Bret Widman

Education

BA Communication Studies (1986) – Eastern Washington University
MDiv (1992) – North Park Theological Seminary
DMin (2012) – Fuller Theological Seminary

Profile

After serving in pastoral ministry in the Evangelical Covenant Church for years prior to coming to North Park Theological Seminary, Dr. Bret Widman has a desire to help students navigate the liminal space between their classroom content and their ministry context through Field Education.

As the Director of Contextual and Lifelong Learning, Dr. Widman coordinates lifelong learning opportunities for students, alumni, cohorts, and ministry context workshops. For seminarians, he directs student internship credit hours and two modules (Intercultural Development Module and Theological Reflection Module), instructing in ministry and leadership courses.

“I love the intersection between knowledge (orthodoxy) and practice (orthopraxy) so my Seminary position fits that vision.”

Recent Publications

“Why Discipleship” a 5 week cohort for pastors and ministerial leaders for the Evangelical Covenant Church, March/April 2024.

“Harlot or Bride? The State of the Church Today” Whitworth University, October 7, 2023.

Respondent to Dr. Kay Higuera Smith, “What’s in a Name? Ideology and Naming.” North Park Theological Seminary Symposium on Theological Interpretation of Scripture. Online Conference. September 16-18, 2021.

Favorite Scripture

Ephesians 3:14 – 21

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Media

Dr. Bret Widman serves cross-institutionally at the Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary by leading cohorts on Courageous Conversations and Prophetic Preaching, and is a co-host of The Micah Podcast through Fuller Theological Seminary.