IJM INSTITUTE FOR BIBLICAL JUSTICE
An action oriented think tank. A crossroads between action and spiritual reflection. A global community tackling the issues of our time. A provider of tools for the justice journey.
IJM’s Institute for Biblical Justice serves to mobilize the global Church by joining the Holy Spirit in catalyzing a spiritual awakening to God’s passion for justice among Christian leaders.
Resources
God of Justice, Nikki Toyama-Szeto & Abraham George
God of Justice is IJM’s twelve-session curriculum, meant to inspire students, parents, leaders and families to make justice their mission. Designed for groups of individuals, God of Justice shares Biblical truth and front-line stories of justice work, moving people towards reflection, discussion, and action.
DOWNLOAD the FREE sampler and order the book by clicking the link!
Deepening the Soul for Justice, Bethany Hoang
Hoang shares spiritual practices honed on the frontlines of the fight for justice—guideposts for an inward journey that can propel a disciple outward, empowering the difficult work of justice. Seeking the God of justice can be a catalyst for spiritual growth and deeper personal discipleship.
Good News About Injustice, Gary Haugen
Interspersed with individual stories of oppression, this book chronicles the vision behind IJM's work and seeks to tackle tragic injustices with practical insight, answering tough questions regarding the nature of injustice and the Biblical mandate for Christians to confront it. Christians interested in fighting injustice, to be educated on the subject, and hear what God is doing through faithful servants.
Locust Effect Christian Reader Guide
The Just Church, Jim Martin
This book is a practical guide on how to do justice and grow in discipleship—from those on the frontlines of the battle in the world’s darkest and most dangerous places. In Jim Martin’s first book, he offers tangible, accessible strategies to respond to God’s call to seek justice, defend the widow and orphan and rescue the oppressed.
The Justice Journey: Handbook, by Jim Martin
This handbook walks Christian leaders through the three steps (Explore-Educate-Engage) of engaging biblical justice and IJM.
Extraordinary Moments Don't Happen Without Work, Gary Haugen
May, 2014 Storyline Blog about perseverance in the face of trials, using an IJM case example from Cebu
How The End of Poverty Comes With The End of Violence, Gary Haugen
February, 2014 Storyline Blog about “The Locust Effect” and why ending systemic poverty requires restraining the hand of the oppressor and strengthening justice systems.
Why We're Losing the War on Poverty, Gary Haugen
Christianity Today article on “The Locust Effect”
Community Justice Assessment, by Christa Hayden Sharpe
The Assessment Tool will help your church become knowledgeable about the complex issues of violent oppression, aware of the resources, strengths and gaps in service in your community, and prepared to design a truly effective and faithful local ministry.
Freedom Challenge Preaching Guide
Provides a sermon outline on Psalm 146:5-10, small group discussion guide, and action steps for congregations and Christian communities to study biblical justice.
The Justice Mission, by Jim Hancock and IJM
This program is a video-enhanced youth curriculum reflecting the heart of God for the oppressed of the world. It is a five session study series that takes you inside the work of IJM to see the reality of injustice in the world, and what you can do about it.
Bethany Hoang on Habakkuk at 2013 GPG
Global Prayer Gathering 2013 - Friday, April 5: Bethany Hoang on Habakkuk and the power of prayer in the work of justice (49 minutes)
Blair Burns on Nehemiah at 2012 GPG
Global Prayer Gathering 2012 - Saturday Morning, April 14: Blair Burns teaching from Nehemiah. (21 minutes)
Christa Hayden Sharpe on Cambodia casework at 2014 GPG
Global Prayer Gathering - Saturday, April 5: Christa Hayden Sharpe on the necessity of prayer in God’s work of justice (16 minutes)
Fuller Seminary Class Video Series on Preaching and Justice
Gary Haugen teaching on God’s unfamiliar passion for justice at Fuller Theological Seminary (43 minutes).
Gary Haugen interview with Nicky Gumble at Holy Trinity Brompton
Nicky Gumble and Gary Haugen on how the church can be a change leader and partner with IJM. (33 minutes)
Nikki Toyama-Szeto, 2014 IJM Pastors' Gathering
Nikki Toyama-Szeto on Christian professionals and making an impact in the workplace (11 minutes).
Sean Litton on Exodus 3 at 2012 GPG
Global Prayer Gathering 2012 - Friday Evening, April 13: Sean Litton on Exodus 3 and Manila case miracles. (43 minutes)
Sean Litton on Perpetrator Accountability
Sean Litton on the importance of perpetrator accountability (4 minutes).
Sr. Fellow Mark Labberton, 2014 IJM Pastors' Gathering
Mark Labberton on engaging fear to carry out the work of justice. (16 minutes)
Sr. Fellow Steve Hayner, 2014 IJM Pastors' Gathering
Steve Hayner on the biblical basis for justice. (10 minutes)
The Power of Prayer in Stopping Human Trafficking
International Justice Mission’s Nikki Toyama-Szeto interview with EWTN about the power of prayer in ending human trafficking.
The Justice Calling, Bethany Hoang & Kristen Johnson
Grounding Our Passion for Justice in Deeply Rooted Faith
Justice requires perseverance--a deep perseverance we can't muster on our own. Offering a comprehensive biblical theology of justice drawn from the whole story of Scripture, this book invites us to know more intimately the God who loves justice and calls us to give our lives to seek the flourishing of others.
DOWNLOAD the FREE sampler and order the book by clicking the link!
Just Courage, Gary Haugen
In this book, IJM CEO Gary Haugen leads us on a journey to freedom from the triviality and fear that can stifle our lives.
Terrify No More, Gary Haugen
This gripping book documents the events of IJM’s groundbreaking work in the notorious Cambodian village of Svay Pak. In this operation alone, IJM’s work resulted in the rescue of 37 underage victims of sex-trafficking, many of them under the age of 10.
God of Justice, Nikki Toyama-Szeto & Abraham George
Deepening the Soul for Justice, Bethany Hoang
Good News About Injustice, Gary Haugen
Locust Effect Christian Reader Guide
The Just Church, Jim Martin
The Justice Journey: Handbook, by Jim Martin
Extraordinary Moments Don't Happen Without Work, Gary Haugen
How The End of Poverty Comes With The End of Violence, Gary Haugen
Why We're Losing the War on Poverty, Gary Haugen
Community Justice Assessment, by Christa Hayden Sharpe
Freedom Challenge Preaching Guide
Just Prayer Devotional
The Justice Mission, by Jim Hancock and IJM
Bethany Hoang on Habakkuk at 2013 GPG
Blair Burns on Nehemiah at 2012 GPG
Christa Hayden Sharpe on Cambodia casework at 2014 GPG
Fuller Seminary Class Video Series on Preaching and Justice
Gary Haugen interview with Nicky Gumble at Holy Trinity Brompton
Nikki Toyama-Szeto, 2014 IJM Pastors' Gathering
Sean Litton on Exodus 3 at 2012 GPG
Sean Litton on Perpetrator Accountability
Sr. Fellow Mark Labberton, 2014 IJM Pastors' Gathering
Sr. Fellow Steve Hayner, 2014 IJM Pastors' Gathering
The Power of Prayer in Stopping Human Trafficking
The Justice Calling, Bethany Hoang & Kristen Johnson
Just Courage, Gary Haugen
Terrify No More, Gary Haugen
Institute Bookshelf: What We Are Reading
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Everyday Justice: the Global Impact of our Daily Choices
Learn MoreLike the title suggests, this book covers very specific topics of justice and how one can make everyday choices that promote justice within these specific areas.
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Mission Between the Times
Learn MoreMission Between the Times is a collection of Padilla’s essays on the biblical mission of the church, arguing that evangelism and socio-political action are both necessary to the Christian mission and inseparable from each other.
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The Spiritual Danger of Doing Good
Learn MorePeter Greer argues the need for our service to be motivated by pure worship in a world where the greatest threat to churches, ministries, and spiritual growth could be because of the deceitfulness of our hearts.
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Journey Toward Justice
Learn MoreWolterstorff presents personal stories of encountering injustice in contexts like South Africa and Palestine, while prompting contemplation about the connection between God, justice, and our role as Christians to address injustice.
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The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor
Learn MoreLabberton explores the idea that human hearts are capable of waging injustice, but that with re-calibration, we have the capacity to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly as God made us to do.
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The Meeting of the Waters
Learn MoreThis book aims to address the issues of globalization and the church, and how the two can move forward together, combing both old and new missionary models.
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The World is Not Ours to Save
Learn MoreEngages the topic of Christian activism and suggests a theology for participating in the work of justice without risking either apathy or burn-out.
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The Locust Effect
Learn MoreThe Locust Effect offers a searing account of the way pervasive violence blocks the road out of poverty, undermines economic development, and reduces the effectiveness of international public health efforts.
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Evil and the Justice of God
Learn MoreWright’s book attempts to answer the question: How can we tell the Christian story without attempting to ‘solve’ the problem of injustice simplistically.
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Justice Awakening
Learn MoreEddie Byun, a pastor and anti-trafficking advocate from Seoul, Korea, wrote Justice Awakening to equip the worldwide church with very practical, tangible ways to be a part of the freedom movement.
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Called
Learn MoreThe most urgent call upon God’s people is to live as followers of Jesus. The most indicting critique against the church is as simple: its failure to do so. As the leader of an evangelical theological seminary that trains men and women as leaders for the church and society, Mark Labberton writes: "People ask many questions about how their lives relate to the world. What are our lives in this world about? What are we to make of being human? Why are we here? Is there a reason we are alive, and, if so, how would we know what that is?
In this book you will find an opportunity to explore these questions, and you will be invited into personal reflection and action points as you discover what is stirring within you. Called will spark your imagination, focus your thoughts and take you on an adventure into a revitalized understanding of where following Jesus could take you.
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Overrated
Learn MorePastor, leader, and blogger Eugene Cho has a confession: he loves justice and compassion―until there's a personal cost. Using an engaging writing style that many listeners will be familiar with from hisHuffington Post and Sojourners blogs, Cho confesses his idealism and invites listeners on a journey of practical discipleship, one that changes the world not with words, but in action, and with our lives.
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One Thousand Wells
Learn MoreTen years ago, Jena Lee Nardella was a fresh-out-of-college, twenty-something with the lofty goal of truly changing the world. Armed with a diploma, a thousand dollars, and a dream to build one thousand wells in Africa, she joined forces with Grammy Award–winning band Jars of Clay to found Blood:Water and begin her mission.
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Slow Kingdom Coming
Learn MoreKent Annan understands the struggle of working for justice over the long haul. He confesses, "Over the past twenty years, I've succumbed to various failed shortcuts instead of living the freedom of faithful practices." In this book, he shares practices he has learned that will encourage and help you to keep making a difference in the face of the world's challenging issues.
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Crossing Cultures with Jesus
Crosscultural evangelism can be scary. But veteran crosscultural minister Katie Rawson shows how we can witness the way Jesus did, entering into people's worlds and drawing them into God-centered community. She equips readers to evangelize Jesus' way, depending on him as companion and guide and venturing out in joy to be and share good news.
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Divine Collision
Learn MoreJim Gash's comfortable life as a Los Angeles lawyer and law professor nearly ensured he and Henry, a Ugandan boy languishing in prison for two murders he didn t commit, would never meet. ivine Collision tells the firsthand, true story of how Jim and Henry, separated not only by an ocean and thousands of miles, but also differing cultures and life experiences, inspired justice reform for an entire country.
FEATURED RESOURCE

God of Justice
God of Justice is a twelve-session church-wide curriculum from IJM meant to inspire students, parents, leaders and families to make justice their mission. Mobilize your church to join in this global movement to rescue thousands, protect millions and prove that justice for the poor is possible.
What is the IJM Institute for Biblical Justice?
A Think Tank: IJM’s Institute for Biblical Justice is best described as an “action-oriented” leadership think tank within IJM.
A Community: We are a community of Christian leaders advancing solutions for overcoming injustice, sharing ideas, resources and tools for seeking justice and moving the body of Christ into action.
A Resource: We’re working to resource leaders of the global Church with an ever-deepening understanding of biblical justice and what justice means for all aspects of discipleship.
What does the IJM Institute do?
The Institute mobilizes the global Church to do justice by equipping Christian leaders. We seek to accomplish this in four ways:
- Cultivate passion for justice among leaders and influencers within the global Christian community, equipping them with resources for spreading the biblical message of God’s passion for justice–with a particular emphasis on learning from and supporting Christian leaders from the Majority (or "Global South”) world.
- Share the biblical justice message through influential Christian forums and institutions.
- Create exceptional biblical justice educational materials.
- Provide theological support to IJM globally.
The Institute Story
The Institute emerged out of a small group of Senior Fellows who were advising IJM’s founder, Gary Haugen, on spiritual and theological foundations, growth and development of IJM and the justice movement. Gradually, it became apparent that the Institute could serve not only in providing spiritual direction to IJM but to the broader Christian community engaging in the Bible’s call to justice. In 2001, Gary invited a handful of scholar-pastors to join with him in establishing the IJM Institute. The vision was to support leaders and influencers who are thinking about justice and create a community and resources to support the justice movement.
Who Are We?
The IJM Institute Leadership Team:
Nikki Toyama-SzetoSenior Director for IJM Institute and Prayer ![]() Nikki Toyama-Szeto, in her role as the VP of Global Strategies for Christian Engagement, directs the IJM Institute for Biblical Justice and oversees Global Prayer. She works with leaders of faith communities to help ignite a passion for biblical justice among the global church. The IJM Institute serves as an action-oriented think tank. She directs the development of IJM’s educational materials, and helps design its global prayer strategy. The Institute recently released The God of Justice, a curriculum for churches, which she co-authored. Nikki writes, speaks, and teaches on behalf of IJM on the intersection of faith and justice at various forums including at The Underground Railroad Museum’s Freedom Summit, The First Ladies Initiative (hosted by Laura Bush), and the Micah Global Consultation (Peru, 2015). Prior to joining IJM, Nikki worked with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for thirteen years. Most recently, she served as the program director of Urbana, InterVarsity’s international conference of 18,000 young adults from 120 countries. She has served on the board of Mission Year, an urban immersion program for young adults, and helped develop the program for 2010 Lausanne Global Congress. Her work has been profiled in Christianity Today and Rejuvenate Magazine ("Forty under 40"). Before entering full-time ministry, Nikki worked as an engineer in Silicon Valley. Nikki has authored several books, including God of Justice, Partnering with the Global Church, and More Than Serving Tea. Nikki received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Nikki and her husband live with their two children in the Washington, DC area. |
Bethany HoangAdvisor ![]() Bethany Hoang served as IJM’s Director of the Institute for Biblical Justice. Bethany leads the ongoing development and application of IJM’s biblical justice theology. She engages Christian leaders around the world and regularly speaks and writes on IJM’s behalf. Bethany joined IJM in 2004, and in her previous role she led the vision and execution of IJM’s Global Prayer Gathering. Her first book, Deepening the Soul for Justice, introduces the critical connection between spiritual formation and persevering in the work of justice. Bethany has been profiled for her leadership in the justice movement by Christianity Today, Outreach! and Relevant, as well as by organizations such as Catalyst and Ideation. She is a member of the Advisory Board for U.S. Lausanne and served as a Delegate for the 2010 Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa. Bethany holds a B.A. in Religion and History from Miami University of Ohio, and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, where she received the distinguished Fellowship in Theology. |
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Nikki Toyama-Szeto
Senior Director for IJM Institute and Prayer
Nikki Toyama-Szeto
Senior Director for IJM Institute and PrayerNikki Toyama-Szeto, in her role as the VP of Global Strategies for Christian Engagement, directs the IJM Institute for Biblical Justice and oversees Global Prayer. She works with leaders of faith communities to help ignite a passion for biblical justice among the global church. The IJM Institute serves as an action-oriented think tank. She directs the development of IJM’s educational materials, and helps design its global prayer strategy. The Institute recently released The God of Justice, a curriculum for churches, which she co-authored. Nikki writes, speaks, and teaches on behalf of IJM on the intersection of faith and justice at various forums including at The Underground Railroad Museum’s Freedom Summit, The First Ladies Initiative (hosted by Laura Bush), and the Micah Global Consultation (Peru, 2015).
Prior to joining IJM, Nikki worked with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for thirteen years. Most recently, she served as the program director of Urbana, InterVarsity’s international conference of 18,000 young adults from 120 countries. She has served on the board of Mission Year, an urban immersion program for young adults, and helped develop the program for 2010 Lausanne Global Congress. Her work has been profiled in Christianity Today and Rejuvenate Magazine ("Forty under 40").
Before entering full-time ministry, Nikki worked as an engineer in Silicon Valley. Nikki has authored several books, including God of Justice, Partnering with the Global Church, and More Than Serving Tea.
Nikki received her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University. Nikki and her husband live with their two children in the Washington, DC area.
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Bethany Hoang
Advisor
Bethany Hoang
AdvisorBethany Hoang served as IJM’s Director of the Institute for Biblical Justice. Bethany leads the ongoing development and application of IJM’s biblical justice theology. She engages Christian leaders around the world and regularly speaks and writes on IJM’s behalf.
Bethany joined IJM in 2004, and in her previous role she led the vision and execution of IJM’s Global Prayer Gathering. Her first book, Deepening the Soul for Justice, introduces the critical connection between spiritual formation and persevering in the work of justice.
Bethany has been profiled for her leadership in the justice movement by Christianity Today, Outreach! and Relevant, as well as by organizations such as Catalyst and Ideation. She is a member of the Advisory Board for U.S. Lausanne and served as a Delegate for the 2010 Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa.
Bethany holds a B.A. in Religion and History from Miami University of Ohio, and a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, where she received the distinguished Fellowship in Theology.
The IJM Institute Leadership team
is advised by a team of Sr. Fellows:
Gary HaugenPresident & CEO ![]() Gary Haugen is founder and president of International Justice Mission. Before founding IJM in 1997, Gary was a human rights attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, where he focused on crimes of police misconduct. In 1994, he served as the Director of the United Nations’ investigation in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. In this role, he led an international team of lawyers, criminal prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and forensics experts to gather evidence that would eventually be used to bring the perpetrators of the genocide to justice. Gary received a B.A. in Social Studies from Harvard University, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago. Gary has been recognized by the U.S. State Department as a Trafficking in Persons “Hero” – the highest honor given by the U.S. government for anti-slavery leadership. His work to protect the poor from violence has been featured by Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, the New Yorker, The Times of India, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, the Guardian and National Public Radio, among many other outlets. He is the author of several books, including Good News About Injustice (Intervarsity Press) and, most recently, The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence (Oxford University Press). |
Andy CrouchExecutive Editor, Christianity Today, author of Culture Making and Playing God ![]() Andy is the author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, winner of Christianity Today’s 2009 Book Award for Christianity and Culture and named one of the best books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, Relevant, Outreach and Leadership. In December 2012 he became executive editor of Christianity Today, where he is also executive producer of This Is Our City, a multi-year project featuring documentary video, reporting, and essays about Christians seeking the flourishing of their cities. Andy serves on the governing boards of Fuller Theological Seminary and Equitas Group, a philanthropic organization focused on ending child exploitation in Haiti and Southeast Asia. He is also a member of the editorial board of Books & Culture, a senior fellow of the International Justice Mission’s IJM Institute, and a member of the Board of Advisors for the John Templeton Foundation. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and in several editions of Best Christian Writing and Best Spiritual Writing. He lives with his family in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. From 1998 to 2003, Andy was the editor-in-chief of re:generation quarterly, a magazine for an emerging generation of culturally creative Christians. For ten years he was a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Harvard University. He studied classics at Cornell University and received an M.Div. summa cum laude from Boston University School of Theology. A classically trained musician who draws on pop, folk, rock, jazz, and gospel, he has led musical worship for congregations of 5 to 20,000. |
Mark LabbertonPresident of Fuller Theological Seminary ![]() Dr. Mark Labberton recently was selected as Fuller Theological Seminary’s fifth president, having served at Fuller Seminary since 2009 as the Lloyd John Ogilvie Associate Professor of Preaching, and director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching. Prior to coming to Fuller, Labberton served for 16 years as senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA. Long committed to international ministry and development, Labberton co-founded the Christian International Scholarship Foundation (now ScholarLeaders, Int’l), which funds advanced theological education of Christian leaders from the Majority World. He has also worked closely with John Stott Ministries (now Langham Partnership), which provides books, scholarships, and seminars for Majority World pastors. He continues to contribute to the mission of the global church as a senior fellow of International Justice Mission. A frequent lecturer and preacher at conferences, in congregations and at academic gatherings throughout the world, Labberton has authored: First Things: A Theology of the World, the Church, the Pastor, and the Sermon (2013); The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor: Seeing Others Through the Eyes of Jesus (2010) and The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God’s Call to Justice (2007). He has also published articles in Christianity Today, Christian Century, and Leadership Journal, for which he also serves as contributing editor. With a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whitman College, Labberton earned a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Cambridge, England. From the East Bay of Northern California, Mark and his wife, Janet Morrison Labberton, have two sons, Peter (24) and Sam (18). |
Amy ShermanScholar, Senior Fellow of the Sagamore Institute, author of Kingdom Calling ![]() Dr. Amy L. Sherman is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University and co-directs their Program on Faith and Generosity. She is also Senior Fellow at International Justice Mission and the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, where she directs the Center on Faith in Communities. She also serves as the Editorial Director for FASTEN (the Faith and Service Technical Education Network). Dr. Sherman is the author of four books, including Sharing God’s Heart for the Poor: Meditations for Worship, Prayer, and Service. Her some 70 published articles have appeared in such diverse publications as The Public Interest, Policy Review, Christianity Today, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The American Enterprise, and The Washington Times. She has also published the first major study of faith-based intermediary organizations (2002) and the largest national survey of Hispanic church-based community ministries in the U.S. (2003). She is a leading national expert on charitable choice and has served as an advisor to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. In 2004, Sherman assumed responsibility for the national ele:Vate project, a multi-partner initiative that seeks to equip urban youth workers to cultivate economic literacy among the young people they serve. Sherman is the founder and former Executive Director of Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit assisting low-income, inner-city families. She is an active member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science in 1987 from Messiah College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia (1994). |
Tim DearbornDirector of the Ogilvie Preaching Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary ![]() After serving for a decade as director and partnership leader (vice president) for Christian commitments at World Vision International, Dr. Tim Dearborn was recently appointed the new director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching. Before that, Tim was dean of the chapel and associate professor of theology at Seattle Pacific University. He was the founding director of the Seattle Association for Theological Education, lecturer in practical theology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, professor of missiology at the Faculté de Theologié Évangélique near Paris, France, and the associate pastor for urban and global mission at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. In addition he was senior associate at the Institute for Global Engagement in Philadelphia and chair of the board for International Fellowship of Evangelical Mission Theologians. He earned the Ph.D. in systematic theology at the University of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Th.M. in missiology at Fuller Seminary, and the M.T.S. in history of religions at Harvard University Divinity School. He has written many articles and books that encourage the integration of joyful and faithful life and action in service of the poor, including Beyond Duty: A Passion for Christ, a Heart for Mission (Monrovia, 1997) and The Local Church in a Global Future (Eerdmans, 2000). Dearborn lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Kerry, who is professor of theology at Seattle Pacific University. |
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Gary Haugen
President & CEO
Gary Haugen
President & CEOGary Haugen is founder and president of International Justice Mission.
Before founding IJM in 1997, Gary was a human rights attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, where he focused on crimes of police misconduct. In 1994, he served as the Director of the United Nations’ investigation in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. In this role, he led an international team of lawyers, criminal prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and forensics experts to gather evidence that would eventually be used to bring the perpetrators of the genocide to justice. Gary received a B.A. in Social Studies from Harvard University, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago.
Gary has been recognized by the U.S. State Department as a Trafficking in Persons “Hero” – the highest honor given by the U.S. government for anti-slavery leadership. His work to protect the poor from violence has been featured by Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, the New Yorker, The Times of India, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, the Guardian and National Public Radio, among many other outlets. He is the author of several books, including Good News About Injustice (Intervarsity Press) and, most recently, The Locust Effect: Why the End of Poverty Requires the End of Violence (Oxford University Press).
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Andy Crouch
Executive Editor, Christianity Today, author of Culture Making and Playing God
Andy Crouch
Executive Editor, Christianity Today, author of Culture Making and Playing GodAndy is the author of Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling, winner of Christianity Today’s 2009 Book Award for Christianity and Culture and named one of the best books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, Relevant, Outreach and Leadership. In December 2012 he became executive editor of Christianity Today, where he is also executive producer of This Is Our City, a multi-year project featuring documentary video, reporting, and essays about Christians seeking the flourishing of their cities.
Andy serves on the governing boards of Fuller Theological Seminary and Equitas Group, a philanthropic organization focused on ending child exploitation in Haiti and Southeast Asia. He is also a member of the editorial board of Books & Culture, a senior fellow of the International Justice Mission’s IJM Institute, and a member of the Board of Advisors for the John Templeton Foundation. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal and in several editions of Best Christian Writing and Best Spiritual Writing. He lives with his family in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
From 1998 to 2003, Andy was the editor-in-chief of re:generation quarterly, a magazine for an emerging generation of culturally creative Christians. For ten years he was a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Harvard University. He studied classics at Cornell University and received an M.Div. summa cum laude from Boston University School of Theology. A classically trained musician who draws on pop, folk, rock, jazz, and gospel, he has led musical worship for congregations of 5 to 20,000.
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Mark Labberton
President of Fuller Theological Seminary
Mark Labberton
President of Fuller Theological SeminaryDr. Mark Labberton recently was selected as Fuller Theological Seminary’s fifth president, having served at Fuller Seminary since 2009 as the Lloyd John Ogilvie Associate Professor of Preaching, and director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching. Prior to coming to Fuller, Labberton served for 16 years as senior pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, CA. Long committed to international ministry and development, Labberton co-founded the Christian International Scholarship Foundation (now ScholarLeaders, Int’l), which funds advanced theological education of Christian leaders from the Majority World. He has also worked closely with John Stott Ministries (now Langham Partnership), which provides books, scholarships, and seminars for Majority World pastors. He continues to contribute to the mission of the global church as a senior fellow of International Justice Mission.
A frequent lecturer and preacher at conferences, in congregations and at academic gatherings throughout the world, Labberton has authored: First Things: A Theology of the World, the Church, the Pastor, and the Sermon (2013); The Dangerous Act of Loving Your Neighbor: Seeing Others Through the Eyes of Jesus (2010) and The Dangerous Act of Worship: Living God’s Call to Justice (2007). He has also published articles in Christianity Today, Christian Century, and Leadership Journal, for which he also serves as contributing editor.
With a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whitman College, Labberton earned a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller and a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Cambridge, England. From the East Bay of Northern California, Mark and his wife, Janet Morrison Labberton, have two sons, Peter (24) and Sam (18).
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Amy Sherman
Scholar, Senior Fellow of the Sagamore Institute, author of Kingdom Calling
Amy Sherman
Scholar, Senior Fellow of the Sagamore Institute, author of Kingdom CallingDr. Amy L. Sherman is a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University and co-directs their Program on Faith and Generosity. She is also Senior Fellow at International Justice Mission and the Sagamore Institute for Policy Research, where she directs the Center on Faith in Communities. She also serves as the Editorial Director for FASTEN (the Faith and Service Technical Education Network). Dr. Sherman is the author of four books, including Sharing God’s Heart for the Poor: Meditations for Worship, Prayer, and Service. Her some 70 published articles have appeared in such diverse publications as The Public Interest, Policy Review, Christianity Today, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The American Enterprise, and The Washington Times.
She has also published the first major study of faith-based intermediary organizations (2002) and the largest national survey of Hispanic church-based community ministries in the U.S. (2003). She is a leading national expert on charitable choice and has served as an advisor to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. In 2004, Sherman assumed responsibility for the national ele:Vate project, a multi-partner initiative that seeks to equip urban youth workers to cultivate economic literacy among the young people they serve.
Sherman is the founder and former Executive Director of Charlottesville Abundant Life Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit assisting low-income, inner-city families. She is an active member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science in 1987 from Messiah College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia (1994).
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Tim Dearborn
Director of the Ogilvie Preaching Institute at Fuller Theological Seminary
Tim Dearborn
Director of the Ogilvie Preaching Institute at Fuller Theological SeminaryAfter serving for a decade as director and partnership leader (vice president) for Christian commitments at World Vision International, Dr. Tim Dearborn was recently appointed the new director of the Lloyd John Ogilvie Institute of Preaching. Before that, Tim was dean of the chapel and associate professor of theology at Seattle Pacific University. He was the founding director of the Seattle Association for Theological Education, lecturer in practical theology at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, professor of missiology at the Faculté de Theologié Évangélique near Paris, France, and the associate pastor for urban and global mission at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington. In addition he was senior associate at the Institute for Global Engagement in Philadelphia and chair of the board for International Fellowship of Evangelical Mission Theologians.
He earned the Ph.D. in systematic theology at the University of Aberdeen in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Th.M. in missiology at Fuller Seminary, and the M.T.S. in history of religions at Harvard University Divinity School. He has written many articles and books that encourage the integration of joyful and faithful life and action in service of the poor, including Beyond Duty: A Passion for Christ, a Heart for Mission (Monrovia, 1997) and The Local Church in a Global Future (Eerdmans, 2000).
Dearborn lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Kerry, who is professor of theology at Seattle Pacific University.