Mrs. Janet Puls
Fred Crawford
Keith Beutler
Terry Chrisope
Charles "Scully" Stikes
Holly Brand
MRS. JANET PULS, MSW, LCSW – Division Chair
Mrs. Janet Puls serves as Chair of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division and Director of Institutional Research. A licensed clinical social worker, Mrs. Puls has worked as a psychotherapist in a Christian counseling center, served as executive director of an inner-city non-profit organization, and provided case management for individuals with disabilities. Mrs. Puls will complete all coursework for a Ph.D. in Psychology in May 2006.
Mrs. Puls regularly teaches Psychology and Human Services courses including Child Psychology, Social Psychology, Marriage and the Family, Human Services: Theories and Practice, Developmental Disabilities, and Case Management. She also serves on MBU's Administrative Council, Dean's Council, and the Assessment Committee. Mrs. Puls is also providing leadership as a member of the steering committee for an upcoming focus visit by the Higher Learning Commission.
Mrs. Puls' professional activities include membership in the North American Association of Christians in Social Work, American Psychological Association, and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology as well as the National Association of Social Workers, where she recently completed 5 years as Treasurer of the Missouri Chapter. As an alumna of Saint Louis University , Mrs. Puls serves as Editor of the Alumni Newsletter for the School of Social Work . Mrs. Puls' awards include the 2004-2005 Who's Who Among America's Teachers and inductions into Omicron Delta Kappa (National Leadership Honor Society), Psi Chi (National Honor Society in Psychology), and Pi Gamma Mu (International Honor Society in Social Science).
The integration of faith and learning is evident in Mrs. Puls' classes, enlightening both mind and soul. The life of Jesus is a powerful role model for service to others and the academic disciplines of psychology and human services not only leads to understanding the human condition but also meeting the needs of people and "bearing one another's burdens" (Gal. 6:2). Mrs. Puls encourages students to seek the will of the Lord for their lives and "know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).
FRED CRAWFORD, M.A., C.P.P. – Coordinator, Administration of Justice
Coordinator of Missouri Baptist University 's Adminstration of Justice, Fred Crawford is a retired police captain, formerly with the St. Louis County Police Department. Captain Crawford holds an A.A. in law enforcement from St. Louis Community College , a B.A. from Columbia College in Business Administration, an M.A. from Webster University in Public Administration, and has done additional graduate work at the University of Virginia . He has been certified a Protection Professional by the American Society for Industrial Security. His professional affiliations include memberships in the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Missouri Police Chiefs Association, and the National Association of School Security and Law Enforcement.
Currently, besides serving Missouri Baptist University as an instructor and program Coordinator, Captain Crawford is Chief of Security for the Parkway School District . As an active, experienced law-enforcement professional he brings to his classroom a wealth of real-world Administration of Justice experience and incomparable work-place contacts, such as the police detectives and crime-scene investigators whom he regularly invites into his classes as guest speakers.
Captain Crawford is an exemplary role model of how to operate with integrity as both a Christian and a professional in law enforcement and administration. In his own words, Crawford believes that "being a good Christian in criminal justice" work involves living by the sort of pure "ethical beliefs that make" it possible for "the public to trust you." Many "sordid ethical issues" do arise in dealing with crime and criminals, but "treating people with respect, and adhering to the Commandments helps" one "make ethical decisions that benefit your reputation" professionally, even as you protect and serve the public. Captain Crawford is always interested in working with prospective Administration of Justice majors at Missouri Baptist University . Please feel free to contact Captain Crawford if you have questions about the program.
KEITH BEUTLER, Ph.D – Assistant Professor of History
kbeutler@mobap.edu
(314) 744-5359
Dr. Beutler teaches history and political science courses at Missouri Baptist, including upper-level courses in his specialty, the United States' Founding era. In addition to a Ph.D. in History from Washington University in St. Louis , he holds concurrent B.A. degrees in History and Philosophy from Liberty University , an M.Ed. from Union University , and an M.A. in History from The University of Tennessee.
Dr. Beutler is a former high school history teacher whose teaching awards include multiple listings in Who's Who Among American Teachers . His professional affiliations include membership in The American Historical Association and the Society of Historians of the Early American Republic. He has presented at both organization's annual conferences on the subject of African-American Patriot veterans of the American Revolution. Currently, he is revising for publication his 2005 dissertation: “The Memory Revolution in America, and Memory of the American Revolution, 1790-1840,” In the course of researching that work, he received research fellowships from numerous historical organizations, including: the Virginia Historical Society, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the New-York Historical Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Pennsylvania Historical Society, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the American Philosophical Society, the David Library of the American Revolution, the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.
Dr. Beutler, a member of the university's “Faith and Learning Committee,” believes, in the late Frank Gaebelein's helpful phrase, that “All truth is God's truth.” “The urgent task of faith and learning integration in my classroom” Professor Beutler explains, “is never as simple for me or my students as peppering lectures or discussions with soothing affirmations of whatever historical suppositions are most current in American or even in American-evangelical culture. It involves looking with care at as much available , relevant academic evidence as possible Simultaneously we strive to exemplify the Christian virtue of humility, taking care to not confuse our own academic hypotheses with received Biblical writ, or to wall ourselves off intellectually from academic colleagues within and without this university.” Dr. Beutler is always eager to work with students willing to take on the special challenge of living as both faithful, honest scholars and as committed servants of Christ. He urges prospective students to feel free to contact him directly with questions or comments.
TERRY A. CHRISOPE, Ph.D – Professor of History and Bible
chrisope@mobap.edu
(314) 392-2335
Dr. Terry A. Chrisope teaches upper-level undergraduate history and graduate-level theology at Missouri Baptist University . In addition to a Ph.D. in history from Kansas State University , he holds a B.A. from Central Baptist College , and an M.Div. and a Th.M. from Covenant Theological Seminary. Dr. Chrisope is the author of two books that, together, reflect his combined interests in history and Biblical theology: Jesus is Lord : a Study in the Unity of Confessing Jesus as Lord and Saviour in the New Testament (first published in 1982, and being expanded for republication) and a 2001 offering, Toward a Sure Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Dilemma of Biblical Criticism, 1881-1915 . In addition, Professor Chrisope has published numerous articles in the Founder's Journal .
Dr. Chrisope's professional affiliations include memberships in the Historical Society, the Conference on Faith and History, and the Evangelical Theological Society. His teaching awards include being named the1995 Parkway Distinguished Professor.
In all of his teaching, research, and writing, Professor Chrisope seeks to live-out the Lordship of Jesus Christ, seamlessly integrating faith and learning. Thus, in his most-recent book on J. Gresham Machen, he argues from primary-source material to credibly revise the standard scholarly portrayal of Machen, one of the leading figures in American theological history. At the same time, Dr. Chrisope sensitively highlights how improved understanding of Machen, can provide guidance for maintaining Biblical faith even after "a potentially faith-shattering encounter with modern thought." In Professor Chrisope's published words:
Machen was a person of intense intellectual honesty. He would not believe a historical claim which he was convinced was not historically true. His examination of the evidence for the historicity of the New Testament events, therefore, carries the greater weight because he was evidently prepared to reach opposite conclusions from those he did reach. That he did come down on the side of historic Christianity bears testimony not only to the survivability of such an intellectual crisis, but also-for those who will receive it-to the power of the historical witness of the New Testament documents to one who has not ruled out their truthfulness beforehand..For Machen, as for many others, a faith tried and proven is stronger than a faith not tried at all.
Dr. Chrisope is always eager to work with new students at Missouri Baptist University . He encourages prospective students with interests in his academic fields to contact him directly with their questions, or for more information.
CHARLES E. "SCULLY" STIKES, Ph.D., L.P.C.
Dr. Stikes teaches a variety of psychology, counseling, and sociology courses at Missouri Baptist University, including: Psychology of Normal/Abnormal Personality, Pastoral Counseling and Care Giving, Psychology of Moral and Spiritual Development, Advanced Human Development, Chemical Dependence, and the African-American Experience. In addition to a Ph.D. from Kent State University in Group Counseling, Psychotherapy and Organization Development, and his licensure as a professional counselor, Professor Stikes holds concurrent B.A. degrees from Kent State in Psychology and Biology, an M.Ed. from Kent State in Rehabilitation Counseling, an M.A. from Kent State in Sociology and Anthropology, and an M.Div. from Eden Theological Seminary.
Dr. Stikes recalls, "I was originally attracted to my fields of study after I took Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Sociology, and Clinical Psychology" as undergraduate courses. "They began to answer questions about my own development and social change during the turbulent 1960s." In the decades since, Dr. Stikes has held a host of leadership position, including: President of Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts; Assistant to the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Missouri, St. Louis; Dean of the Division of Liberal Arts and Sciences of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Area Technical College; Assistant Chancellor for Student Affairs at University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Vice-President for Student Development at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury; Special Assistant to the President, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville; and Associate Dean of the College and Dean of Students, Livingston College, Rutgers University.
Dr. Stikes' research has attracted grants from such organizations as the National Institutes of Mental Health and the Aetna Foundation. Over the course of his career, he has received numerous awards, including a Phi Delta Kappa Education Honorary, an Omicron Delta Kappa Honorary, and a 1998 Creative Contribution Award from Kent State University . Professor Stikes' numerous publications include a 1984 book, Black Students in Higher Education , published by Southern Illinois University Press.
As a professor at Missouri Baptist University , integrating his Christian faith and his academic learning is Dr. Stike's passion. "What students can get from me that they would not normally get," he explains," is the integration of" distinctively Christian "spirituality and its role in.human development." With the resulting knowledge, students are better equipped, "to live, love, learn, teach and witness..This is why a Christian needs to be knowledgeable about my fields."
Perhaps what makes Professor Stikes' teaching so refreshing and authentic is that his ministry extends beyond the theory-bound world of academia out into the universe beyond the university, where he serves the wider community as Pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church, and as a member of a local "Peace with Justice" network, encouraging racial diversity and justice. In addition, he operates his own consulting firm, which has been tapped for projects around the world, advising-for example-foreign governments in their organization of their own domestic educational administrations.
Professor Stikes is always eager to work with new students at Missouri Baptist University . He encourages prospective students in his fields of interest to contact him directly with their questions, or for more information.
HOLLY BRAND, Ph.D – Assistant Professor of Psychology
brandhl@mobap.edu
(314) 392-2306
Dr. Brand holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from St. Louis University . At Missouri Baptist University , her teaching and research interests focus upon cognitive development, in children, adolescents, and adults. She is interested in determining cognitive effectiveness in teaching methods, in discovering how aging and cognition relate to each other, in issues related to adolescent sexuality, and in inter personal communication in the contexts of marriage and parenting.
Prior to joining the faculty of Missouri Baptist University, Dr. Brand taught psychology from 1997 to 2000 at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. Professor Brand's professional affiliations include membership in the American Psychological Association and the Society of the Teaching of Psychology.
Dr. Brand serves not only the immediate Missouri Baptist University community, but also people beyond its walls. She is a frequent guest speaker to outside groups, including church and women's groups, bringing to bear both her faith as a Christian and her professional insights as a psychology professor.
In all of her labors, including her professorial work, Dr. Brand seeks to live out her conviction that, as she says, "Scripture is the ultimate authority in life." She notes that "mainstream psychology has become very liberal and secular and for a Christian psychology student it is essential that they understand where" popular ideas in "their chosen field of study and their faith do not coincide, and then be educated to reconcile the two."
Dr. Brand is always eager to work with her students. She urges prospective psychology students to contact her directly for more information.
