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Chris Rappazini
Center for Leadership and Organizations
Center for Leadership and Organizations
Associate Professor of Leadership
crappazini@andersonuniversity.edu
(850) 225-7611
Carriage House
Academic Background
Dr. Chris Rappazini is an Associate Professor of Leadership at Anderson University and founder of Faithful Steps Forward, helping people become faithful leaders. He previously taught Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute. His book, Moving Forward After Messing Up, is now available. A former EHS president, he served as a preaching minister in Spokane, WA. Chris and his wife, Ashley, live in Anderson, SC, with their three kids, where he embraces family life and leadership.
BA in Pastoral Ministry, Moody Bible Institute
M.Th in Ethics, University of Edinburgh MDiv, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Postdoctoral Researcher, Truett Seminary, Baylor University Ph.D in Leadership Studies, Gonzaga University
Fast Facts
Many people can lead, but not everyone is a leader worth following. I believe there is a leadership crisis in our world today and I am so glad Anderson University is investing in the education and equipping of today and tomorrow’s leaders. Anderson University is closely aligned with my philosophy of leadership which focuses on Servant Leadership at the core.
I love both leadership and preaching. At the core of leadership I think you will find communication. But I’ve noticed that many leaders, particularly in Christian ministries, have something to say, but they don’t know how to say it. Other Christian leaders know how to say things, but they don’t really have anything significant to say. What I love about my discipline is helping people to discover something significant to say and helping them develop the most effective way to say it.
• Founder and President of Faithful Steps Forward – A leadership training and development resource for non-profit and for-profit organizations. • Author and Keynote Speaker • Past President of the Evangelical Homiletics Society • Postdoctoral Researcher Scholarship – Bursary funded by the Dean’s Office from Truett Seminary • Ph.D. Educational Scholarship – Bursary funded by the Provost’s Office from the Moody Bible Institute. • Council of Christian Colleges and University’s Leadership Development Institute – Twenty emerging leaders are selected by the CCCU for a year-long professional development program under the guidance of leadership experts and cabinet-level leaders. • Parish Pulpit Scholarship Recipient – Scholarship awarded to the top preacher at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to pay for an MTh in Preaching in an overseas context. • Blanton Preaching Scholarship (Twice) recipient • Billy Graham Scholarship recipient FUN FACTS: Can make spaghetti and meatballs from scratch (my last name is Rappazini, after all) Regularly taught a cross-country skiing/backing trip every January in Washington just south of Canadian border Northwest Florida High School golfer of the year
I enjoy the close-knit community and the comradery here at AU. Friendships are easily built because people genuinely care about each other.
Servant Leadership, Effective Communications, Church Ministries, Preaching, Multi-Generational Workplace, Team Development, Leadership Training and Development
Book(s) • C. Rappazini, Moving Forward After Messing Up: A New Future with the God of Second Chances (Moody Publishers: May 2024) • C. Rappazini and N. Miller, Church Policies and Procedures: Common-Sense Guides for Administering Churches in a Complex World (Crown Management: July, 2020). Articles, Chapters, and Contributions • “Helping Others to Move Forward After Messing Up,” (Preaching Magazine: Fall 2024). • “The Servant Leader Preacher,” (Preaching Today: October 2024). • “Four Steps to Moving Forward,” (Preaching Today: June 2024). • “Topical Preaching,” in M. Duduit (Ed.) Handbook of Contemporary Preaching 2nd Edition (B&H Publishing: July 2024). • “Show AND Tell: The Use of Visual Aids in Preaching,”(Preaching Magazine: Winter 2024). • “Exploring the Topic of Topical Preaching,”(Preaching Magazine: Winter 2023). • Regular author to monthly devotional Today in the Word (Moody Publishers). Read by over 950,000 people worldwide. Monthly issues include: Powerful Prayers of the Bible, Thanks and Praise, A New Start, Joshua: Courage for the Quest, Following By Faith, God of Second Chances, Loving One Another, Unlikely Leaders. (2019-2022) • “Officiating Your First Wedding” in M. Boyle, L. Norris, and K. Rodriguez (Ed.) The One Volume Seminary. (Moody Publishers: April, 2022). • “Helping Preachers Preach Titus,” (Preaching Today: May 2021). • “Helping Preachers Preach James,” (Preaching Today: May 2021). • “Helping Preachers Preach Acts,” (Preaching Today: April 2021). • “Helping Preachers Preach Zephaniah,” (Preaching Today: April 2021). • “Be Evangelical and Evangelistic,” The Journal of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. 21:1 (April, 2021). • “Joshua,” in M. Kim and S. Gibson (Ed.) The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching: A Guide from Genesis to Revelation (Baker: March, 2021). • “Hosea,” in M. Kim and S. Gibson (Ed.) The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching: A Guide from Genesis to Revelation (Baker: March, 2021). • “1 Timothy,” in M. Kim and S. Gibson (Ed.) The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching: A Guide from Genesis to Revelation (Baker: March, 2021).• “2 Timothy,” in M. Kim and S. Gibson (Ed.) The Big Idea Companion for Preaching and Teaching: A Guide from Genesis to Revelation (Baker: March, 2021). • “What Has Been Written: Quantitative Studies on Homiletical Textbooks Used in Seminary Classrooms,” The Journal of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. 19:2 (November, 2019). • “The Influence of Dr. Haddon W. Robinson on the Teaching of Homiletics in North American Evangelical Seminaries” PhD diss., Gonzaga University (April, 2019). • “The Value of Feedback” in S. Gibson (Ed.) Training Preachers: A Guide to Teaching Homiletics. (Lexham Press: March 2019). • “On Preaching the Trinity: A Call to Preach” Theology Magazine (January, 2019). • “Mentoring Millennials and Other Young Whippersnappers.” In M. Kim (Ed.) No Program but Time, No Book but the Bible (Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and Stock Publishers, July 2018). • “Great People Build Great Preachers,” The Journal of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. 17:2 (November, 2017). • General Editor of God’s Greatest Gift: An Advent Devotional from MBI – Faculty and Staff (November, 2017). • “Begin with the End in Mind,” Preaching Today website (January, 2017). • “Pause and Turn Your Gratefulness into Thankfulness,” Preaching Today website (September, 2016). • “The Use of Visual Aids in Preaching” MTh diss., University of Edinburgh (November, 2011).
