AGST Alliance

Dr Tan Sooi Ling, from Penang (Malaysia), was appointed as Academic Dean in late 2015 and subsequently as Dean in late 2020. Sooi Ling completed her PhD in intercultural studies (with a focus on worship) at Fuller Theological Seminary. Subsequently, she was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship with the Brehm Center at Fuller, and explored the area of peace and reconciliation through music. Her interests lie in worship in context, world religions and intercultural communication. She is the co-editor of (un)Common Sounds: Songs of Peace and Reconciliation, and continues to teach as an affiliate faculty with Fuller Theological Seminary and at Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary. As well as giving oversight to AGST Alliance, Sooi Ling is Director of the Doctor of Ministry in Leadership program.

Dr Allan Harkness was appointed founding Dean of AGST (Malaysia/Singapore) in 2004. He relinquished this role at the end of 2015, when he and his wife relocated to New Zealand, his home country. The Governing Board has appointed him to the continuing position of Advisory Director. Allan holds post-graduate degrees in psychology (MA), divinity (BD), and Christian education (PhD, Murdoch, Australia). Prior to moving into his AGST Alliance role, Allan was a faculty member of Discipleship Training Centre (1989-93) and Trinity Theological College (1997-2003) in Singapore. He specialises in Christian education and theological education, and has authored a number of articles/book chapters in these fields. A former editor of the Journal of Christian Education, he is currently on the editorial board of two academic journals in Christian/theological education. Allan and his wife Marven were in Asia as members of OMF International since 1988.