Rev. Tom Elenbaas

MN355-DL Missional Preaching

Tom Elenbaas lives in Hudsonville, MI with his wife Trista and 4 children. He has been with Harbor Churches since 2005, and since 1994 has held roles as Youth Pastor, College Pastor, Lead Pastor, Pastor of Discipleship, Church Planter, and Senior Pastor. Tom currently provides vision and oversight of Harbor Churches, serves as President of Jibit Asha, Int, and is involved in training and catalyzing church planting movements locally and globally. Tom received his Bachelors of Arts from James Madison College at Michigan State University, a Master of Theological Studies from Calvin Seminary, a Master of Divinity from Western Theological Seminary, and is currently a Duncan Doctoral Fellow in Spiritual Formation at Northwind Seminary. In his off-time, Tom loves reading, rivers, trees, mountains, painting, drawing, hammocking, camping, and good coffee.

Dr. Thomas Hudspeth

MN590-DL Deaf Theology & Ministry Fall 2023

Tom Hudspeth is currently the Pastor of Deaf Ministries at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church and Congregational Care Pastor at Walnut Hill Church, a ministry of Lovers Lane UMC in Dallas, Texas, where he leads weekly services and Bible studies with the Deaf. Tom has served as the host pastor for the 4th Global Methodist Missions Conference of the Deaf, held in 2017 in Waxahachie, Texas. He has participated or led Deaf mission teams to Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Quito, Ecuador; Meru, Kenya; Rio Bravo, Mexico and in Texas, as well as lead an interfaith Deaf tour of the Holy Land in 2016. Tom is hard of hearing, and received a call to Deaf ministry at age 28, discerning God’s invitation to love the Deaf community and to learn American Sign Language. In 2002, Tom completed a Doctor of Ministry, “American Sign Language as a Means of Grace” through Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. Tom serves as the General Secretary of the World Federation of Deaf Methodists and Consultant for the United Methodist Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries. In 2018 Tom served as a mentor for a Deaf intern from Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Tom's previous appointments have been: The Oklahoma Conference Ministry with the Deaf; First UMC, Henderson, Texas; The Methodist Church of New Zealand/Te Hahi Weteriana o Aotearoa; and First UMC, Marshall, Texas. He and his Deaf wife, Mary Kay, have two children, a daughter who is hearing and was born in New Zealand, and a son who is deaf and born in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Jill Harshaw

TH565-DL Disability & Theology in the Christian Tradition Spring 2024

Jill Harshaw teaches at Queen's University Belfast across the spectrum of practical theology, including spirituality in historical and contemporary perspective, pastoral studies and discipleship. Her special interest is in disability theology, and intellectual disability theology in particular. Jill has written and spoken widely on this subject across Europe and the United States. She gave a plenary address at the Summer Institute of Theology and disability at WTS in 2016 and her book on the subject, 'God Beyond Words: The Spiritual Experience of People with Profound Intellectual Disabilities' was published in the same year. Jill is also a founding member of Tio Associates, a pioneering, Christian not-for profit organization which, through teaching, training, advocacy and public engagement, promotes the advancement of and meaningful respect for persons who have intellectual disabilities in the Church and in society (www.tioassociates.orgLinks to an external site.). In her ‘other job’, Jill works for the National Autistic Society UK, a prominent, secular not-for profit organization that supports and advocates with, and for, autistic children and adults and their families. She is married to William, a pastor, and they have three grown-up children – Rebecca, Ben and Alex.