Phone: 314.434.4044
Email: faculty@covenantseminary.edu

Dr. Richard Joe

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF WORLD MISSIONS

Paul D. Kooistra Chair of World Missions

Dr. Joe is Associate Professor of World Missions at Covenant Theological Seminary, and holds the Paul D. Kooistra Chair of World Missions. He taught at the seminary as a visiting instructor in 2024 and 2025 and joined the faculty in August 2025.

Dr. Joe received his BA in International Studies from Muhlenberg College, his MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary, and his Master’s in Professional Studies in Persian from the University of Maryland, College Park. He received his PhD in Intercultural Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and did his dissertation on the influence of culture on theological education. His dissertation used qualitative focus group research to compare the culture of a group of Iranian Christians with that of a sample of American seminary lectures and found cultural influences in the areas of contextual relevance and cognitive style.

Before joining Covenant Seminary’s faculty, Dr. Joe served for twenty years as a missionary to Iranians with Mission to the World. He and his family lived in Europe and the Middle East and various cities in the US while he served providing theological education and leadership training for Iranian Christians in Europe and the Middle East.

Dr. Joe was born in Philadelphia to Korean immigrant parents and met his wife, Hye Young, in Philadelphia while she was also studying for her MDiv at Westminster. They have one son who was born in California and has grown up all over the world. They all share a love for Jesus, running, and Settlers of Catan. Dr. Joe also has a great love for movies, and, if he were not called to ministry, would have enjoyed a career as a movie critic.

Education

Faculty member since 2025

Select Courses

• God’s World Mission

• Introduction to the Muslim World