Category: News

We would like to welcome Dr. Gideon Petersen and his wife, Pamela, to AIIAS. Dr. Petersen joins the Department of Applied Theology at the Seminary.

Thirty years ago, Dr. Petersen and Pamela left Cape Town to work as pioneer missionaries to plant a church among the OvaHimba in North-Western Namibia. The challenges Dr. Petersen faced working amongst a nomadic, oral society ignited a life long journey of research and strategizing for missions among resistant, unreached people groups. His passion is frontline mission practice amongst hard to reach peoples. He enjoys investing in people and helping new groups develop and grow spiritually. Having wrestled with the difficult challenges of reaching nomadic peoples, secular people, and oral societies, Dr. Petersen brings the practical experience of asking the difficult questions to help make Christianity relevant to disinterested, resistant people. People who have rejected biblical Christianity.

While in Namibia, Dr. Petersen completed his PhD in Missiology with the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa (in 2011). Dr. Petersen worked with Adventist Frontier Missions as a consultant, assisting missionaries in the field develop strategy for missions. He worked at Universite Adventiste Zurcher in Madagascar as Academic Dean (2013-2015) and President (2015-2019). Most recently, he was a district pastor, strategizing to reignite the church in Northern Ireland amongst the indigenous people (2020-2024). Since 2018, Dr. Petersen taught as an adjunct professor at the Adventist University of Africa, Nairobi, Kenya.

Pamela worked with Dr. Petersen while in Namibia, developing material and managing community projects. At Adventist Frontier Missions, she worked as a consultant in the Missionary training department. At Universite Adventiste Zurcher, she was Dean of the Communications Department and taught a variety of subjects. In Northern Ireland, she managed Home-Start Causeway, a charity helping families with children under 5 years. She will be working in the Public Relations office at AIIAS.

Dr. Petersen’s hobbies are reading, listening to TED talks and playing volleyball, pickleball and squash. Pamela’s hobbies are gardening and crafts.

Serving people and helping them reach their full potential, is a core value for Dr. Petersen. We know that AIIAS will be blessed as they serve at AIIAS.

We have the privilege to welcome Dr. Youssry Guirguis with his wife, Joan, and son, Benjamin, to AIIAS.

Dr. Guirguis joins the department of Applied Theology at the Seminary. He completed his PhD in 2018 at AIIAS. Since then, they have served at Asia-Pacific International University, Muak Lek, Saraburi, Thailand. Joan taught mathematics and statistics in the Education and Science departments. Dr. Guirguis served as Dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies, MA program director for Andrews University and a full-time professor in the Faculty. Though an Old Testament scholar, his passion is cross-cultural missions. He is very happy to join the department of Applied Theology at the Seminary and share his passion with the students. Having taught in Africa, Middle East, and Asia, he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in cross-cultural mission to the Applied Theology Department.

Dr. Guirguis and Joan met at Solusi University, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe where they served for more than 13 years. Dr. Guirguis was a professor in the Faculty of Theology and Joan was teaching Mathematics in the Science Department and the music teacher. Dr. Guirguis taught as an adjunct professor at Adventist University of Africa from 2019 to 2024. Since 2015, he taught as an adjunct professor at the Middle East University in Beirut, Lebanon. A position he still holds.

Dr. Guirguis’s hobbies are reading, writing and preaching. He has authored 2 books and numerous articles in academic journals. The books are: Islamic Culture and Society, 2nd Edition, published 2021 and Islam in Focus: History, Doctrine and Philosophy, published 2024. He also likes to run and play soccer. Joan’s hobbies are walking, gardening and music. She plays the violin and piano. Her passion is working with the Youth and she was the youth advisor and youth Sabbath School teacher while in Thailand. Benjamin is a senior in High School. He enjoys music and plays the saxophone and violin and plays basketball, volley ball and soccer.

Dr. Guirguis’s motto is ‘Be blessed and be a blessing!’ We know that AIIAS will be blessed as they join our community.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Allan Pasuhuk, his wife Rinny and their two children, Jennifer and Juano. They recently joined AIIAS from from Universitas Klabat, Indonesia. Dr. Pasuhuk and Mrs. Rinny are both alumni of AIIAS. Dr. Pasuhuk completed his MA in 1998 and PhD in 2010. Mrs. Rinny completed an MBA in 2008. Dr. Pasuhuk will be in the Theological-Historical Studies Department at the Seminary.

Dr. Pasuhuk comes from a very close family with six siblings. On receiving the call to teach at AIIAS, the Pasuhuk family faced numerous challenges that seemed insurmountable. Dr. Pasuhuk’s siblings joined them in praying that God would lead and show them clearly what His will is. They recognized that only with God’s intervention would they be able to accept the call. As they waited on God, miracle after miracle removed each obstacle and challenge they faced. God truly opened the way for them to come. The family is awed by God’s grace and goodness towards them and praise God for His care.

Dr. Pasuhuk worked for over 22 years at Universitas Klabat in a variety of roles including church pastor, professor, program director & dean of the faculty of Religious Studies. He enjoyed working at Universitas Klabat and was comfortable in his comfort zone. It will be very different teaching in English, but he knows God will enable him to succeed with challenge. Dr. Pasuhuk enjoys teaching and helping his students develop academically and spiritually. His field is systematic theology and he enjoys sharing the Seventh-day Adventist doctrines. His passion is conducting house-to-house visitation to pray and encourage the church members. He is a pastor at heart. As he says, ‘I prefer to be called Pastor Allan’. His hobby is badminton.

Mrs Rinny taught in the Business Department at Universitas Klabat. She will work as a cashier and receptionist at AIIAS. She is very willing to serve where ever God puts her and enjoys learning new things. Her hobbies are reading and drawing. Jennifer is a senior student studying English literature at AUP and Juana is a senior at high school.

Dr. Pasuhuk and Rinny’s favorite song is “I don’t know about tomorrow. I just live from day to day”. Their trust in God has led them to AIIAS. As we welcome them into the AIIAS community, we know that their trust in God will be an inspiration to us.