About Donald W. Ekstrand

Donald W. Ekstrand is an adjunct professor of Christian Studies at Grand Canyon University  in Phoenix, and Religious Studies in the Maricopa Community College District  in Arizona.  Dr. Ekstrand holds degrees in Finance, Secondary Education, Theology, and Divinity, and is a graduate of Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), Talbot School of Theology (LaMirada, CA), and Western Seminary (Portland, OR). He has served in positions of pastor, teacher, and executive administration for nearly 40 years. Don and his wife, Barbara, have two grown daughters and they reside in Phoenix, Arizona.

Don was born in Calgary, Canada, in 1943. . . his family moved to the states in 1948. . .  He grew up in Pasadena, California, became a naturalized citizen at the age of 12, and attended Pasadena High School.  Don was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. After completing his military obligation, he continued his college education at Pasadena City College where he also played football, and then transferred to Arizona State University on a football scholarship, where he completed his undergraduate education.

Following his studies at Arizona State where he received degrees in finance and business education, he came to the realization that there is more to life than the physical realities that had dominated his life and thinking.  As the result of numerous experiences, the spiritual realities he had been introduced to as a child became the very foundation of his existence – no longer was God just a mysterious unknown, He was now the supreme personal reality behind all things.

The next step in Don’s spiritual pilgrimage was that of teaching and discipling young people and college students. During the 1980s his college ministry grew to more than 500 students. In addition, he also developed an institute for biblical studies for adults, called Aletheia Bible Institute. The word aletheia in Greek means “truth” – as such, the purpose for the school was to help students discover the essence of divine truth.

Over the years, Don was privileged to work with Dr. Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop on a nationwide project called, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?   In addition, he served with Josh McDowell at several of his conferences and seminars. . .  traveled with Franklyn Graham to Southeast Asia to participate in a ministry to pastors on the island on Borneo in southeast Asia. . . and conducted a tour of the Holy Land  with Dr. Roy Gustufson of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

Today, Don continues to teach and study those divine truths that help bring meaning and understanding to life.  He is the author of a college textbook on the Christian faith titled, "CHRISTIANITY:  The Pursuit of Divine Truth"  -- it presents Christianity from four perspectives:  Philosophy, Science, Theology, and History.  This past Fall Don completed the writing of a second book titled, "SOUL TRANSFORMATION: The Sanctification Experience of the Believer"  -- the material that is presented in this book is that which is primarily emphasized on this website.  "Soul Transformation" expands upon man's sinful condition and the natural propensity of both the unbeliever and the believer to "sin."  It identifies the frustration and confusion that exists in the minds of most Christians on this subject, and presents the liberating truths of God's Word, and the transforming power of the Holy  Spirit in the believer's life.  This book was written because of a serious lack of coherent preaching on the subject of "sin in the life of the believer."  Though believers continue to cry out for satisfactory answers. . . the vast majority of our pulpits remain silent on the issue, which in large part seems due to pastoral ignorance on the subject.