Dr. Terry Linhart

Dr. Terry Linhart
Dean, School of Religion and Philosophy
Director of Youth Ministries Program
Associate Professor of Youth Ministry
Office: Administration Building, 314B
Phone Number: 574.257.3517
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Terry Linhart has served as Dean of the School of Religion and Philosophy since 2006. He came to Bethel in 2001 to serve as Director of the Youth Ministry and Adolescent Studies degree program, which has grown significantly in the past five years. Before coming to Bethel, Terry served for 15 years in full-time youth ministry. His youth ministry experience includes eight years in para-church ministry with Youth for Christ and seven years as youth pastor at Hope Missionary Church in Bluffton, IN. While in Youth for Christ, Terry served on the national training staff for Youth for Christ/USA. He was an adjunct professor of educational ministry at Huntington College from 1999-2000 and is a regular visiting professor at Alliance Graduate School in Quezon City, Philippines. He has been a guest lecturer at numerous institutions, including Michigan State University (Qualitative Research), Taylor University (Postmodern Youth Ministry), and Asbury Theological Seminary (Short-term Missions).

Linhart received his B.A. (Music Theory) from Taylor University and his M.A. (Educational Ministry) from Huntington College. His Ph.D. (Purdue University) is in Curriculum Studies where he focused on the curricular nature of short-term cross-cultural service projects for adolescents. He has written numerous articles and continues to write and research as time allows. He has conducted follow-up research projects on short-term missions and received a 2002 grant from the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Religion for his study, “Youth Ministry Education and a Multicultural Society.”

Terry serves on the board of directors for Hope Rescue Mission in South Bend, Indiana and he volunteers in numerous capacities for his church, Nappanee Missionary Church. Terry has been married to his wife, Kelly, for 19 years and they have three children - Lauren, Jayson and Sean.

Memberships

  • Association of Youth Ministry Educators
  • International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry
  • North American Professors of Christian Education
  • American Educators Research Association
  • National Network of Youth Ministries
  • Network of Juvenile Justice Ministries