Scott Hovater, PhD, grew up in the Pacific Northwest and spent 16 years as a college professor in Taiwan before becoming the manager of online faculty for the College of Theology. He has a degree in TESOL, an MA in intercultural studies, an MA in educational psychology and a PhD in educational studies. He and his wife, Jenny, have 2 children.
Faculty Spotlight Questions
Tell us a little about your background.
I grew up in a small factory town in Oregon. My father worked in the local factory and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. There were five of us kids and life was a daily struggle for my parents. In high school, my friends and I had the lofty goal of somehow graduating and then securing a job in the factory. Attending college was not even on our radar. However, the Lord touched me in a mighty way after attending a Jesus Northwest concert during my junior year. I felt a definite call to the mission field and I began to investigate the possibilities. College seemed to be the natural first step and thanks to a generous donation from a church member, I was able to get started at a community college. With a lot of prayer, a little bit of elbow grease, and a strong determination to be used by God overseas, I graduated from college in five years with a degree in teaching English as a second language.
What is your role within the College of Theology?
I am the manager of the online full-time faculty. Currently there are 22 of us who teach predominantly online. My role is to support them so that they can be the most effective teachers possible.
If you could offer a word of advice to theology students, what would you say?
I would tell them that theology is both beautiful and messy. It is beautiful because as you delve deeper into God’s Word you will see the beauty of God’s plan for humanity and creation as a whole. However, I would also remind them that theology is messy because theology is not played out in textbooks but it is writ large in the lives of people and the cultures they live in. Thus they cannot be afraid to get messy for that is where ministry takes place and lives are transformed for the glory of God.