Danny Baer Receives Ph. D.

The Following is the full article written by Mrs. Pat Thomas to celebrate Dr. Baer's latest academic milestone.

The board of directors and administration of Southeastern Free Will Baptist College congratulate faculty member, Rev. Danny Baer, in recently receiving his Ph. D. in computer technology in education.  The Degree was conferred on Monday, June 7, 2004 from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. 

Dr. Baer received a Master of Science Degree in 1996 in computer technology in education from the same institution, and in 1999 he received an Ed.S. (education specialist) degree.  Dr. Baer’s dissertation for the Ph. D. was a study on the computer advanced competency requirements for teacher licensure in the state of North Carolina.

Previous educational accomplishments include  - a BS Degree in computer science and math education in 1975 from Ohio State University.  He also studied Greek and pastoral studies at Free Will Baptist Bible College from 1974 to 1976.  He received his Master of Science in Educational Administration from Pensacola Christian College in 1985.

Dr. Baer is a native of Scioto County, Ohio, where he was converted to Christ at age 17 at a youth camp in the Pine Creek Association.  He attended the Bloom Free Will Baptist Church where Rev. Ed Percell was the pastor.  He was called to preach and licensed in 1972, and was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1973.

He married Debbie Born from Circleville, Ohio on December 21, 1974, after meeting her at youth camp.  They are the parents of four children – Josh, age 26, Danielle, age 25, and twins, Andrea and Allison, ages 19.  Their son, Josh, is the Promotional Director at Southeastern, and he and his wife, Kristie, are the parents of two children, Meredith and Jackson (Dr. and Mrs. Baer’s beloved grandchildren).

Not only is Dr. Baer highly qualified educationally as a faculty member at Southeastern, but also has many years of experience in the ministry.  He served as a youth pastor at Union Free Will Baptist Church, Wheelersburg, Ohio, which was pastored by Rev. Calvin Evans.  He also worked with Rev. Bill Adkisson who established a home missions church in Newark, Ohio.  He pastored the Circleville, Ohio Free Will Baptist Church one and a half years, and taught at Heritage Christian Academy in Columbus, Ohio. 

In 1979 went to Gateway Free Will Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, Virginia where he served as a teacher in the Christian school and music director at the church.  He also served as principal of the school for six years.  In 1986 he became the pastor of Heritage Free Will Baptist Church, in Williamsburg, Virginia, and served that congregation for three and a half years.  During the last 5 months at Heritage, he commuted each week to Southeastern where he served as Business Manager and teacher beginning in August, 1989. A few years later he became the Registrar, and in January, 2003 he became the Academic Dean. 

While teaching at Southeastern, Dr. Baer has served as interim pastor for churches in Matthews and Reedsville, North Carolina, and in Crew and Williamsburg, Virginia.  He is presently pastoring in Moncure, North Carolina.

As an instructor at Southeastern, he has developed and teaches computer related classes.  He has specifically developed Using Computers in the Classroom and Using Computers in Ministry classes.  He also has taught education and Bible classes.

Dr. Baer states that his goals at Southeastern are the same as the mission of the college - to train students for work in ministry.  He believes that it takes two objectives to reach these goals.  One, is in the students knowing, in other words Southeastern has high academic standards while imparting knowledge to the students, and two, in students doing - Southeastern shows the students how to put to work in a practical way what has been learned in the classroom.  He believes that to be effective in ministry, it takes a blend and balance of these two objectives.

Dr. Baer is excited about the online studies offered by Southeastern, which will make it possible for students to complete a degree program online in the comfort of their homes.  He believes that if a person has a computer and a mouse, he can pursue and eventually complete his education at Southeastern.  See the related article on Southeastern’s online degree program on page one.