AG Theological Seminary to Inaugurate New President
The Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS) at Evangel University will inaugurate Mark A. Hausfeld as president on Friday, Nov. 13 at 9:30 a.m. in the William J. Seymour Chapel at AGTS (1435 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, Missouri, 65802).
After being appointed by the university Board of Trustees, Hausfeld assumed the seminary presidency on July 1, 2015. The seminary president reports to the university president and serves on the cabinet of University President Carol Taylor.
“As a graduate of both Evangel University and AGTS, Dr. Hausfeld is uniquely positioned to lead AGTS into the future as part of the larger Evangel University,” Taylor said. “He possesses broad pastoral, missions, academic and leadership experience, and I am excited that he has joined the senior leadership team for the university.”
Hausfeld has more than 30 years of ministry experience, both in the United States and abroad. His passion is for equipping Spirit-empowered servant leaders with the highest quality seminary scholarship and training. Prior to his role as AGTS president, his focus centered on discipleship and church planting in urban settings in North America and restricted contexts in Central Asia and far-reaching global Muslim communities.
In keeping with this focus, Hausfeld and his wife, Lynda, pastored and planted a church on the South Side of the City of Chicago for 10 years before partnering with Assemblies of God World Missions to reach the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1995. He later became AGWM’s area director for Central Eurasia (2000-2008).
Most recently, Hausfeld served as the international director of Global Initiative: Reaching Muslim Peoples (2009-2015). As director, he collaborated with national churches around the world, AGWM regions and local churches in the United States to equip and mobilize them to reach Muslims everywhere.
Mark has functioned as the seminary’s director of the Center for Islamic Studies since June 2010. He served as associate professor of Urban and Islamic Studies from 2007 to 2015. Today he holds appointment at the rank of professor.
“I count it a great privilege to serve Christ’s kingdom in this way,” said Hausfeld. “I look forward to seeing the seminary’s influence expand over the coming years. Operating as an embedded seminary within Evangel University will only enhance the breadth of this influence.”
The public celebration will begin with an inaugural lecture featuring Raymond J. Bakke on Thursday, Nov. 12 from 4-5 p.m. in the William J. Seymour Chapel at AGTS. Dr. Bakke is a leading teacher, author and speaker in the field of urban ministry. He founded International Urban Associates in 1989, animating a network of more than 100 urban-based church and mission leaders in many of the largest cities of the world. Among numerous articles and other books, Bakke authored A Theology as Big as the City and The Urban Christian.
