| Prior to accepting the call to teach in the Philippines, Paul
served from 1991 to 2000 as senior minister at two churches¾First
Christian Church of Conroe, Texas, and Westhampton Christian Church
of Roanoke, Virginia. Throughout his pastorates Paul was active
in his community, organizing interfaith and ecumenical celebrations,
and he was active in the leadership of his denomination. Paul
taught religious studies, Christian theology and philosophical
ethics as a full-time professor at Barton College, in Wilson,
North Carolina, and at the Houston Graduate School of Theology,
Houston, Texas. He also taught courses at Bellarmine College in
Louisville, Kentucky, the University of St. Thomas in Houston,
and the Melanchton Institute in Houston. Prior to his marriage
with Mary, Paul served as chaplain at Rutgers University (1983-1984),
while Mary completed her work at Princeton Theological Seminary.
He also worked as a hospital chaplain during his clinical pastoral
education (CPE) training at the Texas Medical Center in Houston.
Paul has been involved in a number of important scholarly projects.
He participated in the Pastor-Theologian program of the Center
of Theological Inquiry at Princeton Theological Seminary from
1998 to 2000 and supported the work of the Karl Barth Society
of North America and the International Bonhoeffer Society through
his involvement in publication and translations projects focusing
on the work of these theologians, both of whom have contributed
greatly to our current understanding of missionary work.
Mary served as a campus minister at Montgomery College in Houston,
Texas, from 1998 until December 2000. “In effect,”
Mary writes, “I was a missionary to the Montgomery College
campus community and represented God’s presence to the students,
faculty and staff.”
Mary also served as director of Christian education at Second
Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, Virginia, from 1995 to 1997 and
at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Wilson, North Carolina,
from 1990 to 1991. Mary was honored to hold the position of professor’s
assistant in the Institute of Assyriology from 1985 to 1989. She
has worked as well as a translator for the ninth volume of the
International Bonhoeffer Society’s translation of Young
Bonhoeffer, the same volume on which Paul served as editor.
Paul received his doctorate in theology, magna cum laude, from
the University of Heidelberg, Germany, in 1989. His dissertation,
“Dogmatics and Ethics: Theological Realism and Ethics of
Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics,” was published by Peter
Lang in 1990. He holds a master’s of sacred theology from
Yale Divinity School (1983) and a master’s of divinity from
Princeton Theological Seminary (1982). In addition, he earned
a master’s of arts in philosophy from Goddard College. He
studied theology and ministry at the Divinity School of the University
of Chicago and at Tubingen University in Germany as well. Paul’s
father served as a pastor and an ecumenical leader for over forty
years.
Mary holds a master’s of divinity from Princeton Theological
Seminary (1984), with a concentration in Old Testament, and a
bachelor of arts degree from Wellesley College. While studying
for the doctor of theology degree in Old Testament at Heidelberg
University, Mary earned a degree in Assyriology from Heidelberg.
Mary’s parents, Prof. Harold and Melissa Nebelsick, were
Presbyterian missionaries in Berlin, Germany, and Beirut, Lebanon.
Mary was ordained to her position in the Philippines as a minister
of Word and Sacrament on February 25, 2001, at Second Presbyterian
Church, Louisville, Kentucky. She is a clergy member of the Presbytery
of Mid-Kentucky.
Paul was ordained on June 20, 1982, at Oaks Christian Church
in Houston, Texas. Several members of his family have been ordained
ministers in the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ tradition,
and the Presbyterian tradition.
Birthdays:
Paul - July 13
Mary - April 30
Rachel - December 19, 1995 |
