International Extension School Staff
Keith Kasarjian - Director of International Studies
Keith earned his Bachelor's degree from Faulkner University and his Master's in Biblical Studies from the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. Keith has preached for more than 20 years for congregations in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. He has been a part of the Bear Valley Extension Program since 1999, and has either taught in or helped start the majority of the current extensions. He has participated in additional mission work in several other countries. Keith's educational background, Biblical soundness, mission work, and time within the Extension Program bring a wealth of experience to the administration of the team. Keith and his wife Kim have been married since 1990 and have been blessed with three children.
Mark Reynolds - Assistant Director/ Regional Coordinator for Asia
Mark married Mindy Botkin in 1991, and they have three daughters Cassidy, Abby and Corinne and one son-in-law Nick who is married to Cassidy. Mark has been preaching full time since 1995 working with two congregations: Towne Acres Church of Christ in Muncie, Indiana and Charlotte Avenue in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Mark is a 1999 graduate of Memphis School of Preaching, and is also a 2008 graduate of Amridge University, and has done some work towards his Masters at Freed-Hardeman University.
Mark made his first short-term mission trip to Sosnogorsk, Russia in 1993, which created his love for mission work. Since then he has traveled to Russia three additional times as well as Jamaica, Tanzania, Kenya, India and Nepal. He has also served in the past as the Regional Coordinator for the Bear Valley Bible Institute Extension Schools working with schools in India, Nepal, New Zealand, Fiji, and Cambodia.
Steven Ashcraft - Regional Director for West Africa
Steven received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1983 in Accounting. In 2005, he received a Bachelor's in Theology from the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. He served for a number of years as a residential missionary/evangelist in Tamale, Ghana, West Africa. During this time, he was instrumental in establishing the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies. This school is now affiliated as an extension of the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. Steven is currently helping to coordinate numerous Bear Valley affiliated schools in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Togo and Ghana. His in the field experience and vision will be an asset in the development of the work as we train leaders for the Lord’s kingdom.
Donnie Estep - Regional Director / Instructor for Central/Southern Africa
Donnie Estep received his Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies from Appalachian Bible Institute (an extension of Bear Valley Bible Institute), as well as a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies from McDonough Bible Institute. Donnie has been preaching and teaching for over 24 years, working full time in the ministry the last 12. He has preached for the Barnabus church of Christ in Logan, WV and is currently working with the Williamson Area church of Christ in South Williamson, KY. He has traveled to Canada, Ukraine, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda on short term Mission campaigns.
Wes Autrey - Coordinator / Instructor for Cambodia
Wes became the coordinator for the International Bible Institute of Siem Reap in the summer of 2011. Wes has been a member of the Lord's church for over 40 years. He has been a member at the Bear Valley congregation in Denver since 1992 and is also a deacon there as well. Wes attended both Oklahoma Christians University and Abilene Christian University before attending Art School in Denver. Wes worked in the corporate world as a graphic designer for 17 years before changing paths and becoming coordinator for our extension school in Cambodia. Wes has been taking classes along with our students at BVBID and enjoys bonding with them as they go through the 2 year program. Wes has been married to Teri for 24 years who is the office administrator for BVBID. They have 3 Christian daughters, two of whom attend Harding University with one still in High School. Wes is a native of Colorado and intends to continue to be involved in the extension school program as long as the Lord provides the opportunities.
David Ballard - Coordinator / Instructor for Cameroon, West Africa
David has been teaching adult Bible classes since the age of 20 and has been continuing to do so for the past 28 years. He is currently the minister of the Pattonville Church of Christ. He graduated from East Texas State University in Commerce Texas with a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural and Mathematics education. David is retired from teaching high school math in Texas for nearly 30 years. David has had been evangelistic in his own area of Texas as well as having mission experience in Belize and in Cameroon. David serves the Churches of Christ in Cameroon as an evangelist and missionary and works extensively to nurture the Churches that are being positively affected both spiritually and numerically by the evangelistic efforts of the Cameroon Bible Institute of Wotutu. Because of his knowledge of, and involvement in, the Lord’s work in Cameroon, David now serves as coordinator of the Cameroon Bible Institute of Wotutu and the Bear Valley extension in Mbanga, Cameroon.
Jerry Bates - Coordinator / Instructor for India
Jerry attended Freed Hardeman University and received his Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from Mississippi State University. He earned his Master's of Arts in Religion from the Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis. Jerry has preached for more than 21 years, serving four congregations throughout Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. He began doing mission work with World Evangelism in 2007 and presently serves as an Associate Editor for The Voice of Truth International magazine. He and his wife, Paula, do extensive travel and mission work throughout India, where he also serves as a coordinator for the school in Visakhapatnam.
Gary Fallis - Director of the International Master's Program / Instructor
Gary Fallis received his Bachelor's degree from East Texas University. Later, he completed his Master's degree in Education from East Texas State. He has attended classes at Lubbock Christians College and in the Sunset School of Preaching Graduate extension program. He completed his Master's of Divinity from Abilene Christian University in 1985. Gary has served for a number of years as a local preacher, an Administrator / Instructor for the Brown Trail School of Preaching and has been working with the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver since 2002.
Denton Landon - Assistant Director of the International Master's Program / Instructor
Denton graduated from the Memphis School of Preaching. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Amridge University. He earned his Master's of Arts in Theology from the Cincinnati Bible Seminary and his Master's of Divinity in Theology from the Houston Graduate School of Theology. He has worked with congregations throughout the United States since 1983 and has served as a coordinator with the Bear Valley Bible Institute for the previous work in Panama and Peru. He presently serves as an instructor and assistant director in the Master's Program for the Extension Program.
Daniel Gaines - Coordinator for Arusha, Tanzania
Daniel and his family spent 3 years living in Arusha, Tanzania while working with the Andrew Connally School of Preaching and the TZ2000 mission, before returning to the States and agreeing to take on the role of Coordinator for the same mission point. Daniel earned both a B.A. (2000) and a M.Min. (2003) from Freed-Hardeman University. He has worked with congregations in Mississippi, Alabama, and Kentucky. Additionally, he has participated in numerous short-term mission efforts in Romania, Tanzania, Suriname, and Kenya. Daniel, along with his wife, Tiffany, and their 3 children currently live in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Terry Harmon - Coordinator for Ukraine
In a somewhat rare situation, Terry grew up attending the Bear Valley congregation since his childhood, and considers it is a special privilege to be serving as the current Stateside Director of Bear Valley Bible Institute-Ukraine. Terry also serves currently as the evangelist for the Rapid City church of Christ in Rapid City, South Dakota. Terry initially received a BA from Lubbock Christian University in 1988, and during his studies there, went on a mission trip to Wiener Neustadt, Austria. This was a life-changing experience, creating a passion for preaching the Gospel, most especially in the mission field.
Terry was then blessed to attend the Bear Valley Bible Institute (1991-94) and after this time, worked as a missionary in Moscow, Russia (1995-98). From 2002-10, Harmon served as the Director of Bear Valley Bible Institute-Ukraine and during that time, was able to complete his Master's degree through the Bear Valley program (2005). The Lord blessed Terry to find a wife in Ukraine (Marina) and they have two boys, Timothy and Andrew."
Michael Reese - Coordinator / Instructor for Kenya
Michael resides in Fairmont, WV. Mike has preached for the Mannington church of Christ since 1989. Previous to that he served as the associate minister for the Oakwood Road church of Christ in Fairmont, West Virginia for eight years. He serves as an adjunct instructor for the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, Colorado having taught in Kentucky, Ukraine, Kenya and Tanzania. He currently serves as the stateside coordinator of the Kenya School of Preaching in Kisumu, Kenya. Reese also is an adjunct instructor at Amridge University in Montgomery, Alabama. He has done short-term mission work in Singapore, Malaysia, Kenya, Tanzania and Ukraine. He holds the BS in Bible from Freed-Hardeman University, a BS in Biology from Fairmont State University, the Master of Arts in Bible and the Master of Divinity from Southern Christian University (now Amridge University) and the Doctor of Education degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina.