Where I come from
Born in Northern Minnesota to Finnish-American parents, I was raised in California and stayed there through the college years. I did not move to Oregon until the fall of 1972, when graduate school beckoned.
Faith story
Like many Scandinavians, I was raised as a Lutheran. But I never truly embraced the faith; rather, I avoided going to church as often as I could. It was not until, as a senior in high school, I first heard of the gospel of the grace of God in Christ through a friend, who shared with me the “four spiritual laws.” I knew that was what I needed deep in my soul, and I called on the risen Christ for forgiveness and direction. My life was changed radically from that point.
Why I teach at Multnomah
While approaching the end of my Th.M. program in Portland, I became aware of Multnomah’s reputation and compatibility with my own developing theology. I was ultimately hired as an adjunct soon after my wife and I married. With no options of full-time employment without a doctorate, we went to Dallas to secure one. We were delighted to be welcomed back to Multnomah in January of 1981.
Favorite book in the Bible
My favorite book is Ecclesiastes. I find it to be a realistic perception of life when possessions, relationships, talents, or any other things are used in an attempt to give us a sense of significance instead of intimate relationship with God.
Extra-curricular, non-ministry activities
Since about 1991, I have worked closely with Oaktree Software out of Orlando, Florida, to develop Greek biblical texts for searching on their Accordance Bible software.
Family
My interests include hiking/backpacking, Macintosh computing, stamp collecting, and amateur astronomy. My wife, Joan, and I have three adult children, two of whom are married, and we have been blessed with four grandchildren.