Craig Ott, PhD
Craig Ott is associate professor of mission and intercultural studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He occupies the ReachGlobal Chair of Mission, which was established to better link the mission agency and seminary, integrating mission theory and practice.
After twenty-one years of missionary experience with ReachGlobal (formerly the EFCA International Mission) in Germany as a church planter, consultant, and theological educator, he joined the Trinity faculty in 2002. His particular fields of expertise include theology of mission, contextualization, and church planting.
Dr. Ott has planted churches in Schaumburg, Illinois, and in Munich, Ingolstadt, Neumarkt, and Markt Indersdorf, Germany. From 1995 to 2002 he served as Central Europe Church Planting Consultant for the ReachGlobal. From 1998 to 2002 Dr. Ott taught at the Akademie für Weltmission (affiliated with Columbia Biblical Seminary) in Korntal, Germany, where he was also academic dean for two years and continues to teach regularly as a adjunct professor. He has also taught since 1994 as adjunct faculty at Theologisches Seminar Ewersbach (Germany). He continues to travel internationally and has ministered in more than thirty countries.
Dr. Ott's published works include Encountering Theology of Mission: Biblical Foundations, Historical Developments and Contemporary Issues (Baker Academic, 2010) coauthored with Stephen J. Strauss; Globalizing Theology: Belief and Practice in an Era of World Christianity (Baker Academic, 2006) coedited with Harold A. Netland; Das Trainingsprogramm für Mitarbeiter (Brunnen, 1996); and Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication (Baker Academic, forthcoming) coauthored with Gene Wilson. He has also authored various monographs, essays, and journal articles in both German and English.
He received his BA from California State University at Long Beach and the MDiv and PhD in Intercultural Studies from TEDS. His professional memberships include the Evangelical Missiological Society, American Society of Missiology, and the Arbeitskreis für evangelikale Missiologie.
Dr. Ott and his wife Alice live in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. They have three grown sons. His hobbies include traveling, playing guitar, film and reading.