Venture Program

Venture Program

Preparing students for a lifetime of Christian servant leadership.

OFFERING… 

  • A second-year curriculum that exposes students to the ministry of the Word
  • Small group and discipleship settings that challenge students to treasure Christ supremely
  • Practical application of spiritual disciplines for personal spiritual growth
  • Servant leadership opportunities with our first-year students (student life events, campus work duties, RA responsibilities)

4 KEY GOALS…

  • Gain a greater understanding of the importance of God’s Word 
  • Learn to treasure Christ supremely
  • Grow spiritually in the means of grace (Christian disciplines)
  • Understand and practice servant leadership

Instructors

Dr. Sam Bierig

Associate Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology and Dean of Spurgeon College, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Kansas City, MO

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Sam serves as Vice President of Undergraduate Studies, Dean of Spurgeon College, and Associate Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Spurgeon College and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He teaches hermeneutics and biblical theology and gives oversight to the many and varied programs, teams, and curriculum that comprise Spurgeon College. Sam serves as lead pastor at Gashland Baptist Church where he and his wife, Mallory, are church members, and he was a student pastor for six years in Arkansas. Sam completed his Ph.D. in biblical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he wrote his dissertation on
hermeneutics and the interpretation of the book of Proverbs. His research interests include Biblical Theology, Proverbs, Hermeneutics, and Theology Proper.
He is happily married to Mallory, and they have four children: Abby, Levi, Owen, and Piper.

Dr. Jared Compton

Guy Bergstrom

Buffalo, MN

Dr. Jared Compton

Joel Carlson

Pastor at Bayview Bible Church

Bayview, ID

Dr. Jim Dernell

Louisville, KY

Chad Everhart

Dr. Sam Emadi

Senior Pastor of Hunsinger Lane Baptist Church

Louisville, KY

Lowell Engle

Lowell Engle

Program Director at MWSB

Augusta, MT

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Lowell Engle is a 2012 alumnus of Montana Wilderness School of the Bible and went on to do the Venture Program (2nd-year student leadership program) the following year. Before joining the staff at MWSB, he worked in Minnesota with a non-profit ministry for at-risk youth called Timber Bay. Lowell teaches five different classes for the Venture students and one class for MWSB’s first-year students. He also disciples eight students at the college every year. He lives on campus with his wife Jill and their two children. They are members at Augusta Community Church. Lowell received his Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies at Lancaster Bible College and is currently working on a Masters degree at Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary.

Micah Forsythe

Pastor Micah Forsythe

Pastor at Emmaus Church

Bozeman, MT

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Originally from Colorado, Micah is an MWSB alum (96-97), who went on to complete his undergraduate degree from Multnomah University, in Portland, OR., where he met his wife. They moved to Colorado where he completed a Master’s degree in Education from Colorado Christian University. In 2004, Micah and his wife, Christa, returned to MWSB to serve on staff for seven years. They had two kids, while working at MWSB, before moving to Bozeman, MT to work at a Bible college as an Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Director of Discipleship for 12 years. The Forsythes added their young daughter to the family while living in Bozeman. Micah completed a Masters in Biblical and Theological Studies from Western Seminary in 2017, and began working on a PhD. In 2022 from Midwestern Theological Seminary. Micah enjoys hiking, backpacking, rafting, cycling, reading and learning with his family.

Dr. Sandy Good

Dr. Matthew Harmon

Professor of New Testament Studies at Grace Seminary

Winona Lake, IN

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Matt grew up in Ohio and earned a B.S. in Communication from Ohio University. Upon
graduation he joined staff with Cru and served another five years at O.U., doing evangelism an discipleship. He earned his M.Div from Trinity Evangelical Divinity
School and his Ph.D in Biblical Theology (New Testament) from Wheaton College. He currently serves as Professor of New Testament Studies at Grace College and Grace
Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, IN. Matt is the author of numerous books, including commentaries on Galatians, Philippians, 2 Peter, and Jude. He specializes in
biblical theology and the study of how the biblical authors use Scripture. Matt also co-hosts the Various and Sundry Podcast and serves as Fellow for the Carson Center for Theological Renewal. Find out more at https://docharmon.org/
Matt has been married to Kate since 1996, and together they have two adult sons (Jon and Jake) and a daughter-in-law (Autumn). As a family they love sports, especially Ohio State football. Together Matt and Jake broadcast men’s basketball games for Grace College.

Paul Hill

Paul Hill

Executive Director at MWSB

Augusta, MT

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Paul has been the director of the Montana Wilderness School of the Bible since June 2016. Previously he was the Executive Pastor for GracePoint Church, Bremerton, WA starting in September 2004. Previous to that, Paul was the Director of the Island Lake Camp, Poulsbo, WA, from 1990 to 2004. Paul has a Masters in nonprofit Management from Regis University. He also became an Ordained Minister by the Silverdale Baptist Church on March 5, 2011 and a Licensed Minister on January 9, 2000.

Dr. Casey Hough

Assistant Professor of Biblical Interpretation at Luther Rice College & Seminary

Lithonia, GA

Charles Kirkland, III

Learn to Survive

Shreveport, LA

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After college Charles became immersed in the world of state and national politics for a number of years. Experiencing a paradigm shift, he left the business of political life and in 1997 went to SOLO and earned his WEMT certification. He continued on with his training and within a year he became a paramedic in Texas.

After working on the streets of Dallas for a bit, he changed courses and went to work at Rainier National Park as a Park medic and eventually Glacier National Park. This kept him busy during our summer months as he migrated to Antarctica during our winter, their summer, where he worked for the US Antarctic Program as a deep field medic, supporting the scientists in the field.

Charles has been providing and teaching wilderness and remote prehospital care for more than 20.

Dr. Chris Hopf

Chandler Langmann

Pastor at Gashland Baptist Church, Assistant to the Dean of Spurgeon College

Kansas City, MO

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Chandler Langmann serves as the Assistant to the Dean of Spurgeon College where he assists with academic operations, faculty support, and student services. He received his B.A. in History from the University of Iowa and is currently completing his Master of Divinity at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
In addition to his role at Spurgeon College, Chandler serves as a pastor at Gashland Baptist Church where he and his wife, Piper, are members. His ministry and academic interests include church history, Reformation theology, and accessible theological training for the equipping and edification of the local church.
His favorite books include John Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, R.C. Sproul’s The Holiness of God, and Thomas Watson’s The Godly Man’s Picture. Outside of his ministry and studies, Chandler enjoys reading classic Christian literature, a good cup of coffee, and spending time with his family.

Barry Joslin

Dr. Greg Lanier

Professor of New Testament & Academic Dean at Reformed Theological Seminary

Orlando, FL

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Greg grew up in North Carolina, where he fell in love with the Appalachian Mountains and earned his Eagle Scout. He studied Computer Science at UNC Chapel Hill before it was cool, and he worked in the business world for about seven years before entering full-time ministry. He pursued his Master of Divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary and, in turn, completed his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge. In addition to teaching at RTS-Orlando (where he also serves as academic dean for the global campus), he is an associate pastor at River Oaks Church in Lake Mary, FL. He has written or edited and articles across a variety of fields, including the Gospels, early Christology, textual criticism, the use of the OT in the NT, and the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament). Some of his recent works include a commentary on the Gospel of Luke (2025) and an introduction to apocryphal Gospels (2026). He is the host of Daily Dose of Septuagint (https://dailydoseofseptuagint.com/).

He is married to Kate, who works as an optometrist, and they have three daughters. Greg enjoys coaching his daughters in sports and doing outdoor adventures (while avoiding Florida’s alligators).

Dr. Oren Martin

Greg Mathews

Operations Director at MWSB

Augusta, MT

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Greg has been the Operations Director of the Montana Wilderness School of the Bible since June 2022. Previously he was the Next Generations Pastor and Student Pastor at First Baptist Church, Plant City, FL. Previous to that, Greg was the Middle School Pastor at Western Avenue Baptist Church in Statesville, NC from 2008-2020 and the Youth Pastor at Southside Bapitst Church of Jacksonville, FL and Indian Hills Baptist Church of Grand Prairie, TX. Greg earned a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, TX in 2005 and is an ordained minister.

Alex Mauck

Pastor at Three Lakes Community Bible Church

Troy, MT

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Alex grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho and earned his bachelor’s degree from Corban University (Salem, OR), and his master’s degree from Western Seminary (Portland, OR). He has served as the lead pastor of Three Lakes Community Bible Church in Troy, MT since 2015 and considers it a joy and privilege to teach Ecclesiology for the Venture Program each spring at Montana Wilderness School of the Bible.

Alex loves living in such a beautiful rural setting with his wife, Natalie, and their two children. He enjoys preaching, spending time with his tight-knit church family, reading, building houses, playing the drums, watching movies, and rooting for the Minnesota Vikings. 

Dr. Randall McKinion

Professor at Cedarville University

Cedarville, OH

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Dr. McKinion (Randy) was saved, began to follow Christ, and was baptized when he was 9 years old. He attended the University of South Alabama, where he majored in mechanical engineering and played baseball. He was active in Baptist Campus Ministries during his time at USA and was involved in college ministry at Cottage Hill Baptist Church. During those years, God moved his heart toward preparation for ministry. Upon graduation, he married April and moved to the Los Angeles area to attend The Master’s Seminary, where he graduated in 2001. It was while studying at Master’s that he began to desire further study in the Old Testament. He began studying at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (Wake Forest, NC) in 2001 and received his PhD in Biblical Studies with an emphasis in Old Testament in 2006. While at SEBTS, he began teaching at Shepherds Seminary (Cary, NC), where he taught and worked in various administrative positions from 2003 until 2014. While at Shepherds, he participated as an elder in the planting of Redeemer Community Church in Fuquay-Varina, NC. In 2014, God moved Randy and April, along with their three kids, Caleb, Caden, and Zoe Grace, to Cedarville University, where he is currently Professor of Old Testament.

Tom Miller

Tom Miller

Former Director of Arrowhead Bible College

Tappen, ND

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Tom lives in Tappen, ND and works full-time on an organic farm. Tom was previously the Director of Arrowhead Bible College for 14 years at Beartooth Mountain Christian Ministries in Fishtail, Montana. He received a Masters of Ministry from Pacific Evangelical School of Ministry and He is an alumni of MWSB (’98).

Dr. Chris H. Smith, Jr.

Director of Student Development and Adjunct Instructor at Boyce College

Louisville, KY

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Chris is from South Carolina where he attended Clemson University, majoring in wildlife biology. After a short time as a biologist and game warden in Colorado, he pursued a call to ministry. Chris has done mission work in Central Asia, has church planted in the Chicagoland area, and has served in various roles in local churches. He has worked at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Boyce College in different capacities since 2010. He has an M.Div. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Wheaton College. He’s married to Holly, and they have three young boys: Frederick, Simon, and Nicholas.

Nate Newell

Doug Smith

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab

Mountain Green, UT

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Doug is a retired Air Force officer with decades of professional experience teaching, leading, and mentoring. He served in military operations while on active duty, and now works for the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab on a variety of programs helping the government do things better. His education includes an undergraduate degree in liberal arts, and three master’s degrees: 1) Aeronautical Sciences, 2) Military Operational Art and Science, and 3) Systems Engineering. 
Doug is married with four kids and two grandkids, has been teaching at MWSB since 2004, and has been involved in some fashion with MWSB since the 1990s.  He is an avid fitness enthusiast and loves the outdoors, cooking, his family, and a great taco!
Jordan Thomas

Jordan Thomas

Lead Pastor at Grace Church Memphis

Memphis, TN

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God opened Jordan’s heart to believe the gospel during his freshman year of college. He has been preaching the gospel since 1997, is husband to Tracy, and has six children—four daughters and two sons.  While serving with the other elders to provide soul-care to the flock, Jordan is a pastor-teacher at Grace Church Memphis overseeing vision and spiritual leadershipHe has a M.Div, from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN (g. May, 2003).

Interested?

The Venture Program is only open to a limited number of first year students at Montana Wilderness School of the Bible.  Start your MWSB adventure below!