Dr. Becky Towne

Dr. Becky L. Towne

Houston Graduate School of Theology

Associate Dean and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program

Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation

Biographical Sketch

Becky Towne grew up in League City, Texas, the oldest of four children. She was reared in a Friends Church and then attended college at Friends Bible College, in Haviland, Kansas, which is now called Barclay College. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Religion. There, she met her husband, Jim. After his graduation, they returned to League City where Jim interned and then became Associate Pastor at the Friends Church. Their four children, Halee, Jimmy, Dylan, and Carly, were born while serving in League City.

In 1985, the Towne family moved to Buffalo, Iowa, where Jim was called to pastor the Buffalo Friends Church. In 1989, the family moved to Colorado Springs. Jim was invited to pastor First Friends Church of Colorado Springs and Becky served the church as church secretary. In 1996, Becky was called to serve as Associate Pastor, with administrative, teaching, worship, and preaching ministries, and was recorded (ordained) as a minister of the gospel by Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting of the Friends Church in 1997. She graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary in May 1998 with a Master of Arts degree in Theology.

In 1995, through a series of unexpected events, Becky took on a new responsibility as Senior Editor of a twelve-page national publication for Evangelical Friends Church International--North America Region--The Friends Voice. The assignment included the discovery and development of writers and oversight of a team of contributing editors in addition to editing the articles within the layout of the publication. Since that time, she has served as editor of a variety of publications including The Traveling Minute (Rocky Mountain Yearly Meeting), GMI World (Global Mapping International), and The Connection (Friendswood Friends Church).

The opportunity to teach for the Barclay College extension site in Colorado Springs opened in 1998. Becky taught Bible, theology, and ministry courses such as the Gospel of Matthew, the Epistle to the Hebrews, Pauline Epistles, Old Testament Survey, Basic Beliefs, Growth and Development of the Church, Communication in Ministry, and Life Assessment and Self Management.

Becky entered the Doctor of Ministry program at Houston Graduate School of Theology (HGST) in February 2002 and graduated in May 2005. After serving HGST as an adjunct professor and helping out with administrative tasks on a part-time basis, she was invited to join the full-time staff in May 2008 as Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program and Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation. She was promoted to Associate Dean in January 2009.