ELI Project Director
Dr. Daniel and Susan Steere
Dan was born to missionary parents in Forteleza, Brazil and during his formative years lived in British Columbia (Canada), Washington and Illinois. Although he has been involved in ministry since 1978, along the way Dan also gained experience as a forklift operator, painting contractor and warehouse supervisor. He became a Christian during his first year of college, having attended a Christian college at the insistence of his parents (Praise God!).
He graduated from Cedarville University (Ohio) in 1975 with majors in History and Interdisciplinary Studies and a minor in Bible. It was at Cedarville that Dan met and married Susan who graduated with degrees in Christian Education and Psychology. Susan was from a military family and had sensed a call to missions from a young age. Dan then worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant while attending the University of Dayton, receiving his MA in American History in 1977. During those years, Dan was involved in the gospel ministry, traveling with a gospel team and leading in the establishment of a Christian student fellowship at U.D. Susan also continued on to graduate school, receiving in 1977 her MA in Special Education. In 1978, Dan took a position as Assistant Professor of History with Washington Baptist Teachers College in Tacoma, WA. He served there six years both as an assistant professor and, later, as Academic Dean. While in Tacoma, he studied at Western Reformed Seminary and was active in his church as a Bible teacher and lay preacher. Susan also taught as time and a growing family allowed. Ministry in Christian Education continued to be their theme for the next few years as Dan and Susan taught in a Christian school in California and in 1987 led in the establishment of Grace Christian School in Webster, NY.
In 1990, the Lord led them to Atlanta, GA where Dan became the Headmaster of Harvester Christian Academy, a ministry of Harvester Presbyterian Church, PCA. The pastor of the church at that time was Rev. Don Mountan. At Harvester, Dan saw the school grow tremendously and he also supervised the construction of a new gymnasium/classroom building. It was at this time that he began his PhD studies at Georgia State University. Susan continued her teaching during this time as well. Actively involved in the church, Dan served as a ruling elder for almost 2 years before Harvester called him to be Minister of Education and recommended him for ordination as a Teaching Elder. Ordained in 1997, Dan was called as the Associate Pastor of Harvester Presbyterian.
Dan became the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, PCA in Summerville, GA in 1998. He has been an active member of North Georgia Presbytery, serving on the Shepherding and Christian Education committees and teaching in the Church-Based Ordination Program. In 2000, he was also elected by the PCA General Assembly to serve as a board member for Ridge Haven, the denomination’s camp and conference center in North Carolina. That same year, he received his PhD in English Reformation History. Dan also serves as an adjunct instructor of Church History for Reformed Theological Seminary, Atlanta.
It was through Don Mountan that Dan came into first-hand contact with training leaders in developing nations. Initially, he traveled to Uganda with Don and Merril in the summer of 2002. During that trip he was convinced of both the tremendous need for training pastors in the developing world. In God’s wise providence, Dan was later privileged to make a trip to Ghana in 2005. This trip confirmed to him God’s will for him to be engaged full time in training Christian leaders. After a few years with another agency, in 2008 Dan joined Equipping Leaders International.
Dan and Susan have been married for 30 years and the Lord has graciously given them four children, each of whom is involved in ministry as well.