Adjunct Faculty (Ministry Specialists)
Mr. Charles H. Canon III
M.L.S., SUNY Geneseo, 1994; B.S., Roberts Wesleyan College, 1970. Mr. Canon is a member of the Committee on History and Archives of the Free Methodist Church, USA. He has been a member of the Board of Administration at the local, conference, and denominational level within the Free Methodist Church. He has also been a delegate to each Free Methodist General Conference since 1985. He is currently a member of the Ministerial Education and Guidance Board and the Ministerial Appointments Committee of the Genesis Conference of the Free Methodist Church and the Board of Administration of the Northgate/Batavia(NY) Free Methodist Church.
Rev. Dr. Jack Connell
Ed.D., Higher Education Administration, University of Rochester. D.Min., Pastoral Leadership and Biblical Preaching, Asbury Theological Seminary, 1997; M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary, 1987; B.S., Business Administration, Houghton College, 1983. Dr. Connell serves as the Executive Vice President for Enrollment and Strategic Initiatives at Roberts Wesleyan College and is Professor of Pastoral Ministry. Dr. Connell is an ordained minister in the Wesleyan Church. He has nearly twenty years of pastoral experience, including eleven years as senior pastor of Crosswinds Wesleyan Church in Canandaigua, NY. During these years at Crosswinds, average weekend attendance grew from 200 to 1400. Dr. Connell has held senior administrative positions at Houghton College and Asbury Theological Seminary, and has taught for a number of institutions in the areas of biblical preaching and church leadership. He has served on the boards of several organizations. He and his wife Wendy reside in Honeoye Falls, NY with their four children.
Dr. Todd Daningburg
Dr. Daningburg has served as a pastor for over 20 years, and is currently senior pastor at Valley Chapel Free Methodist Church, Warsaw, N.Y. He has also served in the advancement office of Northeastern Seminary and Roberts Wesleyan College. His earned degrees include: D.Min. and M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary; B.A., Religion and Philosophy, Roberts Wesleyan College.
Rev. Vince DiPaola
Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1993; B.S., Electrical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, 1985. Rev. DiPaola is the founding and senior pastor at Lakeshore Community Church in Rochester, N.Y., a church he began with his family in 1995. He has hosted the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit to Rochester, which has been held at Lakeshore since 2004.
Rev. Walter S. Fleming
M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary, 1980; B.A., Houghton College, 1976. Pastor Wally, as he is known around campus, has served as the lead pastor at Pearce Memorial Church, a congregation adjacent to the NES campus. Pearce is Pastor Wally’s fourth appointment, having served three other congregations since he began full-time pastoral ministry in the summer of 1980. He has also served as adjunct faculty at Roberts Wesleyan College since 1998, teaching in the area of leadership.
Rev. Dr. Dana L. Goodnough
D.Min., Ministry Leadership, Dallas Theological Seminary, 2002; M.A., Counseling, Liberty University, 1992; Th.M., Bible Exposition, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1985; B.A., Pastoral Studies and Biblical Languages, Calvary Bible College, 1981; Diploma, Pastoral Studies, Moody Bible Institute, 1980. Dr. Goodnough is the pastor at Pittsford Community Church where he has served since 1985. He serves on the board of the Rochester Institute of Christian Education and has served as a visiting instructor at the Baptist Theological Seminary of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Dr. Goodnough is the author of Three-Minute Theology: 66 Simple Lessons on Basic Bible Doctrines (Crossbooks).
Dr. Barry Hamilton
Ph.D., Drew University, 1993; M.Phil., Drew University, 1991; M.L.S., University of North Texas, 1994; M.Div., Nazarene Theological Seminary, 1983; B.A., Bethany Nazarene College, 1978. Dr. Hamilton brings to Northeastern Seminary extensive research and writing experience as the author of two published monographs (William Baxter Godbey: Itinerant Apostle of the Holiness Movement (2000) and The Role of Richard Watson’s Theological Institutes in the Development of Methodism after John Wesley (2014) and several peer-reviewed articles; as a presenter of several papers at professional society meetings; and as the author of more than seventy book reviews. He has taught seminary courses in Nigeria and Burundi, has served in pastoral ministry for eight years, and is an ordained elder in the Free Methodist Church.
Rev. Suzi Harriff
M.Div., Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School; B.A., English Literature and Psychology,SUNY Fredonia. Rev. Harriff's bi-vocational work includes serving as a marketing and communications professional and as an ordained pastor, teacher and minister of music with various churches in the United Methodist, American Baptist and Presbyterian denominations. She and her husband Rev. Jim Harriff travel regularly to Rwanda in east Africa, working with African Evangelistic Enterprises, Le Rucher/Mercy Ministries, and Solid Marriage Ministry in the ongoing post-genocide work of reconciliation and restoration.
Dr. Harry J. Heintz
D. Min., Fuller Seminary, 1996; M. Div., Gordon-Conwell Seminary, 1974; B. A. Southern California College, 1968. Dr. Heintz served as Lead Pastor/Head of Staff at Brunswick Presbyterian Church, Troy NY, from 1974-2012, and was Board member of Presbyterians for Renewal, 2002-2008. Dr. Heintz is active in supply preaching in the greater Rochester area, to which he moved in October 2013.
Dr. Joel R. Hoomans
D.S.L., Regent University, 2008; M.S., Career and Human Resources, Rochester Institute of Technology, 1994; B.S., Elementary Education and Psychology, Roberts Wesleyan College, 1987. Dr. Hoomans is the director for graduate studies in the department of business, and an associate professor of management and leadership studies at Roberts Wesleyan College. Dr. Hoomans holds a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education from Roberts Wesleyan College, a Masters of Science in Human Resource Development from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University. Prior to working in academia, Joel spent 10 years working in the field of Human Resources for Wegmans Food Markets, eventually becoming the company’s first Manager of Leadership Development. Throughout various roles at Wegmans he was struck by the impact that a best in class organization can have on the growth and development of people when they are invested in and treated as renewable assets rather than expendable resources. In 2006 Roberts Wesleyan College afforded him the opportunity to return to his one-time alma mater and facilitate the advancement of service leadership, strategic agility and people development on a broader scale.
Rev. Barbara Isaman-Bushart
M.Div./M.S.W., Northeastern Seminary, 2008; M.S.W., Roberts Wesleyan College, 2000; B.S. in Psychology, Houghton College, 1982. Barbara is an instructor in the community and human services department at Empire State College, an ordained elder in the Free Methodist Church, and an advocate for disability rights. She currently serves as part of the pastoral team at Community of the Savior in Rochester, NY.
Dr. Kenneth James
D.Min., Hood Theological Seminary, 2006; M.Div., Hood Theological Seminary, 1984; B.A., Livingstone College (English), 1980. Dr. James has served as senior pastor of Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Rochester, N.Y., since 2005. Dr. James is author of four books, including Go Crazy – Just Don’t Expect Me to Go With You (2013).
Dr. Brittany Kim
Ph.D., Biblical Theology—Old Testament, Wheaton College, 2014; M.A., Biblical Exegesis, Wheaton College, 2008; B.A., Religious Studies and Philosophy, Westmont College, 2003. Dr. Kim teaches online classes in biblical studies through Ecclesia College, and her research interests include prophetic literature, biblical metaphor, rhetorical and literary methods, and biblical theology.
Dr. Don Little
D.Min., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2009; Certificate in Modern Standard Arabic, Muhammad V University, Rabat, Morocco, 1994; M.Ed. (1992) and B.A. (1984), University of British Columbia. Dr. Little is a mission consultant, mentor, thinker, writer and techer with experience in church planting, executive and team leadership, mission mobilization, public-speaking and preaching. He is the founding director of the Lilias Trotter Center, equipping people with a scholarly understanding of Islam and ministry to Muslims.
Dr. Wayne G. McCown
Ph.D., Union Theological Seminary, 1970; Th.M., Union Theological Seminary, 1967; M.A., University of Washington, 1966; B.D., Asbury Theological Seminary, 1965; B.A., Seattle Pacific University, 1963. Dr. McCown is provost emeritus of Roberts Wesleyan College and dean emeritus of Northeastern Seminary. He has eighteen years of service as a seminary dean (seven years at Western Evangelical Seminary plus another eleven years as the vice president and dean at Northeastern Seminary). Dr. McCown also had three years of service as a church administrator, and eight years as the vice president for academic affairs and academic dean/senior vice president and provost at Roberts Wesleyan College.
Dr. Gregory McClain
D.Min., Asbury Theological Seminary, 1989; M.Div., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1977; B.A., Philosophy, Wheaton College, 1972. Dr. McClain has been the senior pastor for over 35 years at the Wesleyan Church of Hamburg which averages over 1,500 each weekend with a mission to follow Jesus together, loving and seeking and serving others.
Charles Meeks
M.A., Asbury Theological Seminary, 2009; B.A., Houghton College, 2004. Charles Meeks is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto and his academic interests include a wide variety of subjects spanning the disciplines of Biblical Studies, Systemic and Historical Theology.
Jae Newman
M.A., Northeastern Seminay, 2015; M.F.A., Spalding University, 2006; B.A. Lindsey Wilson College, 2004. Jae Newman is an adunct professor of writing at Roberts Wesleyan College and has served in a variety of instructional roles in the Rochester and Jamestown, NY areas. His published books include Collage of Seoul (Cascade Books) and Not yet Christmas: An Advent Devotional (Seed Bed Books).
Rev. Andrew Sass
M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary, 1989; B.A. Religion and Philosophy, Roberts Wesleyan College, 1982. Rev. Sass has pastored in the Free Methodist church since 1994, currently at Brockport Free Methodist Church in Brockport, N.Y., and has served as a field education facilitator at Northeastern Seminary since2003.
Rev. Susan S. Shafer
M.Div., Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School (CRCDS), 1982; B.S., Ohio Wesleyan University, 1967. Rev. Shafer was awarded the TROST prize for outstanding potential as a preacher/pastor educator upon graduating from CRCDS, and was awarded the Outstanding Alumnae from CRCDS in 2012. Rev. Shafer has over 30 years of pastoral ministry experience and is currently the senior pastor at Asbury First United Methodist Church in Rochester, N.Y.
Rev. Dr. Mark Tyler
Ph.D., Universitry of Dayton; M.Div., Payne Theological Seminary; B.A., Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Tyler has over 20 years of pastoral ministry experience, and currently serves as the senior pastor at Mother Bethel AMEC, Philadelphia, PA. He holds the position of Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustess for the Philadelphia Annual Conference onf the African Methodist Episcopal Church, is a Board of Directors member of the Urban Affairs Coalition, and is part of the Committee of Advisors to Urban Theological Institutute, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He is a former member of the Northeastern Seminary Advisory Board.
Dr. Gregory VanDussen
D.Min., Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School, 1986; M.A., American History, SUNY College at Brockport, 1983; M.Div., Church History, Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School, 1972; B.A., Philosophy, SUNY College at Brockport, 1969. Dr. VanDussen retired in 2011 after 39 years of full-time ministry in the United Methodist Church. He pastored several churches in Western New York, and for six years served as Batavia District Superintendent.
Dr. John R. Walker
Ph.D., Walden University, 2006; M.B.A., Rochester Institute of Technology, 1995; B.S., General Motors Institute, 1977. Dr. Walker is an associate professor of business at Roberts Wesleyan College. He has been at RWC since 1998. Since 1990, he continues to serve as the senior pastor of Faith Christian Center, Rochester, N.Y. He has advanced certification in Kirton Adaption Innovation theory and consults with organizations in the areas of leadership and organizational change, team development, and problem solving. Dr. Walker is on the board of directors for several nonprofit organizations in Rochester, N.Y.
Rev. Dr. J. Michael Walters
D.Min, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1991; M.A. St. Mary's University, 1980; M.A. Asbury Theological Seminary, 1974; B.A. Houghton College, 1986; B.T. Circleville Bible College, 1972. Dr. Walters has a broad range of academic and pastoral experience. He served as Professor of Christian Ministries at Houghton College for 20 years, including as Religion Department Chair and Associate Dean of Religion and Global Service. Prior to that, Dr. Walters served as pastor in several area Wesleyan Churches.
Dr. Norman Wetterau
M.D., Duke University Medical School, 1967; B.S., Wheaton College, 1963. Dr. Wetterau is a physician at Tricounty Family Medicine in Dansville, NY, and Clinical ASsistant Professro of Family Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine. One area of his many professional interests includes applying the theology of social justice to real-life community issues.
Rev. Dr. Thomas Worth
M.Div. and D.Min., Northeastern Seminary. Dr. Worth has been a pastor and Bible teacher in Pentecostal/Charismatic circles since the early eighties. He is currently the pastor of Community Covenant Church in Manlius, New York. For over fifteen years he has made annual mission trips to Bulgaria teaching in P/C churches. He has been a poet of the Incarnation for over a third of a century. He is on the adjunct faculty of Pinecrest Bible Training Center, and teaches from the Psalms at conferences and retreats.
Rev. Dr. Ethan Worthington
Ph.D., University of Aberdeen, Scotland; M.A., Wheaton College; B.A. Church Ministry, Southeastern University. Dr. Worthington serves at the Eastern Hills Bible Church where he is the Cazenovia Regional Directo and the Director of Emerging Adults Community.