History

The year was 1996. Bill Jack, Jeff Baldwin, Randy Sims, and Todd Kent envisioned a place where Christian students could learn to live courageously in the hope of Jesus. The four men came together, with differing gifts and talents, to realize this dream and create a community where young believers could seek a deeper understanding of their faith. Forty students and a handful of staff gathered in Tehuacana, Texas for a week-long, biblically-intensive summer camp centered on worldviews, apologetics, and servant leadership. Twenty one years, 303 camps, and over 35,000 students later, the mission is still the same: to train Christians to think and live in accord with a biblical worldview.

 

Statement Of Faith

Worldview Academy is a non-denominational organization dedicated to helping Christians to think and to live in accord with a biblical worldview so that they will serve Christ and lead the culture. Follow this link to see our full statement of faith.

What We Teach

Worldview Academy is proud to have a distinguished faculty from a variety of different professions, Christian traditions, and areas of the country. The faculty teams travel with one of three staff teams each summer, teaching sessions that reflect their areas of expertise, facilitating practicums, interacting with students and small groups, and sometimes joining in on the frisbee matches.

This list outlines the key concepts we hope to communicate at Worldview Academy Leadership Camps. It is not an index of lectures; rather, the list inventories the ideas the various lectures touch on, directly or indirectly. 

Worldview Academy Key Concepts

Faculty & Staff

Jeff Baldwin, Faculty of Theology

Jeff Baldwin co-founded Worldview Academy and serves as the research director for that ministry. He also is the acting provost for Worldview at the Abbey, a bridge year program in Colorado for students who want to be fully equipped to be salt and light on the college campus. Jeff has published a worldview primer, a worldview devotional, and a collection of essays, poems and short stories entitled The Twelve Trademarks of Great Literature. His most popular book is an introduction to worldviews based on the stories of Frankenstein and Jekyll and Hyde entitled The Deadliest Monster. Jeff and his wife Linda live in Canon City, Colorado.

J. Mark Bertrand, Faculty of Theology

J. Mark Bertrand is a “major crime fiction talent” according to the Weekly Standard, which compares his three novels––Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide––with the work of Michael Connelly and Ian Rankin. Mark’s nonfiction book Rethinking Worldview is taught in university and seminary classrooms, and is the basis for a number of his lectures. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and has lectured on theology and culture for more than a decade at Worldview Academy. Mark and his wife Laurie live in South Dakota, where he is a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Brandon Booth, Camp Director/Faculty of Theology

Brandon attended the first leadership camp in 1996 as a student. He returned as a Discipleship Staff member, then became a Camp Discipleship Director, a member of the Faculty of Theology, and Associate Executive Director of Ministry of Worldview Academy. He received his B.A. in Philosophy from Hillsdale College and his M.A. in Historical Theology from Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, MO. Brandon, his wife, Liv, and their five children live in Colorado and enjoy traveling, reading, and spending lots of time together.

Amelia Capo, Special Events Coordinator

Amelia “Mia” Capo attended camp as a high school student where the beauty of truth & grace changed her life. (And she hasn’t recovered.) Since 2009, she has served with Worldview Academy as a Discipleship Staff member, Staff Discipleship Director, Program Director, and, currently, as an Associate Camp Discipleship Director. During the “off season,” Amelia helps coordinate Christianity & Culture Conferences and Worldview Academy’s presence at homeschool conventions. In addition, she oversees staff recruitment and manages our online store. Born and raised in Austin, she currently makes her home “in the desert” at Worldview Academy’s headquarters in Midland, TX, where she enjoys ballroom dancing, serving in her local church, and riding her motorcycle.

Dell Cook, Faculty of Theology

Dell holds two masters degrees (M.Div and ThM) in theology. He has served in several camp ministries around the nation as well as Director of Student Ministries in North Carolina and Florida. He is currently the Headmaster of Cary Christian School, a classical academy in North Carolina. Dell has taught Theology, Apologetics, and History at the high school and seminary level. During the summers, Dell travels with his family teaching Worldview Academy students. He, his wife Ginny and their three children live in North Carolina.

Michael DeGroat, Executive Director/Faculty of Theology

Michael’s passion for empowering leaders began when he first attended Worldview Academy as a student in 2000. Since then, he has served as a Discipleship Staff member, Male Staff Discipleship Director, and, currently, Executive Director. Growing up on the mission field, Michael's family worked in Christian camping globally. He graduated from LeTourneau University with a degree in International Business. Today, he makes his home with his wife, Melissa, in Dallas, where he can be found on a free weekend, turning a wrench on his off-road Jeep or seeking an outdoor adventure.

Natalie Farris, Registrar

Natalie attended Worldview Academy as a student 2010-2013, after which she served on staff as a Small Group Leader for two summers in 2016 and 2017. She received a B.S. in Psychology from Liberty University in 2017, and lives in Dallas, TX, where she enjoys good movies, interior decorating, and watching Green Bay Packers football with her family.

Andy Frye, Faculty of Theology

Andrew Frye lives in Grants Pass, Oregon with his wife Terry and their two children. He is the department chair for social studies at Grants Pass High School and an adjunct professor at Pacific Bible College in Medford, Oregon where he teaches apologetics and politics. He has served the church as a worship leader, elder, and teacher. Andrew is a James Madison Fellow-Scholar and holds a MA (Liberal Studies) in history and political philosophy from Excelsior College, where he did work at Georgetown University and Oxford University, England, and a B.A. in history from San Diego State University. He enjoys soccer, music, and good coffee.

Micah Gibson

Micah Gibson has been involved with Worldview Academy since 2005 as a student, Discipleship Staff member, and guest member of the Faculty of Theology. He graduated from Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee in 2012 with a bachelor's of arts in history, and has taught at middle school and high school levels in classical schools. Micah joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 2014 and currently serves as faculty at the Worldview at the Abbey bridge year program in Cañon City, Colorado.

Bill Jack, Faculty of Theology

Bill Jack is an educator with ten years experience in public schools and 14 years with The Caleb Campaign, a creationist youth ministry. Bill has appeared on numerous national radio and television programs and is the producer of several apologetic and worldview training DVDs. As a founder of Worldview Academy he continues to pursue his passion to raise up a generation who have the vision to reach their culture with the gospel, who have the valor to engage that culture with the truth and who rely on the virtue of the Word of God. Bill and his wife, Tabby, have three children and live in Colorado.

Paul Jordan, Faculty of Theology

Paul Jordan is a professor of Computer Science at Southern Wesleyan University. He serves as an elder at his church and has a passion for teaching the Word of God. He is the founder and a teacher of Community Bible Institute, where faculty train adults in hermeneutics, apologetics, Biblical studies, Christian theology, and worldview issues. Paul and his wife, Vicki, have two children and live near Clemson, South Carolina.

Nathan Pegors, Faculty of Theology

Nathan Pegors has served with Worldview Academy since 2006 as a discipleship staff member, staff discipleship director, and faculty of theology member. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from LeTourneau University and his M.A. in the Humanities from Faulkner University. Nathan and his wife Heather have a daughter and reside in Cañon City, CO, where Nathan teaches at Worldview at the Abbey, Worldview Academy’s gap year program.

Mike Schutt, Faculty of Theology

Mike Schutt is Associate Professor of Law at Regent University and directs the Institute for Christian Legal Studies, a cooperative ministry of the law school and the Christian Legal Society. Schutt also serves Christian Legal Society as Director of its Law Student Ministries. He serves on the boards of trustees of LeTourneau University, Worldview Academy, and Worldview at the Abbey. He is the author of Redeeming Law: Christian Calling and the Legal Profession (2007). Schutt is an honors graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. Before entering academia, he practiced law in Fort Worth, Texas. He is married to Lisa, and they have three grown children and four grandchildren. They live in Mount Pleasant, Texas and attend First Baptist Church.

Chris Sharp, Camp Director/Faculty of Theology

Chris Sharp resides in Oregon where he is completing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. After attending Worldview Academy as a student, he has served since 2009 in the capacities of Discipleship Staff member, Staff Discipleship Director and now Camp Discipleship Director/Faculty of Theology. An avid outdoors man, Chris has ascended mountains, rafted rivers, and traversed deserts. A gifted leader and teacher, he enters his fourth year as a Camp Discipleship Director for Worldview Academy.

Randy Sims, Member of Board of Trustees

Randy Sims has trained Christian teens and adults in camps and ministries for over 35 years through his service as a leadership staff member with Kanakuk Kamps, Fellowship of Christian Athletes national staff, and T Bar M Sports Camps. As a founder of the Worldview Academy Leadership Camps, Randy has taught leadership training to over 2500 students and adults each year. Randy is the author of The Greatest Among You, a student’s guide to servant leadership. His work has afforded him the opportunity to lead chapel services for both college and professional sports teams, and to participate with the Billy Graham Crusade as a platform speaker. Randy and his wife, Amy, are blessed with four adult children and live in Midland, Texas.

Mike Tiland, Camp Director/Church Liaison/Faculty of Theology

Mike Tiland began serving with Worldview Academy as a Discipleship Staff member, Staff Discipleship Director and now Camp Discipleship Director/Faculty of Theology. Mike graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in accounting and a minor in philosophy. He then completed a Masters of Divinity in Christian Ministry from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Mike serves with Worldview Academy in a full-time capacity, seeking to develop relationships with local churches around the nation. During the year, Mike lives with his wife Angela and their three children in central Texas.

Jay Winslow, Faculty of Theology

Jay Winslow has been teaching in public and private schools for over forty years emphasizing worldview and critical thinking skills. He has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in rhetoric and frequently speaks on issues including worldview, education, language and literacy, and the effects of the media on our culture. He has in-serviced educators through groups such as ACSI and the Systems Thinking Network Project. Jay and his wife Regina have three sons and live in Arizona.

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