Pastoral Studies Consultant/Adjunct
Office Location
AF Gray 204
Biography
Grounded in Calling and Community: Dr. Balzer serves as the ordained pastor of River Street Church of God in Newberg, Oregon, part of the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) movement, where “Jesus is the subject.” At River Street, his leadership is anchored in a clear vision—to be a people formed by Jesus, sent for the good of the world, and on mission to embody the Way of Jesus, announce His Kingdom among us, and bring tangible transformation to our community. These aren’t just words; they are compass points for daily life, shaping the way the congregation prays, serves, and lives in the neighborhood.
Formed by Roots, Shaped by Study: Dr. Balzer’s story begins with a Mennonite upbringing, where simplicity, community, and the quiet courage of following Christ set the foundation. His call to ministry led him to New Hope Christian College in 1991, BA, and then to Portland Seminary, where he earned advanced degrees in 2008, M.A., 2009, MDiv., and ultimately a Doctor of Ministry in Semiotics and Future Thought in 2012. For Dr. Balzer, theology has never been about abstract theory; it’s about decoding the sacred signs that God plants in the everyday, the symbols and stories that point toward a Kingdom breaking in all around us.
One scene from his doctoral research still lives vividly in his memory. It wasn’t a lecture hall or a pulpit; it was a community garden tucked between worn apartment blocks in Portland. Neighbors were tending basil and tomatoes, swapping stories as they pulled weeds. No marquee outside, no official “order of service,” yet the Gospel was alive in the laughter, in the shared harvest, in the care for one another. This was positive deviance in action; people embodying Jesus’ Way in small but subversive ways that quietly disrupt isolation and scarcity. That moment reframed his understanding of the church: sometimes the most faithful signs of the Kingdom are not the loudest, but the ones hiding in plain sight.
Presence and Praxis, whether in preaching, teaching, mentoring, or walking alongside others in life’s messiness, Dr. Balzer seeks to hold Scripture and culture in a creative conversation. His work continues to invite others to read the signs, both ancient and current, that point to Jesus. Married to Jan, Dr. Balzer lives out a shared ministry in their calling, rooted in hospitality and the conviction that the church’s best witness is found not in its self-preservation, but in its willingness to pour itself out for the good of the world as Jesus people for the sake of others.
Education
DMin. in Semiotics and Future Thought, George Fox University – Portland Seminary, 2012
M.Div. in Theology, George Fox University – Portland Seminary, 2009
M.A. in Church History, Biblical Studies, and Theology, George Fox University – Portland Seminary, 2008
B.A. in Pastoral Ministries, New Hope Christian College, 1991
B.S. in Christian Ministry, Salem Bible College, 1985
Areas of Teaching
Church History I & II
Pastoral Ministry
Theology I & II – Systematic, Covenantal, Narrative, Practical
Semitoics & Positive Deviance
Pastoral Identity
Ministry Leadership Strategies
Living the Christian Faith
World Religions
Islam and the West
Areas of Expertise / Research Interests
Pastoral Studies
Semiotics and Future Thought
Positive Deviance
Church History
Johannine Studies
New Testament Studies
Old Testament Studies
Wesleyan Holiness
Publications, Presentations, & Academic Accomplishments
Balzer, Douglas Wayne. “Positive Deviance: Empowering Ecclesial Contextualization with Theological Praxis.” DMin diss., George Fox University, 2012.
Balzer, Douglas W. “Jesus and the Breath of Life: An Exegesis of John 20:22 in Historical and Modern Interpretation, an Obscure and Mysterious Text.” MA thesis, George Fox University, April 2008.
Professional Affiliations
Ordained Minister – Church of God (Anderson)
Alumni – George Fox University
Alumni – New Hope Christian College
Community Engagement / Service
Director of Community Suppers – Wednesday Evenings at River Street Church of God
Director of Showers Ministry – offering showers to those with hygiene needs at River Street Church of God
Favorite quote
“I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it.” – Apostle Paul to Philemon