Dr. Sam Baker

B.S. in Psychology (Biola University)

M.A. in Christian Education (Biola University)

Ed.D. in Higher Education (George Fox University)

Dr. Baker teaches Christian ministry and upper division Bible and theology courses, and he serves as chair of the Christian Ministry & Intercultural Studies department. He has more than 30 years of ministry experience, having served churches in California, Oregon, and Washington in the following areas: youth ministry, children’s ministry, sports and recreation ministries, men’s ministry, adult ministries, family ministries, pastoral care and counseling, church administration, and Christian education. He also serves as a ministry trainer, camp speaker, conference workshop and seminar speaker, church leadership consultant, and regular pulpit supply.

Dr. Baker is a member of the Society of Professors of Christian Education (SPCE), the Association of Youth Ministry Educators (AYME), and the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry (IASYM). He has had book reviews and articles published in the Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care, Journal of Christian Education, the Journal of Youth and Theology, and other publications. His research interests are in the areas of faith development along the lifespan, spiritual typology, technology’s impact on faith, Christian leadership, and current trends and issues in ministry practice.

Dr. Baker’s most recent and notable research presentations and published articles include the following:

“Practicing the Patience of God: A Response to Technologically-Induced Impatience by Way of Ancient Holy Habit.” Paper presentation at the Oxford Symposium for Religious Studies. Oxford University, Oxford, England, August, 2018; and at the biannual conference of the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry, Durham University, Durham, England, January, 2019.

“Raised a Teenage Kataphatic: Utilising Spiritual Type Theory in Assessing Catechetical Models of Adolescent Faith Development.” Journal of Youth and Theology. Vol. 14, 2015, 45-71.

“Who’s Shaping Whom? Digital Disruption in the Spiritual Lives of Post-familial Emerging Adults.” Journal of Youth and Theology. Vol. 16, No. 2, 2017, 117-143.

“The ‘Circle of Sensibility’: How Spiritual Type Theory Informs an Understanding of Patterns and Preferences in Christian Spirituality.” Journal of Academic Perspectives. Vol. 2016, No. 3, ISSN: 2328-8264.