Mark Soto Professor Biblical Studies   B.A., Th. B., Appalachian Bible College   M.A.R., Liberty University   M.Div., Th.M., D.Min., Grace Theological Seminary Phone: 574-372-5100 ext. 6062 E-mail: mhsoto@grace.edu

Dr. Soto has had 12 years of experience in the pastoral ministry as well as a counselor for a Christian residential childcare facility. He has served as a part of the Grace College Student Life staff as the Associate Dean of Men.

 

7 Questions with Dr. Soto:

1) What are some of your interests and hobbies outside of teaching and ministry?

I enjoy cryptograms, sokudo puzzles, to keep my analytical skills sharp. I golf in the summer as much as I can and I enjoy reading as a leisure activity.

2) Who are the members of your immediate family?

I have been married to Carol for 30 years and we have two children.
Rebecca is an attorney in Warsaw and works with the David Kolbe Law Offices and Naomi is married to John Olesen and serves Warsaw and the surrounding area as a paramedic.

3) What is one of your most memorable experiences in ministry?

Leading a church which was over 100 years old and had 40 pastors to break the cycle of dysfunction to hire a pastor that has been with that church for over a decade

4) What was the topic of your Dmin, Th.D, or Ph.D dissertation?

Th.M. = The Identity of the Eschatological “Bride” in Revelation 21:9
D.Min. = Facing the Challenges of Small Church Ministry: Understanding the Systems that Govern Church Life and Dealing with the Conflicts that Arise as Part of that Life.
Ph.D. = in Preparation = Assessing the Instructional design processes in seminary curriculum and the perception of those processes by the faculty who design and teach that curriculum

5) What classes do you teach? Which is your favorite to teach?

Systematic Theology 1 and 2, Hermeneutics, History of Doctrine in the Church

I would have to say my favorite is the Theology classes. This is what I have trained my whole education to teach and it is really exciting to challenge men and women to think rightly about God and the things He has revealed to us!

6) Outside the Bible, what are some of the most influential books in your life?

I would have to say A.W. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy is without a doubt one of the most significant books along with Miles Stanford’s Principles of Spiritual Growth and Richard M. Weaver’s Ideas Have Consequences. There are many more but these three have been most influential in shaping how I think and do theology.

7) What is your most recent area of research?

I am finishing a Ph.D. in Instructional Design for Online Learning and I have many areas of interest in research related to how we teach seminary and construct curriculum. Traditional education is based on Pedagogy and the training of younger students is very different than the training of adults. Andragogy is an approach to teaching adults that has been a discipline for over 50 years in education. Unfortunately it has not significantly influenced the seminary experience and I believe that the elements of andragogy need to be implemented in seminary curriculum design. I believe that in order to better equip adults for ministry and to make seminary education available and viable online it is necessary to make fundamental design changes to the curriculum offered in seminary. I hope to be a part of that for the future.