Featured Scholars & Guest Lecturers

Lilian Calles Barger, Ph.D.
Lilian Calles Barger, a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, immigrated to the United States with her parents at the age of eight. She holds a Ph.D. in the History of Ideas (Humanities) from the University of Texas at Dallas and has expertise in the adaptation of religion/theology to modernity and the history of the gender revolution.
After a career in business, Lilian founded the Damaris Project, a ten-year initiative that provided resources for women to start faith conversations in their communities. Lilian is the author of two books: Eve’s Revenge: Women and A Spirituality of the Body (Brazos Press, 2003) and Chasing Sophia: Reclaiming the Lost Wisdom of Jesus (Jossey-Bass, 2007). Her forthcoming book from Oxford University Press is entitled The World Come of Age: An Intellectual History of Liberation Theology.
Today Dr. Barger speaks and writes for numerous scholarly venues as an independent scholar and serves as a regular podcast host for the New Books Network. She lives in Taos, NM with her husband and is the mother of two adult sons.

Mark Galli, M.Div.
Mark Galli is Editor-In-Chief of Christianity Today International, CTI. A graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz (B.A.) and Fuller Theological Seminary (M.Div.), he served churches in Mexico City and Sacramento, California as a Presbyterian pastor before moving into journalism. He has also been an editor with Leadership and Christian History magazines, and has written for a variety of publications. He is author of a number of books, including Jesus Mean and Wild: The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God (Baker Publishing), Francis of Assisi and His World (Lion Publishing) and Beyond Bells and Smells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy (Paraclete Press). He has also written a forthcoming popular biography of theologian Karl Barth with Eerdmans.

William Griffin, Ph.D.
Raised in Germany, Dr. Griffin started following Jesus in 1972 and had a life-changing experience with the Holy Spirit of God in 1973. He relented to God’s prompting to attend seminary in Berkeley, CA, but was profoundly disappointed in what he was taught. When finally he entered into the Ph.D. program at Graduate Theological Union, he did so with resolve to become a disciple-making seminary professor.
Alas, Bill confesses that he “got too smart for God” for a long, long time. But during his most difficult season as solo pastor of small church, Dr. Griffin at last returned to his First Love. Eventually he joined the faculty at Simpson University, became campus pastor there for one year, and now teaches at Right On Mission. Dr. Griffin’s big project is to serve as Old Testament editor for iBethel Church’s forthcoming translation of the Bible. Dr. Griffin also ministers (often in the middle of the night!) to church planters in Germany.
Bill Griffin’s mission statement is:
To prepare more people to discover the treasures of Truth.

Nancy Grisham, Ph.D.
Dr. Nancy Grisham is a real estate agent who ministers primarily as a full-time evangelist. She is the founder of a speaking ministry called Livin’ Ignited, a contributor to the Billy Graham Center’s evangelism blog, and a guest preacher in local churches and chapel services. Her first book, Thriving: Trusting God for Life to the Fullest (Baker, 2013), is followed by her forthcoming book, Forever Together: Sharing Christ With Your Family.
Dr. Grisham earned her PhD in Educational Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and her MA in Evangelism from Wheaton College. She has served as the Discipleship and Evangelism Pastor at Elmbrook Church in Waukesha, WI in a congregation of 6,500 people, and Associate Director of Evangelism at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, and as adjunct faculty at Wheaton College.
Nancy Grisham’s mission statement is:
To pour forth speech that gathers more people to Jesus.

Paul Jones, Ed.D.
Dr. Paul Jones is a lifelong educator with over three decades of experience in California including one decade as a professor and director of the Administrative Credential at Simpson University. In his 43 years of being an educator, he spent 20 years serving in a variety of administrative leadership roles such as public school principal and university faculty president. Dr. Jones earned his B.A. and Secondary Teaching Credential at Sonoma State University; his M.A. and Administrative Credential at Chico State University and his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern California (USC). He has been married for forty-five years; he and his wife, Jeanne, have four adult children and seven grandchildren.
Paul Jones' mission statement is:
To rally people to muster all their might

Laurie, Reinhart, M.A., H.R. Expert
Laurie Reinhart is the Director of Consultant Development and a Senior Consultant with The Genysys Group, an organizational development company that abides with Right On Mission in a contractual relationship that reflects the deep trust between the two companies’ two founders. Laurie spent almost three decades working in public sector Human Resources, including 18 years at the Orange County Fire Authority, one of the largest fire departments in the country with over 1300 employees.
Laurie holds an undergraduate degree from Whittier College, a Master’s degree from APU in Human & Organizational Development, and certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Evidence of her living out her mission can visibly be seen in her faithfulness as an adoptive mother and as the rescuer of her childhood pet turtle who still lives with the family is now over fifty years old.
Laurie Reinhart’s mission statement is:
To regard the sacred value of disregarded lives.

Raymond Rood, M.A.
Raymond Rood is founder of The Genysys Group, a Change Management consulting firm offering organizational development/transformation support to for-profit and nonprofit organizations and public agencies worldwide that seek to initiate, and sustain long-term change. His consulting, teaching, and keynote speaking have taken him to all continents; he has worked in over thirty countries so far.
Ray Rood is also the founder of graduate degree programs in Student Development Education and Human Resource Leadership at Azusa Pacific University where he served in some capacity for forty years. For over ten years he was on the Board at APU and for four the Vice Chairman and Chair of the Academic Committee.
Ray completed his undergraduate studies at Wheaton College and San Francisco State University. He completed his graduate studies through the Wright Institute at Berkeley, California and Fuller Theological Seminary.
He has been married to Mary-Ellen for over fifty years and has one son and one grandson.

Matthew Sayovitz, M.B.A.
Matthew Sayovitz has a broad diversity of experience and expertise in software development and implementation in the non-profit, education, online learning, financial and HRIS sectors. Using his precise vocabulary, he teaches Tech Savvy as both a Webinar and a course at Right On Mission..
Instructor Sayovitz is famous for innovating a unique cutting edge conference pod fondly known at Right On Mission as “Matthew’s Robot” or the “ROMbot. His formal education includes a BA and MBA from Azusa Pacific University. For ministry, he volunteers at his local church, works with InterVarsity Fellowship’s Urbana, and prioritizes Right On Mission (ROM) as he tirelessly serves as our IT Director.
Matthew Sayovitz’ mission statement is:
To enhance the work of those who are building God’s Kingdom.

Halee Scott, Ph.D.
Halee Gray Scott, Ph.D, is an author and social researcher of issues related to millennials, women in ministry leadership, and spiritual development. She works full-time at Denver Seminary. Her writing has appeared in Christianity Today, Christian Education Journal, Real Clear Religion, Relevant, Books and Culture, Gifted for Leadership, Outcomes, Intervarsity’s The Well.
Her first book, Dare Mighty Things: Mapping the Challenges of Leadership for Christian Women was released by Zondervan in 2014. When Halee is not writing or teaching, she is usually randomly Googling, baking challah bread with her daughters, running, or doing Crossfit. Follow her on Twitter at @hgscott. Soli deo gloria.
Halee Scott’s mission statement is:
To compel people to consecrate all they have to God.