DTS Alumni Connection//May 2025
Staying Connected
Reggie Coe (ThM, 1976) completed his full-time service as a pastor at Grace Church in Wichita Falls, pastoring for forty-five years. Reggie continues to serve the church by leading Bible studies, officiating services like weddings and funerals, and conducting visitations. For his update, he wants to share that he is indebted to DTS for providing him with a solid biblical foundation for a lifetime of ministry.
Mark Young (ThM, 1981) retired from his role as President of Denver Seminary on December 31, 2024. He now serves as the seminary’s chancellor.
Michael Rydelnik (ThM, 1983) will retire on June 30, 2025, from his role as the Vice President and Dean of Moody Bible Institute’s undergraduate school and from his professorship in the Jewish Studies department.
Ed Underwood (ThM, 1985) recently updated the discipleship manual he wrote in 1997: Beginning in Grace: Seven Basic Truths to Transform your Relationship with God. After serving for twenty-one years as the lead pastor of Church of the Open Door, Ed and his wife, Judy, now work together, leading a Recentered Group, which helps churches and leaders develop high-trust cultures where discipleship can thrive.
Jayakumar Ramachandran (STM, 1992) completed his PhD at the University of South Africa. His post-doctoral research focuses on missiological research. At seventy-two, he still loves to learn and plans to continue doing so until his last breath. God is using Jay in several mission spheres, and he is committed to making disciples and planting new indigenous churches, especially in Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, and Bhutan.
Jason Epps (ThM, 2021) and Paul Pettit’s (ThM, 1996; DMin, 2007) book, One Body, One Spirit: Disability and Community in the Church, has been named as a finalist for the 2024 Foreword INDIES Awards for adult nonfiction.
Paul Weaver (ThM, 2003) had the opportunity to serve together with a fellow DTS alumnus, David Martin (DMCE, 2005), in Alexandria, Egypt. They taught a group of Arabic-speaking students from Egypt and Sudan at the National Theological College and Graduate School. Paul also taught a course on the life of Christ, while David led a course on effective discipleship. Paul and David also took a day trip down to ancient Thebes to see the Shishak Relief, which depicts the pharaoh who harbored Jeroboam and later attacked Judah (1 Ki 14:25–28; 2 Chr 12:1–13). They also saw a life-sized replica (pictured) of the Merneptah Stele, the first stele to mention Israel being in the Holy Land (1210 BC). (File: eNews-Paul Weaver and David Martin)
David Langan (MABS, 2006) serves his local church as an elder and treasurer. His ministry highlight is serving as the middle-school boys’ youth leader.
Rex Howe (ThM, 2011) serves as the sixth president of Tri-State Bible College. He and his family also serve in outreach programs and the children’s ministry at Wheelersburg Baptist Church. Rex is currently working on his PhD at the University of Aberdeen.
Cary Corley (MABC, 2013) was appointed to the Committee of Professional Counselors. Cary, the clinical director and owner of Corley Counseling, LLC, is licensed in Missouri and Kansas and holds the National Certified Counselor credential from the National Board for Certified Counselors. Cary also serves on the Election Committee of the Lakewood Homeowners Association and as a ministry leader at Abundant Life Church in Lee’s Summit.
Events
The Master’s Open 2025
In Memory
Stan Orth (ThM, 1956; ThD, 1962) passed away on April 2, 2025. Raised in Dallas, he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High and attended the University of North Texas for his bachelor’s degree in history before attending DTS. Stan married his high school sweetheart, Barbara, on August 24, 1951. They enjoyed seventy-two years of marriage and had four children. Stan faithfully served Christ, dedicating his life to his missions work and Bible teaching, serving in Guatemala for almost fifty years. He taught the New Testament as well as courses on the spiritual life at the Central American Theological Seminary in Guatemala City and served as the Academic Dean and Vice-Rector. The admiration of his students extended beyond their respect for his teaching abilities to his generous, humble character and kindness. A proficient writer, he authored five Bible commentaries for local churches and contributed twenty articles to a Spanish Bible dictionary. Stan also helped plant two churches, serving as an elder pastor. A dedicated father and loving husband, Stan also enjoyed lots of outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing, and snorkeling. Preceded in death by his wife, Stan is survived by his four children, six grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren.
Terry L. Hebert (ThM, 2004; DMin, 2011) passed away on March 18, 2025.
Bill (William) Ross, Jr. (ThM, 1971) passed away on March 31, 2025. Bill attended Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, graduating in 1952 with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He married his wife, Mildred May Robbins, in September 1952. Bill began a successful thirteen-year career with Merck, Sharpe, and Dohme. He also served for nine years in the U.S. Naval Reserve as a Medical Corpsman. He also served in Naval Security. Bill eventually felt called to pastoral ministry and graduated from Philadelphia College of the Bible in 1966 before enrolling at DTS. After graduation, Bill pastored Northwood Evangelical Free Church before moving to Battle Creek, Michigan, where he pastored Battle Creek Bible Church. He went on to obtain his doctorate from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1981 before moving to Kansas City to pastor Blue Ridge Bible Church. He pastored Blue Ridge Bible Church until he retired in 2000 to care for his wife, Mildred. After Mildrid passed away after fifty-one years of marriage, Bill remarried Linda Wonders in 2004. He is survived by his wife, Linda; his three children; ten grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren.
Steve (Paul) Stephen Vishanoff (ThM, 1962) passed away on March 15, 2025. Born in Los Angeles, Steve earned degrees from Swarthmore College and Dallas Theological Seminary. During his thirty-five years of missionary work with North Africa Mission (later called Arab World Ministries), Steve studied Arabic and spent time serving in Morocco, Tunisia, and France, serving in a variety of radio production roles. He loved music, literature, and language, and often composed poetry. His life was characterized by faith, hard work, and a dedication to excellence in all things for God’s glory. One Arab friend said he was the best foreign speaker he had ever met. Steve engaged others with care, seeking to understand their minds and lives to better show them Christ’s love and gospel in relevant and personal ways. After retiring, Steve dedicated himself to caring for his beloved wife, Dinny, throughout her decline, carrying out Paul’s command in Colossians 3:12 to clothe himself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. He was preceded in death by Dinny and is survived by three children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
