Meet Our BILD Instructors
At BILD @ EFCC, our instructors have a solid background in seminary, Bible teaching/preaching, and Bible training. See below to find out more about some of our instructors.
Dennis Keating
EFCC Senior Pastor
Dennis Keating was born in New York State into a family of nine. At the age of five, they moved to California near the Pasadena area. He was raised in a devout Catholic family, and attended 12 years of Catholic school. Dennis placed his personal faith in Jesus Christ after hearing the gospel at Forest Home Christian Conference Center in 1972. He received his undergraduate degree from San Diego State University in accounting in 1975, and a Master of Divinity from Talbot Seminary in 1979.
Dennis married his wife, Marsha, in 1979 and they have three children. He joined the staff at Emmanuel Faith as the college pastor in 1979. In 1989, he became Pastor of Adult Ministries. Then in 1993, the Lord called Dennis to become the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Faith, where he ministers weekly in the pulpit, teaching God's Word.
In BILD @ EFCC, Dennis has been our instructor of Old Testament Survey (which will be taught again in the Fall of 2009).
Jeramy Clark
Pastor of Life Design
Jeramy grew up in Rodeo, CA, and has worked at several churches including Valley Bible in Hercules, The Church at Rocky Peak in Chatsworth, The First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, and Tri-Lakes Chapel in Monument, CO.
Jeramy joined the Emmanuel Faith staff as High School Pastor in November 2002. In January 2008, he became the Pastor of LifeDesign. Jeramy graduated from The Master's College with a degree in Biblical Exposition, has a Master's of Divinity from Talbot School of Theology, and is currently working on his Doctorate of Ministry.
Cheerfully married for 10+ years to Jerusha, an accomplished author, Jeramy loves watching Los Angeles Laker's games, hanging out at the gym, and spending time with his daughters, Jocelyn and Jasmine.
Dr. Mark Strauss
Professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary
Dr. Mark Strauss, son of the late Dr. Richard Strauss, former EFCC pastor, has taught at Biola University, Christian Heritage College, and Talbot School of Theology before joining the Bethel Seminary faculty in 1993. He is the author of The Davidic Messiah in Luke-Acts; Distorting Scripture? The Challenge of Bible Translation and Gender Accuracy; "Luke" in the Illustrated Bible Background Commentary; The Essential Bible Companion; and Four Portraits, One Jesus: An Introduction to Jesus and the Gospels. He is presently revising the commentary on Mark's Gospel for Expositor's Bible Commentary.
His professional associations include the Evangelical Theological Society, the Institute for Biblical Research, and the Society of Biblical Literature. Dr. Strauss is a frequent preacher at San Diego area churches and has served in three interim pastorates.
Education: B.A., Westmont College; M.Div., Talbot School of Theology; Th.M., Talbot School of Theology; and Ph.D., University of Aberdeen
Dr. Strauss teaches the New Testament Survey course for BILD @ EFCC.
Dr. James Smith
Associate Professor of Church History, Bethel Seminary
For the past 25 years, Dr. James Smith has pursued the vocation of integrated ministry as a pastor-teacher. A Bethel adjunct professor since 1988, he now serves as contracted, half-time faculty. He also teaches (since 1993) theology and religious studies at the University of San Diego and has taught at Eastern Seminary, Philadelphia, and Southern Seminary, Louisville.
Dr. Smith has ministered as senior pastor at churches in Boston, Minneapolis, and San Diego, and currently is on staff at College Avenue Baptist Church. An AAR and ASCH member, his teaching and research interests involve Christian biography, spiritual life, and women in the Christian tradition. Formative experiences include service as a Harvard Teaching Fellow with Henri Nouwen and Margaret Miles. Dr. Smith is on the editorial board of Christian History magazine.
Education: A.B., San Diego State University; M.Div., Bethel Seminary; Th.M., Harvard Divinity School; and Th.D., Harvard University.
For BILD @ EFCC, Dr. James Smith teaches our Church History course.
Dr. Forrest Weiland
Adjunct Professor, Bethel Seminary; Traveling Teacher
Dr. Forrest Weiland (sorry, no photo available) earned his Phd in Theology at Dallas Theology Seminary. He was a college pastor in Chico for 3 years. From 1984 to 1996 he worked for Greater Europe Mission planting churches in Germany. Currently he is a roving Bible teacher in eastern and western Europe with GEM and teaches part time at Christian Heritage College in San Diego and with Bethel Seminary. B.A., Th.M., Ph.D., Theology and Biblical Studies.
Dr. Weiland has taught Applied Theology for BILD @ EFCC.
Dave Hall
Pastor of Outreach Ministries
Dave grew up in a military family and lived in a variety of locations, both in the USA and overseas, before graduating from high school in Florida. He and his wife, Joni, met as college students in Tennessee and were married in 1976. After seminary studies, Dave served as student ministries pastor in a Virginia church, during which time all three of their children were born.
After several years of learning about God's global plans for His church, the Halls served as missionaries in Spain from 1987-1993. Upon returning to the USA, Dave served as a missions and executive pastor in Lancaster, PA, for 10 years. In 2004 God called Dave to the pastoral staff of EFCC as Outreach Ministries Pastor. Dave loves to see the church mobilized to extend Christ's Kingdom locally and globally.
Dave currently teaches Missional course segments with BILD @ EFCC.
Kathy Moratto
Director of Counseling Ministries
Kathy was born and raised right here in Escondido. She came to know the Lord when she was five at EFCC's daily vacation Bible school and began attending EFCC in 1973. She worked for many years as a Marriage and Family Therapist until she came on staff here in 2006.
Currently, Kathy oversees the Set Free ministry, teaches the Lay Counseling class, and supervises the lay counselors. She also does counseling at the church.
Kathy has been married for 20 years to Larry and has two teenage sons.
In BILD @ EFCC, Kathy currently teaches the Biblical Counseling course.
Scott Smith
Pastor of Maturity & Contemporary Worship Services
A graduate of UCSD (1990) and Bethel Seminary San Diego (1999), Scott joined our staff in 2001. Prior to that, he served as the Assistant Pastor at Faith Community Church by-the-Sea. As you can tell by his job title, Scott loves helping people grow and get into groups where they can share life with others in the pursuit of Christlikeness. He also loves the Saturday Night service!
Scott and his wife, Darica (married in 1993), have three kids: Jordan (born 1997), Jessica (born 2001) and Jada (born 2002).
In the past with BILD @ EFCC, Scott has taught the module on Small Group Leadership.