Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) is pleased to announce the election of Rev. Dr. Nell Becker Sweeden and Rev. Dr. T. Scott Daniels to the William M. Greathouse Chair in Wesleyan Holiness Theology. Dr. Becker Sweeden will serve as Associate Professor of Christian Theology, and Dr. Daniels as Professor of Christian Theology. Both will officially begin their duties at NTS on July 1, 2023. “The chance to add two such accomplished scholars and theologians to the Seminary faculty is a blessing. Together, Dr. Becker Sweeden and Dr. Daniels broaden the scope of our programs and bring important perspectives to the formation of faithful and effective ministers of the Gospel,” said Dr. Sarah Coleson-Derck, Dean of the Faculty.
NTS President, Dr. Jeren Rowell, said of Dr. Becker Sweeden’s election, “While Dr. Becker Sweeden is well known to the Church through Compassionate Ministry, I am excited for the Church to learn of her depth and expertise as a theologian. Nell is especially conversant with global voices in theological inquiry and will bring this rich perspective to our work as a seminary, in addition to her expertise in Wesleyan contributions to the theological task.”
Dr. Becker Sweeden is a longtime friend and partner of Nazarene Theological Seminary. She graduated with a Master of Divinity in 2007, and has taught in the Masters and Doctoral programs as an Affiliate Professor since 2017. She is Director of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM), a role she continues to hold as she joins NTS part-time. At NCM, Dr. Becker Sweeden is responsible for church-led programs in 160+ countries with specializations in holistic child development, emergency preparedness and response, water supply, sanitation & hygiene, and refugee and immigrant support. Such expertise informs her teaching and scholarship, which brings Wesleyan thought and contemporary theologies into conversation with ecclesial praxis. She has special interest in Latin American theologies and is fluent in Spanish. In addition to the B.A. from Point Loma Nazarene University and the M.Div. from NTS, Dr. Becker Sweeden earned the Ph.D. from Boston University and is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. She has taught at Eastern Nazarene College, Northwest Nazarene University, Portland Seminary, Nazarene Theological College Manchester, and Nazarene Theological Seminary. Nell is the author of two books.
Dr. Becker Sweeden reflected, “It is an honor to contribute to the NTS community in this new fashion. I look forward to journeying with students as they serve in a variety of contexts and seek to be formed and form others in the Way of Jesus for the life of the world.”
Dr. Jeren Rowell said of Dr. Daniels’ election, “Scott Daniels is the model of a pastor-theologian. One of his great contributions to the Church is bridging the space that can exist between the ministry of the academy and the ministry of pastoral practice. Scott has capacity to work across a broad range of theological domains, and his special focus in ethics brings an important perspective for grounding the work of theology in the ministry of the local church.”
Dr. Daniels brings a wealth of experience to Nazarene Theological Seminary. He has pastored in Washington, California, Oklahoma, and Texas, and since 2015 has served as Senior Pastor of College Church of the Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho, where he will continue as he joins the NTS faculty part-time. In addition to a lifetime of pastoring, Dr. Daniels has served on the faculty of Southern Nazarene University, Northwest Nazarene University, and Azusa Pacific University (where he also served as Dean of the School of Theology and Ministry). He teaches in the areas of theology, ethics, and church history. Dr. Daniels earned the B.A. from Northwest Nazarene College, and the M.Div. and Ph.D. from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is the author of six books, and numerous chapters and articles.
Dr. Daniels reflected, “It’s an honor to have the chance to serve Nazarene Seminary at this time. I’ve spent most of my ministry with one foot in the local church and another foot in the theological academy. I am excited to bring those experiences into this role, as well as continue to learn from the other gifted faculty and the amazing women and men preparing for ministry. NTS has a rich history of shaping leaders not only for the denomination but for the global Body of Christ, and I’m thankful to get to be part of that history.”
We hope you will join us in offering Dr. Becker Sweeden and Dr. Daniels our congratulations and prayers as they step into their new roles.
About Nazarene Theological Seminary
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, Nazarene Theological Seminary is a graduate school of theology rooted in the Wesleyan-holiness tradition.
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