Faculty
BIH's mission finds expression in the diverse group of teachers, scholars, missionaries and pastors that have become our Full-Time and Adjunct Faculty. Our Faculty is a committed and dedicated group of women and men who teach and pour out into the lives of the students and into their faith communities.
Miss Ada Lum
B.A. History, Wheaton College; M.A. Biblical Literature, Wheaton Graduate School; missionary to university students in 115 countries; author of books and Bible studies. BIH faculty since 1984.
Adjunct Faculty
The Rev. Donald W. Baron
B.A. Gordon College; M.Div. Luther Theological Seminary; M.A. East Asian studies, Univ. of Hawaii; missionary to Taiwan; founding Director, Bible Institute of Hawaii (1972-1989); founding pastor, Chinese Lutheran Church of Honolulu; pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Honolulu; pastor, Tauranga Lutheran Fellowship, Tauranga, New Zealand; church growth and cell church consultant. BIH adjunct faculty since 1989.
Rev. Todd A. Capen
B.A. Biola Univ.; M.Div. Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando; pastor of churches in California, Michigan and Florida; senior pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Kailua. BIH adjunct faculty since 2008.
B.S. Nottingham Univ., England; M.A. in Biblical Studies; Multnomah Biblical Seminary; short-term missionary to Thailand, the Philippines and Japan; Teaching Fellow at Multnomah Seminary; former BIH Executive Director; adjunct faculty at New Hope Christian College. Faculty since 2006.
Originally from England, Clive earned his undergraduate degree in Industrial Studies from the University of Nottingham and a master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon. At Multnomah, Clive also served as Teaching Fellow. He and his wife, Maya, spent two years as missionaries in Japan. He has also been involved in mission work in Thailand and the Philippines.
What is Clive most passionate about? He quickly opens his well-worn Bible to Paul’s Letter to Titus, indicating the first paragraph. “God has set in place a plan, and we can join Him in bringing about faith and godliness through scriptural knowledge,” he states. He is convinced that this scriptural knowledge which BIH is entrusted to share gives hope in eternal life, and helps us to live out faithful and holy lives. He hopes to meet you in the near future and “together” participate in God’s Kingdom community.
Rev. Joel Elies
BBA in Marketing and Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa; Campus Ministry Director, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship (1994-97); Associate Pastor, Hope Chapel Honolulu (1999-2004); Spiritual Director, Teacher, and Senior Pastor, Hope 968; Religion Teacher, St. Andrew’s Priory; Author, Christ-Centered Spirituality: A Handbook of Catechesis for the Training of Novices in the Way of Christ. BIH adjunct faculty since 2011.
B.A. Jessup University; M.Div. American Baptist Seminary of the West; 30 years of pastoring churches in California and Hawaii; former associate pastor, First Baptist Church of Honolulu; Senior Pastor, Island Family Christian Church. BIH adjunct faculty since 2009.
Mrs. Yamit McCormick
Early Childhood Education, Seminar Hakibbutzim, Tel Aviv University, Israel; Teacher of Shabbat School, Hebrew and Bible studies, Israel and Hawaii; Tutor of Biblical and Modern Hebrew, Oral Roberts University; Tutor of Biblical and Modern Hebrew, Ulpan, Israel; Biblical Hebrew Teacher, Hebrew College of the Bible, Hawaii; over 15 years of teaching and counseling in Hebrew. BIH adjunct faculty since 2010.
Dr. Li Chung Ming
B.S. in Geology, National Taiwan University; M.S. & Ph.D. in Geology, University of Rochester, Geophysicist and graduate faculty at University Hawaii; visiting Professor at Osaka and Okayama, and State University of New York at Stony Brook; Advisory Professor at Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China. Member of Chinese Lutheran Church of Honolulu since 1976, teaching adult Sunday School, preaching, leading various Bible study groups, and participating short-term mission trips to Switzerland, China, and US Mainland. BIH faculty since 2011.
Dr. Rebecca S. Ovitt
B.A. Philippine Normal Univ.; M.A. Educational Administration, Univ. of HI; M.A. Administration and Policy Analysis, Stanford Univ.; D.Min. Hawaii Theological Seminary; author; principal, Hawaii Baptist Academy Elem. Div. BIH adjunct faculty since 1988.
Ruby accepted Jesus Christ as her savior in the Philippines through Baptist missionaries. She pursued higher education in the United States as an East-West Center Grantee 1969-71. She received honors and awards for her outstanding service as an administrator and community leader from the Senate and the House of Representatives, State of Hawaii; City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, and the United Filipino Council 2006; American Heart Association 2003; Faculty Tribute Award, Bible Institute of Hawaii 1999; Christian Service Award, Hawaii Theological Seminary (formerly International College and Graduate School,1994; Parent-Teacher Fellowship Award, Hawaii Baptist Academy, 1991; J.C. Penny Golden Rule Award,1986; Governor’s Office, Commission on Children and Youth, Hawaii1976. She continues to be invited at churches and organizations to speak on how God loves and heals the broken-hearted. She is an active member of University Avenue Baptist Church. She enjoys working at HBA and teaching at BIH.
Dr. Bong R. Ro
Bong and Alma Ro have served with Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF) for 30 years: Singapore (1970-74), Taiwan (1975-89); Korea (1990-2000). Bong has taught at different seminaries in these countries. Bong also served as the Executive Secretary of Asia Theological Association (1970-90) and the International Director of the Theological Commission of WEA (1990-96). Since 2000 Bong has taught at Hawaii Theological Seminary (former International College and Graduate School) and Pacific Rim Christian College.
Rev. Bradstreet W. Smith
B.A., M.A., U of Hawaii; M.Div., Regent College; D.Min., Columbia International U; InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff; missionary and professor, Seminario Evangelico de Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela; BIH faculty 1996-2004; English ministry pastor, Makiki Christian Church. BIH adjunct faculty since 2004.
Rev. Bradstreet W. Smith grew up south of San Francisco and came to Hawaii in 1965 to attend the University of Hawaii where he became a Christian and met his future wife, Becky Lee from Honolulu. They served on the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship staff at UH and as missionaries in Japan and Venezuela. Brad and Becky have three sons. BIH is privileged to have Brad as full-time faculty since 1996. Brad not only teaches God’s Word, but his life reflects the essence of following Christ.
The Rev. Donald W. Baron
B.A. Gordon College; M.Div. Luther Theological Seminary; M.A. East Asian studies, Univ. of Hawaii; missionary to Taiwan; founding Director, Bible Institute of Hawaii (1972-1989); founding pastor, Chinese Lutheran Church of Honolulu; pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Honolulu; pastor, Tauranga Lutheran Fellowship, Tauranga, New Zealand; church growth and cell church consultant. BIH adjunct faculty since 1989.
Rev. Todd A. Capen
B.A. Biola Univ.; M.Div. Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando; pastor of churches in California, Michigan and Florida; senior pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Kailua. BIH adjunct faculty since 2008.
B.S. Nottingham Univ., England; M.A. in Biblical Studies; Multnomah Biblical Seminary; short-term missionary to Thailand, the Philippines and Japan; Teaching Fellow at Multnomah Seminary; former BIH Executive Director; adjunct faculty at New Hope Christian College. Faculty since 2006.
Originally from England, Clive earned his undergraduate degree in Industrial Studies from the University of Nottingham and a master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon. At Multnomah, Clive also served as Teaching Fellow. He and his wife, Maya, spent two years as missionaries in Japan. He has also been involved in mission work in Thailand and the Philippines.
What is Clive most passionate about? He quickly opens his well-worn Bible to Paul’s Letter to Titus, indicating the first paragraph. “God has set in place a plan, and we can join Him in bringing about faith and godliness through scriptural knowledge,” he states. He is convinced that this scriptural knowledge which BIH is entrusted to share gives hope in eternal life, and helps us to live out faithful and holy lives. He hopes to meet you in the near future and “together” participate in God’s Kingdom community.
Rev. Rodney Wong
A.S. Tourism and Hotel Management, Canon’s Business College; B.A. in Christian Ministry; M.Div. International College and Graduate School of Theology; Th.M. in World Missions and Pastoral Ministry, Gordon- Conwell Theological Seminary; former Pediatric Mental Health Counselor, Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts; High School campus ministries; Prison ministries at OCCC; Church Planter and Lead Pastor at CrossCurrent Fellowship in Manoa. BIH adjunct faculty since 2010.
Dr. Patrick Zukeran
Dr. Patrick Zukeran adds that he is a research assocaite located in Hawaii. His radio show can be found at www.evidenceandanswers.org. He can be reached via email at pzukeran@probe.org.