Christian Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors
Gregory E. Sterling, President
Gregory E. Sterling is the Reverend Henry L. Slack Dean of Yale Divinity School and Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament, Yale University, New Haven, CT. Dr. Sterling, a New Testament scholar with a specialty in Hellenistic Judaism, has concentrated his research on the writings of Philo of Alexandria, Josephus, and Luke-Acts. He is a minister in the Church of Christ and has served churches in Florida, Texas, California, and Indiana.
Rick R. Marrs, Vice-President
Rick R. Marrs is provost and chief academic officer at Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA. Previously at Pepperdine, Dr. Marrs served as a faculty member, chair of the Religion Division, associate dean, and dean of Seaver College. His teaching areas are Old Testament studies and ancient languages and his primary research areas are the Prophets, Psalms, and Wisdom Literature of ancient Israel.
Phil Bowers, Secretary
Phil Bowers is an attorney and CPA who resides in Atlanta, Georgia. After seven years in public accounting, he spent twenty-five years with Georgia-Pacific Corporation, retiring as Principal Tax Counsel. He served the last three years as an attorney in the Office of Inspector General for the Georgia Department of Community Health.
G. Hilton Dean, Treasurer
Hilton Dean, a retired CPA, had a 36-year career with Ernst &Young which included positions of Vice Chairman-Finance, Technology and Administration, Regional Director of Computer Auditing, Regional Director of Human Resources, and Area Managing Partner-Florida. He chaired the firm’s Retirement Investment Committee and served as a member of the Americas Executive Board. He served on the Board of Trustees of Lipscomb University for 14 years – Chairman for 8 of those years. Mr. Dean is Treasurer of the CSF Board of Directors.
James O. Browning
The Honorable James O. Browning is a federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico. Judge Browning served as a law clerk to Judge Collins J. Seitz on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and clerked for Justice Lewis F. Powell of the Supreme Court of the United States. He entered private practice, served as a Deputy Attorney General of New Mexico and then returned to private practice until his appointment to the federal bench in 2003.
Pamela Westerfield Eyer
Pamela Westerfield Eyer is a retired teacher. Educated at the University of Nebraska with a B.S. In Education with a specialization in Social Science and History, she taught in several states, most notably in South Carolina and Texas where she was the Department Chairperson for Social Studies at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, TX. She served as a reader/grader for the Advanced Placement European History Examinations during the four years prior to her retirement and continues to work in education as an instructor and curriculum writer for the University of Texas Online High School. She is a lifelong member of the Church of Christ who has served in several volunteer capacities for churches and for community not-for-profit organizations throughout her career.
Hugh Gainey
Hugh Gainey, BS Ch.E., MBA. Mr. Gainey worked 40 years in the chemical industry and managed operations in the US and Canada. Following retirement in 2002, he joined The Austin Graduate School of Theology as a volunteer. He worked in communications, development, and endowment investments. With wife Elaine, he served 5 churches in 5 states. Mr. Gainey is currently an elder of the University Avenue Church of Christ, Austin, Texas.
Carl R. Holladay
Carl R. Holladay is Charles Howard Candler Professor of New Testament at Emory University, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA. Dr. Holladay’s current research focuses on Luke-Acts; Hellenistic Judaism, or Judaism in the Greco-Roman world; and Christology. He is a minister in the Church of Christ. Dr. Holladay was one of the founding members of CSF and served as Executive Director until 2012, when he became a member of the Board of Directors.
Gail Hopkins
Gail E. Hopkins is a former major league baseball player and coach. Upon his retirement from professional baseball in 1977 he pursued his early interests in theology and biology earning advanced degrees in Master’s in Religion, Master of Divinity, Doctorate in Biology and an M.D. Dr. Hopkins engaged in the private practice of orthopedic surgery in CA, IL and WV and has served as adjunct professor of both bible and biology at Ohio Valley University.
Carolyn Hunter
Carolyn Hunter retired from the faculty of Pepperdine University in 2007. She is currently employed as a part time Researcher for the Seaver College Office of the Dean. She has served on the boards of various arts organizations in Arizona. She is a lifetime member in the Church of Christ, and her primary interest in Biblical Studies at present is in scripting materials for oral presentation.
Linda King
Linda King has had two careers. With early education at Oklahoma Christian University (B.A.) and the University of Oklahoma College of Law (J.D.), she practiced oil and gas law in Oklahoma City for 42 years, retiring from the firm of GableGotwals in 2018. Her second career has been in ministry. She earned a M.T.S. and Ph.D. from Brite Divinity School, served as an adjunct instructor for Saint Paul School of Theology and elsewhere for a number of years, and is currently a visiting assistant professor of religion at Pepperdine University. Her interests focus on biblical interpretation and hermeneutics. Linda previously served as ethical ombudsman at Oklahoma Christian University and continues on the board of editors of Dialogismos, a peer-reviewed biblical ejournal. She has been active in Churches of Christ, including serving as an elder of the Dayspring Church of Christ in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Rhonda Lowry
Rhonda Lowry is a career educator. She is currently at Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN serving in numerous roles including senior fellow for the Institute for Christian Spirituality and assistant professor of spiritual formation in addition to leading other initiatives. She has also been on adjunct faculty at Fuller and Pepperdine. Ms. Lowry is a frequent speaker nationwide focusing on personal ministry.
Jim Martin
Jim Martin is the Vice President of Harding School of Theology, Memphis, TN from which he holds a Doctor of Ministry degree. He is a minister in the Church of Christ. Dr. Martin’s interests are Christian leadership, spiritual formation, and congregational ministry. He believes that Christian ministry is fundamentally about shaping the heart, soul, and mind of believers as they live as the community of Jesus in the world.