Contributors

Chrischona (Gibson) Sodji graduated from Cairn University in 2020 with an MS in Educational Leadership and Administration. Her research investigated the nature of international best practice for schools which seek to provide national students with a transformational Christian education experience. It was an action research project which foreshadowed a commitment her husband and she would make to establish a school modeled on the findings of her research.

Her interest in the subject began as a child of missionaries serving in Europe. She first attended a local Austrian school and then later the Vienna Christian School, which a team of educators from Black Forest Academy, led by Mr. Dick Derksen (also a CATE member) had established to serve the global mission community.

Harold Klassen has undergraduate degrees from Ambrose University (a.k.a., Canadian Bible College, BRE) and Simon Fraser University (BSc in Chemical Physics with a teaching credential). Following two years of teaching in the public education system in Canada, his wife Betty and he joined TeachBeyond (formerly Janz Team) and relocated to Black Forest Academy, Germany. Harold served initially in various school-based capacities, first as a teacher, and subsequently as a librarian, computer technician, and high school principal. He completed a M.Sc. in Education from Cairn University in 2003.

From 1998 to the present he has been an educational consultant, mentor and lecturer working with teachers and organizations in 20 countries worldwide. His writings have been translated into Chinese and Spanish and used in many countries where he has helped local Christians introduce and develop transformational Christian education. His website, Transforming Teachers, which is integrated with and supported by the CATE Centre, is one of the largest in the field and regularly consulted by scholars and practitioners around the world.

His ongoing consulting and coaching work, as well as his academic interests, remain focused on furthering a Biblically based educational theory and practice which explores how God reveals Himself and His ways in the Bible and in His world so that people can flourish by knowing God the Father through Jesus Christ, becoming like Jesus through the indwelling Spirit and serving others as stewards of God’s world and gifts.

David Durance is the current President of TeachBeyond and leader of several other educational organizations committed to providing transformational education services on a global platform. He was the Regional Director of Asia for TeachBeyond for five years before his appointment to the senior position in TeachBeyond.

He holds an Economics degree (With Distinction) from the University of Regina in Canada and an MBA (BGS Honor Society) from the University of Massachusetts (Amhurst). He is currently enrolled at Trinity International University in its PhD leadership program. His research interests are transformation steward leadership, organizational change, and the embracing of organizational mission-vision-values across cultures.

George Durance is CATE’s Facilitator. After teaching in a public high school, he served 12 years at Black Forest Academy, Germany (Social Studies, Principal, Director), 12 years at Ambrose University, Calgary and 12 years at TeachBeyond. He remains President Emeritus of both Ambrose and TeachBeyond. His academic training is in Biblical studies, history, and education – disciplines which continue to shape his thinking and activities. He earned his PhD at Durham University.

George has traveled extensively to help build supporting organizational structures for transformational Christian education. Both his administrative and academic work grow out of a conviction that God is using education in a distinct way to build His church. He is particularly interested in working with those exploring the dynamic role of visionary-missional-transformative-Christocentric education in post Christian, secular cultures.