Foundations Core Curriculum

Module Professors

Founder and Chief Professor of MMWU Dr. Joshua Lingel

Professor of Course #1 - Islam's Issues, Agendas and the Great Commission Professor of Course #2 - Christian Apologetics to Islam Dr. JOSHUA LINGEL is the President and visionary leader of i2 Ministries. Currently, he is responsible for leading training in Muslim Ministry and Islamic Studies for a network of over 20,000 churches in Asia, Africa and South America. The goal of i2 is to provide each church and Christian the accessibility to all the training they need to finish the Great Commission among Muslims from voices of global Christianity.Joshua Lingel was called into Muslim Ministry at age 18 when God spoke to him to study everything he could about Islam and since then train up the global church to target the Muslims in one generation. He has been involved in Muslim Evangelism since 1991. Lingel attended six universities in Islamic Studies, including University of Washington, University of London, Harvard and Talbot School of Theology, in Muslim Ministry and Christian Theology, teaching at Biola University & Talbot School of Theology undergrad & graduate students in Christian Apologetics to Islam since 1999. He is married to Jussara Robert Lingel and together they lead i2 Ministries.

Instructor of MMWU Course #3 Radical Evangelism to Muslims Dr. Jay Smith

Brethren in Christ World Mission(Missionary, Debater, Apologist/Polemicist)Jay Smith earned his PhD in Islamic Studies and has an M.Div from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, his Th.M in Missiology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Jay has been a missionary with the Brethren in Christ World Mission since 1983 working in evangelism with Muslims in England, France, and Senegal.Jay is considered to be one of the top Christian apologists to Muslims in the world, and has been involved in over 100 formal debates with Muslims and scholars.He is the leader for the national branch of i2 Ministries, England. He conducts conferences with i2 Ministries around the world to introduce the Mission Muslim World University Training program to national movements.

Instructor of MMWU Course #4 Christian and Islamic Theological Issues Dr. Sasan Tavassoli

Dr. Sasan Tavassoli is a former Shi’ite Muslim from Iran. In 1985, Sasan came to faith in Christ as the result of the ministry of a group of American missionaries while he was living in Europe. Dr. Tavassoli is an ordained minister and has been involved in ministry within the Iranian communities in the US as a teacher and later as a pastor for the past two decades. Since 2006 the main focus of Dr. Tavassoli’s ministry has been teaching on Christian satellite TV. His Farsi broadcasts are aired in Europe, the Middle East and Iran on a regular basis. He also helps to equip the Church of Iran by providing theological education through conferences and seminars. Sasan travels extensively within the US, Europe and the Middle East to preach among Iranian Christians and is extensively involved in leadership training for the growing churches inside Iran. Dr. Tavassoli has also taught courses on Islam and Muslim-Christian relations at numerous seminaries in the United States. He is also the author of Christian Encounters with Iran: Engaging Muslim Thinkers After the Revolution. Dr. Tavassoli has graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary (MA), Columbia Theological Seminary (ThM) and earned his PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Birmingham, UK. Sasan and his family live in the USA. A gifted pastor, author and speaker, Sassan is available to conduct TV and radio interviews, speak at churches, youth groups and ministry events.

Missiological/Church Planting

Module Professors

Instructor MMWU Course #9 - Muslims Evangelism and Discipleship Prof. Georges Houssney

Georges Houssney was raised in the predominantly Muslim city of Tripoli, Lebanon. He came to faith in Jesus Christ as a teenager. Soon God grew a deep love for Muslims in his heart, and he began to sense God’s call for full-time service among them. Well-known for his work supervising the translation and publication of the Bible into clear modern Arabic, Georges and his family moved from the Middle East to the United States in 1982 to minister to international students. Georges is passionate about reaching internationals here and abroad with the great news of salvation. He writes and lectures internationally about ministry to Muslims, and he strives to awaken a new generation who will proclaim the gospel boldly.

Instructor of MMWU Course #8 The Message, The Messenger, and the Community Dr. Roland Muller

Roland Muller is a cross-cultural church planter with WEC International. Over the last thirty years his ministry has taken him into most Middle Eastern Countries and has allowed him to minister to a wide variety of people; from the palaces of wealthy oil sheiks to humble bedouin tents, from bustling cities to rural villages. He is the author of a dozen books including tools for Muslim Evangelism, Honor and Shame Unlocking the door, and The Message, the Messenger and the Community. He currently teaches cross-cultural church ministry skills in Canada and as a worldwide speaking and mentoring ministry.

Instructor MMWU Course #7 The Master Plan of Evangelism Dr. Robert Coleman

Dr. Coleman has taught at Gordon-Conwell South Hamilton since 2001, after directing the School of World Mission and Evangelism at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for 18 years. He is a popular preacher, speaker and teacher, averaging about 35 speaking engagements per year around the world. Widely known for his ministry as a disciple-maker and evangelist, Dr. Coleman currently serves on the Mission America Facilitation Committee and several international mission boards and is the president of Christian Outreach. From 1989-2001, he led the Institute of Evangelism in the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College and served as Dean of the Billy Graham International Schools of Evangelism. He is also a founding member of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelism and a past president of the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education. Dr. Coleman’s scholarly interests include the theology of evangelism, revival and the lifestyle of the Great Commission. Dr. Coleman is a prolific author, having written hundreds of articles and 21 books, though he is best known for The Master Plan of Evangelism. Translations of one or more of his books are published in 109 languages, with English editions alone exceeding 7 million copies. His personal interests include spending time with his family, including his children and grandchildren, and keeping in touch with those he has discipled.

Allah, Muhammad, & Deliverance from Islam

Module Professors

Instructor of MMWU Course #16 Freedom From The Spiritual Agreements of Islam Dr. Mark Durie

Dr. Mark Durie is a theologian, humans rights activist, Anglican Pastor, a Shillman-Ginsburg Writing Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and Adjunct Research Fellow of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Other Faiths at Melbourne School of Theology. He has published many articles and books on the language and culture of the Acehnese, Christian-Muslim relations and religious freedom. A graduate of the Australian National University and the Australian college of theology, he has held visiting appointments at the University of Leiden, MIT, UCLA, and Standford, and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1992.

Apologetics I

Module Professors

Instructor MMWU Course #5 Loving God with All Your Mind Dr. J.P. Moreland

J. P. Moreland is one of the leading evangelical thinkers of our day. He is distinguished professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology and director of Eidos Christian Center. With degrees in philosophy, theology, and chemistry, Dr. Moreland has taught theology and philosophy at several schools throughout the U.S. He has authored or coauthored many books, including Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview; Christianity and the Nature of Science; Scaling the Secular City; Does God Exist?; The Lost Virtue of Happiness; and Body and Soul. He is coeditor of Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus. His work appears in publications such as Christianity Today, Faith and Philosophy, Philosophia Christi, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, and The American Philosophical Quarterly. Dr. Moreland served with Campus Crusade for ten years, planted two Campus Crusade works, planted two churches, and has spoken on over 200 college campuses and in hundreds of churches.

Instructor MMWU Course #6 Evidence that Demands a Verdict Dr. Josh McDowell

As a young man, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. He truly believed that Christianity was worthless. However, when challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity, Josh discovered compelling, overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith. After trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, Josh’s life changed dramatically as he experienced the power of God’s love. After his conversion, his plans for law school turned instead to plans to tell a doubting world about the truth of Jesus Christ. After studying at Kellogg College, Josh completed his college degree at Wheaton College and then attended Talbot Theological Seminary, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Master of Divinity degree. In 1961 Josh joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ International. Not long after, he started the Josh McDowell Ministry to reach young people worldwide with the truth and love of Jesus. Well known as an articulate speaker, Josh has addressed more than 10 million young people, giving over 24,000 talks in 118 countries. In addition to many other awards, Josh has been nominated 36 times for the Gold Medallion Award and has received that award on four occasions. In spite of all the honors and awards he has received, Josh will tell anyone that his greatest joys and pleasures come from his family. He and his wife Dottie have been married 40 years. They have four children and five grandchildren.

How Islam Plans to Change the World

Module Professors

Instructor of MMWU Course #20 How Islam Plans to Change the World Dr. William Wagner

Prof. William Wagner is currently the Co-President of the Zinzendorf School of Doctoral Studies at Olivet University in San Francisco, CA. Previously he has served as a professor at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as possitions of leadership in the Southern Baptist Convention including that of Vice President. Before serving in these positions of leadership, he served as a missionary for more that thirty years with the International Mission Board of the SBC. During that time he chaired the Muslim Awareness Committee of the European Baptist Federation. The has a Masters of Divinity from Southern Baptist Seminary, a Th.D. from the University of South Africa and a Doctor of Missiology from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Instructor of MMWU Course #21 - JIHAD, MARTYRDOM, SHI'ISM, AND MUSLIM APOCALYPTIC Dr. David Cook

David Cook's interests include the study of early Islam, Muslim apocalyptic literature and movements for radical social change, dreams, historical astronomy, Judeo-Arabic literature and West African Islam. His most recent books are Understanding Jihad and Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature. He is currently working on a book on the theme of Islamic martyrdom for Cambridge University Press, and has published on the subject of martyrdom operations. In the future, Cook intends to work on the understudied subject of West African Islam, focusing on the vast Arabic literature of sub-Saharan Africa (especially in Nigeria). Other future projects include finishing the trilogy of apocalyptic works (Studies in Muslim Apocalyptic, on classical apocalyptic beliefs; and Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature being the first two in the series) with a work on the apocalyptic and millenarian foundations of Muslim civilizations. Hopefully this will be the beginning of the serious study of the role which apocalyptic and radical social movements have played in Islamic history.

Instructor MMWU Course #22 The Islamic Anti-Christ: Examining Islam's Role in the End Times Prof. Joel Richardson

Joel Richardson is a New York Times bestselling author, film-maker, and internationally recognized teacher. Joel’s heart is thoroughly missional, with a special love for all the peoples of the Middle East, and passion to see Jesus known throughout the region. Joel travels and teaches on the gospel, living with Biblical Hope, and the return of Jesus. He is the author, editor, or director of the following books and documentaries: End Times Eyewitness: Israel, Islam, and the Unfolding Signs of Messiah’s Return The Global Jesus Revolution: Israel, Islam and the Gospel at the End of the Age (July 2015) When a Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says About Israel in the Plan of God (March 2015) Mideast Beast: The Scriptural Case for an Islamic Antichrist Islamic Antichrist: The Shocking Truth About the Real Nature of the Beast God’s War on Terror: Islam, Prophecy & the Bible Why We Left Islam: Former Muslims Speak Out Joel has been also featured on, or written for numerous radio, television and news outlets across the world including the Glenn Beck Show, the Mike Huckabee Show, the Gordon Liddy Show, the Dennis Miller Show, Chicago Public Radio, the Steve Malzberg Show, the Sid Roth Show, Jewish Voice Today, Janet Folger, Jan Markell, Janet Parshal, Kirby Anderson’s Point of View, the New York Daily News, WND, The Blaze, Front Page Magazine and many others.

Muslim Peoples and Diversity

Module Professors

Instructor of MMWU Course #23 Women in Islam Dr. Elsie Maxwell

Elsie Maxwell has extensive experience in the world of Islam. She has been with Arab World Ministries since 1958 and has worked for 27 years in Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. Since 1984 she has been working amongst Arabs in London while teaching Islamic courses at the London Bible College. Elsie meets and shares her faith with Arabic-speaking Muslim women and disciples young believers. A major part of her ministry is teaching, writing and training others for Muslim ministries.

Instructor of MMWU Course #24 Black Muslims and the Nation of Islam Dr. Carl Ellis

Between 1986 and 2009, Carl served as an adjunct faculty member at the Center for Urban Theological Studies (C.U.T.S.), and as Dean of Intercultural Studies at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. He continues to serve at C.U.T.S., and is also on the faculty at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas. Carl is currently the Associate Pastor for Cultural Apologetics at New City Fellowship. Dr. Ellis studied under Francis Schaeffer at LÁbri in Hermoz sur Olon’, Switzerland, completed his Masters in Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and holds a D.Phil from Oxford Graduate School

Instructor of MMWU Course #25 Folk Islam in Africa Dr. Tony Weedor

Tony Weedor was raised in a Muslim home where he was trained by his uncle to succeed him as a religious leader. It was Tony’s experience reading the Koran that lead him to seek the truth found in Jesus Christ. At age 22, he began a life of running from his own people for his safety. From 1982 through 2007 he saw his mother only twice. After becoming a Christian, Tony attended Bible College in Liberia and broadcasted the gospel from a Christian radio station. He has written numerous articles and has been published extensively in newspapers in Liberia. When the Civil War began in Liberia, he and two or three-hundred thousand others escaped by walking from Liberia to the Ivory Coast, a country in the southern part of West Africa. The conditions of the escape resulted in Tony, a 150-pound man becoming an 85-pound refugee living in a hut with no electricity and no running water. Against all odds, Tony started five churches during his three years in the Ivory Coast. Financial support from an Iowa dentist and his wife made it possible for Tony to study at Denver Seminary in Colorado. From there he returned to Ethiopia where he worked for five years developing church leaders. Tony is the founder of CenterPoint International Foundation and is the African Desk Director for advancing Native Missions. His recently has founded Petals of Hope Academy which addresses the ills of girls and trafficking. He is a student at OGS working on his DPhil degree.

Challenging Islam

Module Professors

Instructor of MMWU Course #32 The Cutting Edge Between Islam and Christianity Dr. John Gilchrist

John Gilchrist speaks from over 40 years of personal outreach to Muslims in South Africa and is a well known international writer, teacher, and debater. He has always believed that the most effective way of reaching Muslims with the Gospel is to base our witness on the Word of God. Books and Booklets by John Gilchrist The Heart of the matter Knowing God Personally Foundational Books Facing the Muslim Challenge Sharing the Gospel with Muslims The Qur’an and the Historical Jesus Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam The Qur'an: The Scripture of Islam Jam' Al-Qur'an – The Codification of the Qur'an text Muhammad and the Religion of Islam The Christian Witness To the Muslim The Qur'an and the Bible Series (QBS)1 The Crucifixion of Christ: A Fact, not Fiction What Indeed was the Sign of Jonah? The Textual History of the Qur'an and the Bible Christ in Islam and Christianity Is Muhammad Foretold in the Bible? Origins and Sources of the Gospel of Barnabas Christianity and Islam Series (CIS) An Analytical Study of the Cross and the Hijrah Nuzul-i-Isa: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ Al-Masihu-Isa: The Glory of Jesus the Messiah The Uniqueness of Jesus in the Qur'an and the Bible The Titles of Jesus in the Qur'an and the Bible Millat-a-Ibrahim: The True Faith of Abraham The Love of God in the Qur'an and the Bible The Temple, the Ka'aba, and the Christ Further topics Eid-ul-Adha: Abraham and the Sacrifice The Lamb of God The Way, the Truth and the Life Our Approach to Islam: Charity or Militancy?

Instructor MMWU Course #26 Behind the Veil of Islam: Gender Issues Prof. Beth Grove

Beth Grove was born and raised on the mission field, has lived among Muslim immigrant communities in London for 18 years, enjoying friendship and gospel conversations with close Muslim friends from many nations. After travelling through Muslim countries, she obtained a Master’s degree in Islamics and is one of the co-founders of the Pfander Centre for Apologetics, which is a research think-tank and teaching ministry to equip Christians worldwide to engage Islam with a confident Christianity. Beth is one of the leading voices confronting Islam and standing for the truth of the scriptures and she will impart a true love for the Muslim people to the listener. This courses will be both practical and theological for anyone who seeks to reach Muslims with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Instructor of MMWU Course #42 - Different Aspects of Islam and Christianity Dr. James White

James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a professor, having taught Greek, Systematic Theology, and various topics in the field of apologetics. He has authored or contributed to more than twenty four books, including The King James Only Controversy, The Forgotten Trinity, The Potter’s Freedom, and The God Who Justifies. He is an accomplished debater, having engaged in more than one-hundred forty moderated, public debates around the world with leading proponents of Roman Catholicism, Islam, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Mormonism, as well as critics such as Bart Ehrman, John Dominic Crossan, Marcus Borg, and John Shelby Spong. In recent years James has debated in such locations as Sydney, Australia, as well as mosques in Toronto, London, and South Africa. He is an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church, has been married to Kelli for more than thirty two years, and has two children, and two grandchildren, Clementine and January.

Christian Theology

Module Professors

Instructor of MMWU Course #33 - Old Testament Theology Dr. David Talley

With varied ministry experiences, including student development, counseling, pastoring, and teaching psychology and Old Testament studies, Dr. Talley brings a blend of scholarship and practical application to his classroom instruction. He co-pastors a local church, and enjoys research in the areas of Old Testament theology, the Pentateuch, and the prophets. His dissertation research on the judgment of pain in Genesis 3 continues to be a focus in his research as he formulates a perspective on godly living in a difficult world. Dr. Talley is passionate about understanding and teaching the truths of God's Word, discipling and equipping others, and "passing on the faith" to the next generation. His work has been published in The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the Christian Research Journal. Dr. Talley travels extensively with the goal of partnering with the international church and training leaders, especially with a focus on impacting Muslim nations with the gospel. He has traveled to South Korea, Kenya, Thailand, Armenia, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Honduras, Dominica, Nigeria, Mexico, and the Congo, Ghana to equip believers.

MMWU Administrator

MMWU Administrator Ryan James

Ryan James works with i2 ministries as the head of operations and MMWU Chief Administrator. He has spent 10 years in prayer movements laboring in intercession and discipling young adults. His ministry is focused on teaching Christology, training, and, raising up prayer, and discipleship movements among Muslims to finish the great commission.