Lead Mentor: Leonard Sweet

Author of more than 70 books and 1,500 published sermons, Leonard Sweet’s most recent publications include Telos: The Hope of Heaven Today (2022) with Dr. Len Wilson, three volumes in the “Songs of Light” and St. Is: Book One (2020) with Lisa Samson, Contextual Intelligence: Unlocking the Ancient Secret of Mission on The Front Lines (2020) with Portland Seminary distinguished doctoral graduate, Michael Beck, and Rings of Fire: Walking in Faith through a Volcanic Future (2019). He has recently started a publishing company called The Salish Sea Press. In 2023 two volumes are set to come out: Jesus Human: A Semiotic A-Z Almanac for the 21^st Century and Designer Jesus.

For almost two decades, Len has served as the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Currently he is a Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University in Portland, Oregon, and a Professor of Doctoral Studies at Northwind Seminary.

He is president emeritus of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and is the founder and chief contributor to the online preaching resource preachthestory.com, part of which is a weekly lectionary vlog called #LenTalk. Len often appears on the “Most Influential Christians in America” lists, and issues a podcast called Napkin Scribbles sponsored by Portland Seminary of George Fox University. His microblogs and blogs on Twitter and Facebook are ranked as some of the most influential religious sites in the world of social media.

Len lives on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands in Washington state with his wife Tia and son Luke, where he frequently conducts two- to three-day campfire conversations in his home, Dolphin Cay (sanctuaryseaside.com). He calls them “advances,” not “retreats.”

Details

• Position: Lead mentor for the Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics, Church, and Culture program and visiting distinguished professor
• Academic and Professional Background: An honors and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Richmond, he earned his master of divinity degree from Colgate Rochester Divinity School and PhD from the University of Rochester. He is the recent recipient of honorary doctorates from University of Richmond (Virginia), Baker University (Kansas), Otterbein College (Ohio), Coe College (Iowa), and Lebanon Valley College (Pennsylvania).
• Expertise and Research Interests: bio
• Email: lenisweet@aol.com
• Web: leonardsweet.com, preachthestory.com
• Twitter: @lensweet
• Facebook: lensweet