Dr. Alan Weaver has two major passions:  1) the growing numbers of pastors in poor and non-Christian countries who have no opportunity for either training or support and 2) the need for pastors to understand and release the power of God’s people whom they shepherd.  In most of the world, pastors do all the ministry themselves and don’t understand their role in building their people up so that they are released to impact their churches and communities for Christ.  For nearly 30 years Alan has ministered to pastors around the world to both provide the training and support that they need, as well as encourage them to do the same for their own church leaders.

After getting his BA in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, Alan joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ in 1977.  In 1980 he served in India for six months, helping to direct the “Here’s Life” Hyderabad campaign.  It was at this time that he began ministering to pastors—encouraging and assisting them with training, support and resources.  After a brief stint in the Philippines, Alan returned to the States to attend the International School of Theology in San Bernardino, California, and received his Masters of Divinity degree.

Sensing God’s call to continue to work with pastors overseas, in 1984 Alan accepted an assignment from Campus Crusade to assist in the joint mission project of Biblical Education by Extension (BEE). He moved to Hungary in 1985 and lived in Budapest until 1999.  During that time he was the director for BEE in Hungary, helped to open a new Hungarian Baptist mission school, and did “Walk thru the Bible” seminars in Hungarian.

In 1999, Alan left Hungary to work on a Ph.D. at Fuller School of Intercultural Studies, which he completed in 2004 with Dr. Sherwood Lingenfelter. In 2004 Alan finished a Ph.D. in cross-cultural leadership at Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies (Missions).  His research and dissertation examined how the atmosphere, organization, and culture of a church contributes to or inhibits how people get involved in ministry and leadership.  He also showed how a local pastor could be a leader of church culture and take an active role in empowering people for ministry. 

Since graduating, Alan has worked at the International School of Leadership with Campus Crusade, written a course on mentoring for use with pastors in Africa, consults in areas of culture and leadership, and works with doctor of missiology students at Fuller’s School of Intercultural Studies.

In 2007 he rejoined the staff of BEE, now known as Entrust.  He now serves as the liason between Entrust and its African sister organization, More Than a Mile Deep (MMD).  

His recent travels have taken him to Romania, Turkey, Austria, India, South Africa, Mozambique and Cameroon.