Who We Are

 

Gary Zacharias is the founder of San Diego County Apologetics Network. He is also an English professor at Palomar College in San Marcos, CA. He teaches a weekly apologetics class at Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, organizes major apologetics events for the whole church, and speaks to various church classes. In addition, he has set up an apologetics ministry--Apologetics For Life (apologeticsforlife.org). His email is: gary@apologeticsforlife.org. The church web page for apologetics is at efcc.org/apologetics-classes/.

 

Nathan Apodaca became very interested in apologetics when he began developing questions about his faith in high school. More recently the area he has devoted himself to is making the case for the life of the unborn, and showing love to those who have been wounded by abortion. He loves teaching how to engage on the issue of abortion and would be happy to do training for school groups or church groups.He can be reached at nathanapodaca90@gmail.com.

 

Ross Chenault has an M.A. in Apologetics from Biola University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Theology from Newburgh Theological Seminary. He has written an introductory book on apologetics called Standing Firm: A Handbook of Christian Evidences. It is written in catechism (question & answer format) and includes responses to skepticism as memory work at the end of each chapter. Ross teaches an occasional class at his church, and endeavors to work with other local apologists to put on seminars in the area. Ross has spoken with apologists Dan Story, Kevin Conover and Bob Siegel, and has taught in Bible college and high school assemblies. His web site is www.StandingFirmInstitute.org

 

Don Goeller is shepherding the Apologetics/Worldview ministry at Foothills Christian Church in El Cajon.  He has his M.A. in Speech Communication from Portland State University.  He did additional graduate study at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and at Albert Ludwigs Universitat in Freiberg, Germany.  He has served as a pastor of evangelism and discipleship, been a senior pastor, done public school teaching, and operated private businesses. He is currently working on a certificate in apologetics through Biola.  His special interest is to find and teach ways to wed apologetics and evangelism.  He also wants to see our young people equipped to overcome the challenges to the Christian worldview in school and in life.   Don can be reached by email at donliisa63@cox.net.

 

Tracy Kreckman has a bachelor’s degree in Technical Photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Masters Degree in Educational Technology from San Diego State University. He is a former Navy pilot, and now works as a technical trainer in the semiconductor industry.
 
Tracy attends the apologetics group at Emmanuel Faith Community Church in Escondido, and teaches in the Families in Faith adult Sunday School class from time to time. His apologetic interests include topics related to the physical sciences, and counter-cult activities. He is an admin on several apologetics-related Facebook pages, and can periodically be found engaging with folks of various beliefs at their booths in Balboa Park on Saturday mornings.

 

Wendy L. Patrick, JD, PhD is a career prosecutor, named the Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year by the California State Bar’s Public Law Section, and was recognized by her peers as one of the Top Ten criminal attorneys in San Diego by the San Diego Daily Transcript.  She has completed over 150 trials ranging from hate crimes, to domestic violence, to first-degree murder. 

Wendy is passionate about apologetics, using her career´s worth of evidence-based persuasion skills to defend the faith.  She is a frequent speaker at Christian conferences as well as on national television.  She is a frequent analyst on a variety of topics with over 1,500 media appearances including CNN, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, and many others.

Active in ministry, Wendy holds a Master of Divinity degree summa cum laude from Bethel Seminary San Diego where she was awarded the Excellence in Preaching Award and the Zondervan Biblical Languages Award.  She received a PhD in Theology from the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and is formally ordained through Converge Worldwide (Baptist General Conference).

Wendy is the author of Using the Psychology of Attraction in Christian Outreach: Lessons from the Dark Side, Red Flags: How to Spot Frenemies, Underminers, and Ruthless People, and co-author of the revision of the New York Times bestseller Reading People.

Contact her at wendypatrickphd@icloud.com or through her website: wendypatrickphd.com

 
 

Josh Runyan has a Master's Degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. He has done speaking on several Apologetic topics. Currently he is director of Ratio Christi at UCSD. As such Josh leads an open discussion group centered on "Big Questions". He is particularly interested in arguments for the existence of God and enjoys one-on-one discussions.

 

Keith Simpson has a B.S. in Christian Education from Biola University. Currently, he's an airline pilot, apologetics teacher, and writer. Keith's burden is to better equip Christian parents and youth with useful/relevant apologetic content. Keith has published Dude, What Are We Thinking--Darwinian Religion Versus the Faith of our Fathers, which is an enjoyable critique of Darwinism based on real-life conversations. He also has a concise, hard-hitting presentation that covers difficulties related to abiogenesis, the fossil record, and genetics in one hour, including Q&A. Keith can be reached at kallensimpson@gmail.com.

 

Joe Miller earned a BS in architectural engineering from Pennsylvania State University, an MDiv from Oral Roberts University, an MASR from Southern California Seminary, and a DMin from Biola University. He finished his ThM and will graduate with his PhD in ethics from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2021. Over the last decade, he has taught a variety of courses in Christian higher education and has worked in pastoral ministry for over 20 years. He has authored multiple books on leadership, church history, and biblical theology, including his latest work, Elders Lead a Healthy Family: Shared Leadership for a Vibrant Church. You can contact him at

https://www.morethancake.org/

apologetics@morethancake.org

 

Steve Bruecker has a Master's degree in Christian Apologetics from Biola and speaks on a variety of apologetic and theological topics. Examples include the Trinity, evangelism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Tactics.  He posts his apologetic and theological materials on his web site: biblicalworldviewacademy.org. In addition, he has experience in running apologetic conferences. Steve lives in Escondido; his email is sbruecker73@gmail.com.

 
 

Alan Shlemon is an author and speaker for Stand to Reason and is known for teaching on some of the most
controversial issues of our time like abortion, homosexuality, bioethics, and Islam. He has been a guest on both television and radio, and has spoken to thousands of adults and students across the country at churches, conferences, and college campuses. For more information or to schedule Alan, contact Dawnielle Hodgman at dawnielle@str.org. His website is www.alanshlemon.com.

 

Mark L. Strauss, Ph.D., is University Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary San Diego, where he has served since 1993. He is the author/coauthor of 15 books and many articles, and editor/co-editor of 40 volumes, with expertise in the New Testament, Gospels, Hermeneutics and Bible translation. In addition to his academic work, he preaches and teaches regularly at churches and conferences. He is married to Roxanne, a marriage and family therapist, and has three grown children.

Mark L. Strauss, Ph.D.
University Professor of New Testament
Bethel Seminary San Diego
6116 Arosa St. 
San Diego, CA 92115

m-strauss@bethel.edu

 

William Soo Hoo is a Molecular Immunologist (B.A., UCSD; Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana) with a M.A. in Christian Apologetics from BIOLA University. He is a published scientist (and cartoonist!) and currently works in the biotech industry as a Senior Director. William was raised as a non-Christian and decided to become a follower of Jesus Christ while in high school, realizing that the gospel message "just made sense."  He has experience teaching topics on science, faith, and Christian Apologetics to groups ranging in age from middle school up to adults. His interests include Origins of Life ("abiogenesis"), Big Bang cosmology, and problems with neo-Darwinian evolution.  Prepared talks include, "Abiogenesis: No Time, No Chance, No Way!", "Christian: Don't Be Afraid of a Big Bang", and "If You're Not Apologetic, You'll Be Sorrrrry!"  William regularly teaches at his church, the Chinese Bible Church of San Diego, and has spoken to a number of outside groups as well. Contact: william.soohoo@gmail.com 

 
Dan Story.jpg

Dan Story is a Christian apologist and environmental ethicist. He has a BA in theology and MA in Christian apologetics from Simon Greenleaf School of Law. Dan writes apologetic books and articles and offers short classes and talks on apologetics, Christian environmentalism, and related topics. He is also a contributing writer for the Christian Research Journal. You can reach him at danstory@earthlink.net. You can also follow his blog posts at http://danstory.net/blog/

 
 
 

Michael Prout holds a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Santa Clara University and a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from Cal State Fullerton. He retired after 36 years in the Aerospace/Defense industry holding executive and leadership roles with Raytheon, Hughes Aircraft, Ford Aerospace and McDonnell Douglas. He’s taught apologetics at North Coast Calvary Chapel’s Biblical Training Center and Santa Barbara Calvary Chapel’s Cross Current Ministry. His long standing interest in the relationship between Religion and Science culminated in a 6-week NCCC Biblical Training Center course and 90 minute synopsis presentation at North Coast Calvary Chapel’s Mars Hill ministry. He can be reached at mwprout@gmail.com.