Collection 583 - Oral History Interviews with Gregory S. Thellman
Scope and Contents
Oral history with Gregory Thellman (1970- ), missionary in the Bosnian region of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1997-2008) as a member of a church team. Topics covered include Thellman’s spiritual development and conversion, interest in missions, participation in his Northside Community Church’s outreach among Muslim Bosnian refugees in Atlanta, Northside’s mission teams to Mostar in Bosnia, Bosnian Christian leaders and Evangelical congregation in the city, work among children and youth, relations with other Evangelicals, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians in Mostar, pastor John Rowell’s leadership and philosophy for mission teams, training for ministry, sport and camp ministries, ministry among Romani refugees, impact of war on Bosnia, and attending Wheaton College Grad School. The time period covered by the interview is roughly 1970-2003.
Gregory Thellman was interviewed by Bob Shuster on January 9 and 21, 2003, in the office of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center Archives in Wheaton, IL.
Dates
- 2003
Creator
- Thellman, Gregory Scott, 1970- (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.
Conditions Governing Access
The copyright to the sound recordings in this collection is held by the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center Archives.
Biographical Information
Full name: Gregory Scott Thellman
Birth: December 12, 1970, in New Brighton, Pennsylvania
Family
Parents: Rich and Loretta Thellman
Marital Status: Married in 2000 to Lidija Sokac Thellman, a Croatian formerly of Yugoslavia
Children: Five children
Conversion: Ca. 1991 while a sophomore in college
Education
1989-1991 - Robert Morris College, majored in Sports Management
1991-1993 - Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, BS in Business Administration
2002-2004 - Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, IL, MA in Biblical Exegesis; appointed as a Billy Graham Center Scholarship recipient
2010-2013 - Wheaton College Graduate School, Wheaton, IL, PhD in Biblical Theology—New Testament
2012 - Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, post-graduate in Biblical Studies
Career
1993-1996 - Customer Service Representative at GA Communications, Atlanta, GA
1997-2008 - International staff of Ministry Resource Network in church planting ministry in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Osijek, Croatia
2006-2010 - Associate Academic Dean to Undergraduate Studies at Evangelical Theological Seminary, Osijek, Croatia
2008 - International staff of Ethne seconded by Church Resource Ministries
2014 - Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and Lecturer in Biblical Theology at Evangelical Theological Seminary, Osijek, Croatia
Extent
3 Audio Tapes
216 Minutes
Language of Materials
English
Accruals and Additions
The materials in this collection were given to the Billy Graham Center Archives by Gregory Thellman in January 2003.
Accessions: 03-03, 03-04
September 25, 2020
Paul Ericksen
- Atlanta (Ga.)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina -- History -- 1992-
- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Catholic Church -- Relations -- Protestant churches.
- Christian leadership -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Christian life.
- Church camps.
- Church work with children -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Church work with immigrants -- United States.
- Church work with refugees -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Church work with refugees -- United States.
- Church work with youth -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- College students -- Religious life.
- Conversion -- Personal narratives. -- Christianity.
- Culture shock.
- Eastgate Church (Atlanta, Ga.)
- English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers.
- Evangelical Free Church of America.
- Evangelicalism -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Evangelicalism -- Relations -- Catholic Church.
- Indigenous church administration -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Intercultural communication -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Kosovo War -- 1998-1999.
- Mission Resource Network.
- Missionaries -- Appointment, call, and election.
- Missionaries -- Training of -- United States.
- Missions -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Missions -- Theory.
- Missions to Muslims -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Missions to Muslims -- United States.
- Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Muslims -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Muslims -- United States.
- Northside Community Church (Atlanta, Ga.)
- Refugees -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Romanies -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Rowell, John, 1951-
- Short-term missions.
- Sports -- Religious aspects -- Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Thellman, Lidija Sokac.
- Wheaton College (Ill.). Graduate School.
Creator
- Thellman, Gregory Scott, 1970- (Person)
Source
- Wheaton College (Ill.). Billy Graham Scholarship Program. (Organization)
- Title
- Collection 583 Oral History Interviews with Gregory S. Thellman
- Author
- Paul Ericksen
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Roman Script
Repository Details
Part of the Evangelism & Missions Archives Repository