Gregg A. Okesson

Dr. Gregg A. Okesson serves as the Ira Gallaway and D.M. Beeson Chair of Leadership Development, Mission and Evangelism and Professor of Leadership and Development at Asbury Theological Seminary. He joined Asbury in 2011 after a decade at Scott Christian University in Kenya, where he held leadership roles including Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

His educational foundation includes:

• B.A. in Psychology and Bible from Wheaton College (1988)
• M.A. in Biblical Studies from Wheaton Graduate School (1994)
• M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton Graduate School (1998)
• Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies from the University of Leeds, UK (2010)

Okesson's research explores critical intersections of theology, missiology, and global societal challenges, with concentrated focus on poverty, power dynamics, institutional leadership, and cross-cultural engagement. As a third-generation missionary to Africa, his work is deeply informed by 13 years of field experience in East Africa—including church planting among Muslim communities in Tanzania—which shapes his expertise in African Christianity and public theology applications.

His publication trajectory reveals evolving scholarly emphasis from modernity re-examination (2012) toward contemporary mission praxis, culminating in award-winning analyses of local church witness in complex global systems (2020-2023). Recurring themes include justice advocacy, societal transformation frameworks, and navigating cultural complexity through theological lenses.

Award recognition:

• Christianity Today 2021 book award for A Public Missiology: How Local Churches Witness to a Complex World

Okesson extends his mentorship through institutional leadership roles and board memberships, notably serving on the Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary (Estonia) and Association of Christian Theological Education in Africa (ACTEA) boards. His career integrates academic rigor with practical ministry, evidenced by pastoral work in New York, student development at Wheaton College, and ongoing advisory contributions to global theological education networks.

Personal formation is reflected through his 13-year East African residency and marriage to Dr. Kimberly Okesson, with whom he shares two adult children.