Family Background
I was born in the state of Georgia, the first child of Carl and Clyde Laney. When I was two years old our family moved west and I grew up in Eugene, Oregon. It was there at the University of Oregon that I met the love of my life, Nancy Lilly. We were married a year after graduating from college and have four grown children and six grandchildren.
Spiritual Experience
I was raised in a Christian home and expressed my faith in Jesus as a child. But it was not until my student days at the University of Oregon that I entered into a more personal with God. This was due in large part to the influence a fraternity brother, Bill Hansell, who was active with the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. It was the late sixties and a time of radical student activism which included protest marches, demonstrations and sit-ins. Everyone was seeking a worthy cause to which to devote their lives. After much thought and reflection I concluded that the only cause
worthy of lifetime commitment was helping others find peace with God through the Good News of the Bible. It was during my college years that I became a serious minded follower of Jesus. During my junior year at the U. of Oregon I began to sense God’s leading to Christian service and enrolled at Western Seminary after graduating from the University of Oregon.
Personal Interests
I enjoy outdoor activities including camping, hiking, fishing, skiing, gardening and canoeing. On a Saturday afternoon you may find me in my garage working on my WWII military jeeps–a 1944 Ford and a 1942 Willys.
Educational Background
After graduating from the University of Oregon (B. S. in Public Administration), I enrolled at Western Seminary where I earned my Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Theology (Th.M) degrees. From Western, I went to Dallas Theological Seminary where I earned my Doctorate of Theology (Th.D).
Ministry
I served as a Bible teacher at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon from 1977 to 2018. I have also served as interim-pastor in a dozen different churches including a Bayview Baptist church on the island of Guam.
I have been privileged to author a number of books, some of which are out of print, but can still be found on Amazon.com or in used book stores. My articles have been published in theological journals and Christian magazines. Some of them can be found on this web site.
My travels have taken me to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. I have spent many summers in Israel studying, teaching and participating in archaeological excavations. I enjoy teaching the Bible classes and specialize in courses dealing with the historical, geographical and cultural backgrounds of the Bible.
