Even before returning to his home state of Ohio in the summer of 2004, Dave began to implement the concept of ADVOCATE Enterprise. ADVOCATE Enterprise represents the culmination of his academic degrees earned at an Ohio liberal arts college and two of America's eminent theological seminaries, as well as an internship in Asia; work in five pastorates; extensive independent research, writing and publication; teaching in two Virginia community colleges; leadership in clergy groups; website development; and extensive online intercommunication. Dave and his wife, Marilyn, have four grown children.
David C. Brand
Of particular significance is Dave's thorough involvement with the writings of America's first philosopher, Jonathan Edwards, who was also an unparalleled theologian and pastoral leader in America's Great Awakening. Dave's Th.M. thesis at Westminster Theological Seminary was published in 1991 by Scholars Press in Atlanta as part of the Academy Series of the American Academy of Religion under the title of Profile of the Last Puritan: Jonathan Edwards, Self-Love, and the Dawn of the Beatific. As a student at the College of Wooster, Dave studied the works of modern religious thinkers, such as John Baillie, D.M. Baillie, Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, Paul Tillich, and Leslie Newbigin, while being introduced to modern higher criticism in Bible survey courses. At Wooster, he was also introduced to the writings of some of the more orthodox modern scholars, such as J. Greshem Machen and Edward John Carnell whose writings whetted his appetite for what appeared to be the less-travelled road in modern theological education. His philosophy professors wrote the College Outline Series in their particular subjects.
At Fuller Seminary, Dave devoured Gleason Archer's course in Old Testament Introduction and basked in the scholarly expertise of men, such as George Eldon Ladd, Geoffrey Bromiley, and Everett F. Harrison. But it was Daniel P. Fuller's Unity of the Bible course where Dave read Jonathan Edwards's superlative dissertation on The End for Which God Created the World which lingered in his thought until the opportunity for further graduate study at Westminster Seminary.
E. Stanley Jones's controversial book The Christ of the India Road portrayed for Dave the need for Christians in the western world to emerge from their theological ghettos and take the truth of Christ into the marketplace. Jones, an acquaintance of Mahatma Gandhi, lectured to theosophical societies, government gatherings, and any other groups that would give him a hearing. He welcomed questions from Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims. Jones spoke of two "surrenders" for the Christian: (1) the surrender of the believer's life to Christ; and (2) the surrender of Christ to the "facts," knowing that there were no "facts" that could threaten the Christian faith.
At state community colleges in Virginia, Dave taught Old Testament Survey, New Testament and Early Christianity, History of Christianity, and Philosophy. There a student gave a report on a classical theological work, looked the class atheist in the eye, related how he had come to believe in God as the result of reading the book, and commended the book to the atheist. Dave's ministerial conference appointed him as chair of a theological education project. An article was recently published in a college journal, another book was published, and another manuscript is in readiness for publication.
In addition to family activities and carpentry, Dave continues to enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, canoing, ice-skating, swimming, and fishing, as well as shooting the basketball at the YMCA.