Brenda Salter McNeil
Associate Professor of Reconciliation Studies
Email: mcneilb@spu.edu
Phone: 206-281-2736
Office: Alexander & Adelaide Hall 211
Education: BA, Rutgers University, 1977; MDiv, Fuller Theological Seminary, 1984; DMin, Palmer Theological Seminary, 2000. At SPU since 2011.
Brenda Salter McNeil comes to Seattle Pacific University with over 25 years of experience in the field of racial, ethnic, and gender reconciliation.
Dr. McNeil is an author, speaker, consultant, and president of Salter McNeil and Associates.
At SPU, Dr. McNeil teaches and directs the Reconciliation Studies minor for the undergraduate program. In this capacity, she recruits and mentors students; partners with the John Perkins Center for Reconciliation, Leadership, and Community Development to identify community-based partners, and oversees internship opportunities to give students practical reconciliation experience in the Seattle area. In addition, she teaches Master of Divinity students in the seminary program to equip them to be more effective in a diverse, multiethnic society.
In 2008, Dr. McNeil was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters from North Park University, where she was a scholar in residence for several years. Dr. McNeil was also awarded an honorary doctorate degree in 2017 from Eastern University in Pennsylvania. She has lectured extensively at numerous Christian colleges and universities across the United States and Africa. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Wycliffe Bible Translators, USA, and is an ordained clergy person in the Evangelical Covenant Church.
For more information, see Dr. McNeil's CV (PDF).
Books
Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage to Pursue Racial Justice Now
Baker Publishing Group, 2020
Roadmap to Reconciliation: Moving Communities into Unity, Wholeness and Justice
IVP Books, 2016
"It's time for the followers of Jesus to embark on the prophetic journey that leads to reconciliation and transformation around the world. Many of us may already be aware of the need for reconciliation in our own backyards. . . . We cannot ignore the plight of the people around us and as globalization continues its relentless march onward, we cannot turn a blind eye to the world at large either. We have to face the realities here at home and we must also embrace the stories of people all around the world."
The Heart of Racial Justice: How Soul Change Leads to Social Change (with Rick Richardson)
InterVarsity Press, 2009
A Credible Witness
InterVarsity Press, 2008