, Publications Committee
  • Anton Vrame
    Chair of the Advancement Committee
    Anton Vrame
    Director, Holy Cross Orthodox Press
    Hellenic College, Inc.
    Roslindale, MA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • REA Board
    • Chair, Advancement Committee
  • Anne Carter Walker
    President
    Anne Carter Walker
    Executive Director, Oklahoma Campus
    Phillips Theological Seminary
    Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
    • REA Board
    • AAR Program Committee
    • Chair, Nominating Committee
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA President
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Karen-Marie Yust
    Chair of the Academic Disciplines
    Karen-Marie Yust
    Josiah P. and Anne Wilson Rowe Professor of Christian Education
    Union Presbyterian Seminary
    Richmond, VA, United States
    • REA Board
    • Standing Committee on Religious Education in Academic Disciplines & Institutions
    • Chair, Standing Committee on Religious Education in Academic Disciplines & Institutions
 

Board Steering Committee

This committee meets to make decisions and implement initiatives between regular board meetings. The Board Steering Committee is comprised of the President, President-Elect, Past-President, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, Executive Secretary (ex officio), and the Networking Coordinator (ex officio).

  • Dori Grinenko Baker
    Dori Grinenko Baker
    Independent Scholar
    Lynchburg, VA, United States
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Patricia Bonilla
    Vice President
    Patricia Bonilla
    Professor
    Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
    Vernon Hills, Illinois, United States
    • REA Board
    • REA Board Steering Committee
    • REA Vice President
  • Christine Jean Hong
    Ex Officio
    Christine Jean Hong
    Associate Professor of Educational Ministries
    Columbia Theological Seminary
    Decatur, GA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Officer
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Heesung Hwang
    Recording Secretary
    Heesung Hwang
    Assistant Professor of Christian Religious Education
    Saint Paul School of Theology
    Leawood, Kansas, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • REA Board
    • REA Recording Secretary
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Denise Janssen
    Treasurer
    Denise Janssen
    Associate Professor of Christian Education
    Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University
    Chester, VA, United States
    • REA Board
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board Steering Committee
    • REA Treasurer
  • Eser Kim
    Ex Officio
    Eser Kim
    Knox College, University of Toronto
    Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, Republic of
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Networking Coordinator
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Lakisha R Lockhart
    Ex Officio
    Lakisha R Lockhart
    Assistant Professor of Practical Theology
    Union Presbyterian Seminary
    Moseley, VA, United States
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Executive Secretary
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Joyce Ann Mercer
    Ex Officio
    Joyce Ann Mercer
    Prof. of Practical Theol & Pastoral Care
    Yale Divinity School
    New Haven, CT, United States
    • Publications Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Journal Editor
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Wanda Stahl
    Wanda Stahl
    Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology & Practice
    Boston University School of Theology
    Maine, ME, United States
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Anne Carter Walker
    President
    Anne Carter Walker
    Executive Director, Oklahoma Campus
    Phillips Theological Seminary
    Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
    • REA Board
    • AAR Program Committee
    • Chair, Nominating Committee
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA President
    • REA Board Steering Committee
 

Advancement Committee

  • Cynthia Cameron
    Cynthia Cameron
    Assistant Professor
    University of St. Michael's College
    Toronto, ON, Canada
    • Advancement Committee
  • Mary Elizabeth Moore
    Mary Elizabeth Moore
    Dean Emerita and Professor Emerita
    Boston University
    Claremont, CA, United States
    • Advancement Committee
  • Javier A Viera
    Javier A Viera
    President and Professor of Education and Leadership
    Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
    Evanston, Il, United States
    • Advancement Committee
  • Anton Vrame
    Chair
    Anton Vrame
    Director, Holy Cross Orthodox Press
    Hellenic College, Inc.
    Roslindale, MA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • REA Board
    • Chair, Advancement Committee
 

Harper / Wornom Committee

This committee, established by REA bylaws, exists to solicit applications and make recommendations for the recipient of the William Rainey Harper Award. It also solicits applications for and makes recommendations for the awarding of the Wornom Innovation Grant.

  • Asyraf Isyraqi Bin Jamil
    Asyraf Isyraqi Bin Jamil
    Senior Lecturer
    Universiti Malaya
    Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    • Harper / Wornom Committee
  • Thomas S LeGrand
    Thomas S LeGrand
    Director, IMPACT Center; Assistant Professor
    Limestone University
    Gaffney, SC, United States
    • Harper / Wornom Committee
  • Joshua H Lunde-Whitler
    Chair
    Joshua H Lunde-Whitler
    Executive Director
    Rivier University
    Newton, MA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • REA Board
    • Harper / Wornom Committee
    • Chair, Harper / Wornom Committee
  • Elizabeth Helen Nolan
    Elizabeth Helen Nolan
    Minister
    Uniting Church in Australia
    Glenview, Queensland, Australia
    • Harper / Wornom Committee
  • Montague Williams
    Montague Williams
    Associate Professor of Church, Culture, and Society
    Point Loma Nazarene University (professor) / Boston University (PhD cand.)
    San Diego, CA, United States
    • Harper / Wornom Committee
 

Nominating Committee

This committee recommends a slate of candidates to fill board offices. The Nominating Committee is comprised of retiring Board and Committee members, and one member at large elected by the membership. The committee is chaired by the President.

  • Carl Procario-Foley
    Carl Procario-Foley
    Executive Director
    Center at Mariandale
    New Rochelle, NY, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • Nominating Committee
  • Michael Shire
    Michael Shire
    Professor
    Hebrew College
    Needham, MA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • Nominating Committee
  • Anne Carter Walker
    Chair
    Anne Carter Walker
    Executive Director, Oklahoma Campus
    Phillips Theological Seminary
    Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
    • REA Board
    • AAR Program Committee
    • Chair, Nominating Committee
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA President
    • REA Board Steering Committee
 

Program Conference Committee

This committee exists to support the program chair in planning the annual conference. The Program Conference Committee is comprised of the President, President-Elect, Vice-President, Call for Proposals Chair, Executive Secretary, and the Networking Coordinator.

  • Dori Grinenko Baker
    Dori Grinenko Baker
    Independent Scholar
    Lynchburg, VA, United States
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Mark Chung Hearn
    Mark Chung Hearn
    Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
    Church Divinity School of the Pacific
    Berkeley, CA, United States
    • REA Board
    • Chair, Proposals Selection Committee
    • Program Conference Committee
  • Christine Jean Hong
    Christine Jean Hong
    Associate Professor of Educational Ministries
    Columbia Theological Seminary
    Decatur, GA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Officer
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Denise Janssen
    Denise Janssen
    Associate Professor of Christian Education
    Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University
    Chester, VA, United States
    • REA Board
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board Steering Committee
    • REA Treasurer
  • Eser Kim
    Eser Kim
    Knox College, University of Toronto
    Namyangju-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, Republic of
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Networking Coordinator
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Lakisha R Lockhart
    Lakisha R Lockhart
    Assistant Professor of Practical Theology
    Union Presbyterian Seminary
    Moseley, VA, United States
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Executive Secretary
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Wanda Stahl
    Wanda Stahl
    Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology & Practice
    Boston University School of Theology
    Maine, ME, United States
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Anne Carter Walker
    Anne Carter Walker
    Executive Director, Oklahoma Campus
    Phillips Theological Seminary
    Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
    • REA Board
    • AAR Program Committee
    • Chair, Nominating Committee
    • Program Conference Committee
    • REA President
    • REA Board Steering Committee
 

Proposals Selection Committee

This committee reviews proposals and chooses Research Interest Group papers, Collaborative Sessions, and Posters for the annual meeting.

  • Mark Chung Hearn
    Chair
    Mark Chung Hearn
    Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
    Church Divinity School of the Pacific
    Berkeley, CA, United States
    • REA Board
    • Chair, Proposals Selection Committee
    • Program Conference Committee
  • Heather Nicole Ingersoll
    Heather Nicole Ingersoll
    Executive Director
    Godly Play Foundation
    Wilsonville, OR, United States
    • Proposals Selection Committee
  • Patrick B. Reyes
    Patrick B. Reyes
    Senior Director of Learning Design
    Auburn Theological Seminary
    Santa Fe, NM, United States
    • AAR Program Committee
    • Proposals Selection Committee
 

Publications Committee

This committee exists to support the board in overseeing the journal Religious Education and the Horizons publications series.

  • Joyce Ann Mercer
    Joyce Ann Mercer
    Prof. of Practical Theol & Pastoral Care
    Yale Divinity School
    New Haven, CT, United States
    • Publications Committee
    • REA Board, Ex Officio
    • REA Journal Editor
    • REA Board Steering Committee
  • Hosffman Ospino
    Chair
    Hosffman Ospino
    Professor
    Boston College
    Waltham, MA, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • REA Board
    • Chair, Publications Committee
  • Mai-Anh Le Tran
    Mai-Anh Le Tran
    Professor
    Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary
    Evanston, IL, United States
    • REA Advisory Council
    • Publications Committee
 

Standing Committees

In addition to the committees of the board, above, the REA also has three standing committee which are organized to help the REA sustain its focus on the three major contexts for religious education. They are an essential part of how REA, as a decentralized, volunteer-driven associations accomplishes its mission. Please go to the page of Standing Committees for more information.

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