Asbury Seminary announces the hiring of Dr. Luther Oconer to serve as Associate Professor of Global Wesleyan Theology on the Florida Dunnam Campus and Dr. Russell Hall as the Associate Professor of Counselor Education on the Kentucky campus. In addition, Dr. Jackie Perry and Dr. Marcus Killian received one-year appointments as counselor educators on the Florida Dunnam and Kentucky campuses respectively.

“We are delighted to welcome these individuals into the Asbury Seminary community,” Dr. Timothy C. Tennent, President of Asbury Seminary, said. “We are grateful for the gifts, talents and expertise that they bring to continue to equip our students to further advance the Kingdom of God around the world.”

Prior to coming to Asbury Seminary, Dr. Oconer served on the faculty and was the director of the Center for Evangelical United Brethren Heritage at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He teaches in the area of United Methodist studies, the Holiness Movement, Pentecostal/ Charismatic Movement, and church renewal. He completed his Ph.D. in Wesleyan/Methodist Studies from Drew University in 2009. He is also the First Vice President of the Wesleyan Theological Society, current editor of the Wesleyan Journal for Religious Studies, and is an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church in the Philippines.

“Dr. Oconer brings significant leadership capabilities and global ministry experience to assist the evangelical and Wesleyan movements around the world, and we are delighted to welcome him to the Seminary,” Dr. Tennent said. “He has experience using innovative teaching methods to effectively communicate with students on multiple platforms and we look forward to working with him to advance the Seminary’s mission.”

Dr. Oconer is passionate about promoting revival in churches and seeing them renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit. He regularly preaches in renewal conferences and leads workshops on divine healing in the U.S. and internationally. He has also served churches in the Philippines, New Jersey, and Alaska. He is married to Marion and they have two children, Ilana and Wesley.

Dr. Hall’s position will serve as Associate Professor of Counselor Education in the Department of Counseling and Pastoral Care in the CACREP accredited programs for the Seminary. Before moving to a faculty position at Asbury Seminary, he held the position of Director of Training in the Department of Counseling and Pastoral Care since 2011. During that time, he taught counseling courses and supervised the field placement training program. In 2017, Dr. Hall assisted with the founding of the Van Tatenhove Center for Counseling, a training clinic that provides counseling services to the Asbury Seminary community.  Dr. Hall served as director of day-to-day operations and shared clinical supervision responsibilities.

“Dr. Hall has served at the Seminary for a decade, and we are delighted to promote him to this new role as associate professor,” Dr. Tennent said. “He demonstrates a strong commitment to the integration of counseling and Christianity within the Wesleyan theological tradition in the Department of Counseling and Pastoral Care, and we are delighted to continue to serve alongside him in this new way.”

Dr. Hall’s educational background includes a B.A. in Religious Studies from Anderson University and an M.S., Ed.S., and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kentucky.  Dr. Hall is a licensed psychologist in Kentucky, specializing in trauma treatment, internalizing disorders, and childhood disorders.  In addition to his work at the Seminary, Dr. Hall maintains a small private practice. He and his wife, Melodie, have lived in Wilmore for 26 years. They have two grown children.

Dr. Jackie Perry will join the faculty for one year as Assistant Professor of Counseling on the Florida Dunnam Campus. This fall she will teach Counseling Theories and Techniques, Career Counseling, and Counseling Internship.

Dr. Marcus Killian will join the faculty for one year as Associate Professor of Counselor Education on the Kentucky Campus. This fall, he will teach The Counseling Relationship: Process and Skills, and Recognizing and Treating Addictive Disorders.

Join with us in welcoming these outstanding faculty to the Seminary community!