| NewSong Teaching Team |  |
| Core Teaching Team |
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| Dennis Bachman, M.A., B.A., serves as Lead Pastor for NewSong Church. As such, he is the primary, initiating leader in the overall direction and vision of NewSong. He serves as a voting member of the Elder Board and as a core member of the Teaching Team, speaking roughly 55% of the year. Dennis has been a primary advocate for shared leadership and team-teaching responsibilities, noting the biblical precedence for such an approach and proclaiming the resultant benefit to the mission of the Church. NewSong’s effectiveness is strengthened when spiritually-gifted and authenticated teachers are mobilized to share in the church’s pulpit ministry. Dennis earned his Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Psychology from Azusa Pacific University and earned his Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from International School of Theology. Prior to assuming a vocational ministry role at NewSong, Dennis worked in Corporate Human Resources at Bank of America in San Francisco where he met his wife Kelly, a Real Estate Escrow Officer by profession. Dennis and Kelly have two daughters: Brianne, 10 and Brooke, 6. Dennis’ passion to see people fall madly in love with Christ, to walk in His power, and to find hope to live life to the full as God intends. Email Dennis at rhardiman@newsongsd.org |
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| George R. Haraksin II, M.A., B.A. serves as Pastor of Christian Formation at NewSong. He is an elder board team member, facilitates Teaching Team meetings, and acts as theological guard for NewSong's doctrinal positions. George also is an adjunct instructor in Philosophy at Azusa Pacific University. George holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University at Fullerton in Comparative Religion, a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy and Ethics from Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, and is currently working on another Masters and Ph.D. in philosophy at Claremont Graduate University. George has been interviewed by Moody Magazine concerning apologetics in the local church and is a contributor The Encyclopedia of Practical Theology and Ministry with entries on Virtues and Vices. George has been married to his wife Tracy for 19 years and they have two boys Trey (12) and Elias (9). Email: gharaksin@newsongsd.org |
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| Additional Preachers |
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| Cheryl Crawford, Ph.D, is an Assistant Professor at Azusa Pacific University and an adjunct faculty member for Fuller Theological Seminary in youth ministry. Cheryl has been involved in youth work since 1975, serving in church, parachurch, and camp settings ministering to children, early, middle and late adolescents. She completed her undergraduate studies at Gordon College, majoring in Biblical Studies, and earned a Master’s degree from the University of Southern California in Educational Psychology. Cheryl graduated with a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary in June 2002, and received her Ph.D in 2008 from Fuller in Practical Theology, with an emphasis in Youth Ministries. Cheryl loves hanging out with students, spending time anywhere outdoors, and particularly enjoys anything to do with the ocean. Dark chocolate, good coffee, theater, and USC football are but a few of her passions that she enjoys sharing with friends. Email: ccrawford@apu.edu |  |
| John Selbak, J.D., is on the elder board at NewSong Church and leads NewSong’s college and young adult ministry. He has taught at Pepperdine University School of Law as an adjunct professor since 1999, and currently teaches as an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Business at Azusa Pacific University. John is the founding partner of Corporate Counsel Partners, a firm focused on representing entrepreneurial and emerging companies. Prior to founding Corporate Counsel Partners, John was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Musick, Peeler & Garrett, one of the state’s largest firms, where he managed the firm’s Business & Technology Practice Group. He holds a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law, a Bachelor’s of Arts in Business Administration from California State University at Fullerton, and a minor in Political Science. John and his wife Lina were married in 2004. Email: jselbak@newsongsd.org |
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| Ray Wheeler, D.Min., is an organizational consultant in the area of leadership development and training and a parttime staff member of NewSong Church in San Dimas, California. Ray has served as lead pastor in two local congregations, a campus pastor, a denominational short-term missions director and church planting supervisor. Ray holds a doctor of ministry degree from Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California and a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. He currently serves as an adjunct lecturer on leadership and organizational design for Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California and Bethesda Christian University, Anaheim, California. He is a regular guest lecturer at leadership institutes both domestically and internationally. Ray has been married for 34 years to Janice. They have three adult children and one grandchild. Ray loves to swim, travel, collect books, and sketch (sometimes he plunks around on the guitar). In addtion to his work developing leaders and teaching he serves on the board for Hospitality International Services in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China. Email: rwheeler@newsongsd.org |
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