IICM Administration

Realizing the need to integrate a missiological understanding with evangelism to reach the many cultures in North America, Dr. Curt Watke completed a Ph.D. with both a major in evangelism and a major in missions at Southwestern Baptist Seminary.  His dissertation evaluated the sociological underpinnings of urban evangelization.  He also completed both an M.A. and M.Div. at Biblical Theological Seminary.   He has studied at the School of World Missions, Fuller Theological Seminary; Perkins School of Theology, SMU; and at Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary. 

Currently, Dr. Watke serves as Executive Director of the Intercultural Institute for Contextual Ministry, an independent, nonprofit “think tank” dedicated to the application of missiological concepts in the communication of the gospel and the development of congregations through research of cultural, intercultural, cross-cultural, and multicultural groups, population segments, and social environments in North America and beyond. 

Before founding the Intercultural Institute, he served in the Church Planting Group at the North American Mission Board where he conducted sociocultural research among neotribal groups.  Dr. Watke addresses aspects of North American culture, contextuality, and missional development in conferences throughout the US and Canada among pastors and denominational leaders.  Watke has developed research methodologies and resource materials in helping church planters understand the Neotribal cultures of North America. Similar to people groups, but not necessarily defined by ethnicity, Neotribal cultures are groups of people who have similar behaviors, attitudes, and values. Experts say there are 60 distinct population groups – Neotribal cultures – in America today.

Watke’s experience has also included serving as a Church Growth consultant where he led urban Canadian churches in strategic ministry development processes.  As Professor of Evangelism and Church Planting at Prairie Bible College and Graduate School in Alberta, Canada, he taught a variety of subjects including sociology and cultural anthropology.  His church planting students started postmodern Anglo, Mandarin, and Portuguese-language churches in Canada.  In addition, Dr. Watke has served as a visiting professor at Southeastern Baptist Seminary, Golden Gate Baptist Seminary, as an adjunct professor at Heritage Baptist Seminary in Canada, and as a teaching fellow at Southwestern Baptist Seminary.  He served in churches in Georgia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania with major responsibilities in evangelism, missions, church planting, and supervision of seminary interns.  He also has twelve years of experience as a small business entrepreneur, starting two marketing companies related to the financial services industry.  He has co-authored Starting Reproducing Congregations (2001) and Ministry Context Exploration (2002).  He and his wife Lou Ann have three boys and reside in North Augusta, SC.