About Didasko Seminars
Mission & Vision
We exist to create seminars that encourage pastors to preach the Bible in a way that is true to the text of Scripture, compelling, and relevant for a wide variety of congregations all to the glory of God.
Our Mission revolves around
two key elements
The Bible
Congregations need to hear the Word of God preached clearly. Biblical scholarship is rich and vibrant, but scholars are often not connected personally to pastors who have their feet on the ground leading local congregations. Our seminars intend to bridge that gap by connecting current biblical scholarship to congregations through their pastors.
The Pastor
Practitioners in every field need good continuing education. Pastors are no different. Most pastors (men or women) want to prepare high quality, relevant messages for their congregations, but ministry is hard and pastors lose their passion for the hard work of preparing solid messages. We encourage pastors by creating a welcoming environment to reignite their passion for excellent preaching and build fellowship with like-minded peers.
Our History
As an organization, Didasko Seminars Inc. was founded by Chris and Becky Dolson in fall 2023. However,the origin story of the seminars goes back to the early 2000s and a group of pastors who, even though they had graduated from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, wanted to spend more time with their preaching mentor, Dr. Haddon W. Robinson (1931-2017).
Haddon was a long time faculty member and professor of preaching at Dallas Seminary, Denver Seminary, and Gordon-Conwell Seminary. He also co-hosted a radio program which for 20 years broadcast 600 times daily to two million listeners throughout North America and other English speaking countries. He wrote numerous books on preaching and had a significant impact on the careers of many preachers including Tony Evans, Chuck Swindoll, and Alice Matthews.
In May 2000, a group of about 40 pastors – all graduates of Gordon-Conwell – met with Haddon and his friend Dr. Bruce Waltke at a bible camp in Canada to discuss how to preach the book of Proverbs. Bruce talked about the theological nuances and complexities of understanding ancient Hebrew wisdom literature and then Haddon led a collaborative discussion about how to preach Proverbs.
Those camp meetings inspired the basic pattern that Didasko Seminars follow today. Pastors gather around a well known Biblical Scholar who leads us into a deep dive into the text; then a preacher facilitates a discussion with other pastors on how to preach a particular text. Ideas flow freely. The seminars are more than seminars – they are workshops where pastors can ask questions and exchange ideas.
One pastor put it like this. “The seminar is a Bible Camp for pastors.”
Over the years our “camp counselors” have been scholars like: D.A. Carson, John Walton, Daniel Block, Doug Moo, Craig Blomberg, Tim Mackie, and Lynne Cohick.
After passing the baton of being the Senior Pastor at Blackhawk Church in Madison, Wisconsin in July 2021, Chris started to pursue the idea of forming an organization that would continue and expand the seminars around the United States to help train a new generation of pastors in compelling preaching driven by the text of Scripture that changes lives.
Leadership
Chris Dolson
Executive Director
Chris Dolson is a pastor. He’s spent over 40 years preaching and training preachers. He understands the pressures of pastoral ministry. He has been the senior pastor of small, mid-sized and large churches. Chrishas degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M. 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Seminary (D.Min. 1999) where his preaching mentor was Haddon Robinson. Ordained in the Evangelical Free Church of America, he currently serves as Pastor Emeritus at Blackhawk Church (Madison, Wisconsin), a multi-site, multicultural, university community church, after having been the Senior Pastor there from 1994-2021. Chris and Becky founded Didasko Seminars in fall 2023. He is also a proud member of the Indiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Chris and his wife, Becky, have been married since 1978, have two grown children, and two grandchildren. He loves canoeing in the Canadian wilderness and the Chicago Cubs.
Board
John Smalley
Board President
John and his wife Barb have four adult children and two grandchildren. They have been members at Blackhawk Church in Madison since 2009, and John has served multiple terms on the Blackhawk Elder Board. John had a nearly 40-year career in newspapers, working in several cities in the Midwest. He retired as editor of the Wisconsin State Journal in August 2020.
Kyle Buchmann
Board Vice President
Kyle, married to Leah and father of Owen, Addison, and Ezra, has dedicated 15 years to coaching, talent development, and philanthropy in the non-profit sector. As a leader and Senior Vice President for the University of Wisconsin Foundation, and an active volunteer and Elder of Blackhawk Church, Kyle’s commitment to service runs deep.
Paul Berkbigler
Board Secretary
Paul is the owner of P.Berkbigler Design & Multimedia LLC, where he ties together twin passions for design and media to produce visual communication pieces. Some of his prior lives include: earning an MFA in graphic and interactive design at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, serving as a professor of design at Concordia University-Nebraska, and producing design & video for Blackhawk Church.
Nancy Smith
Board Treasurer
Nancy is a CPA in Washington State. After also earning an MDiv and ThM from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School an MDiv, Nancy eventually returned to the Pacific Northwest, and serves as a consulting CFO for a variety of not-for-profit organizations.
Veronica Hummel
Board Member
Veronica is married with three young sons and is the Associate Director of Spiritual Formation at Blackhawk Church and has over a decade of ministry experience in both church and parachurch contexts. She has a background in spiritual formation, leadership development, adult education, and training including programming for training events and retreats.
John Sauer
Board Member
John retired in 2023 from LeadingAge Wisconsin, a statewide association of non-profit long term care and senior housing providers, after serving as that association’s President & CEO for more than three decades. He and his wife, Kathryn, have three adult children and four grandchildren and have been members of Blackhawk Church for over twenty years.
John Smalley
Board President
John and his wife Barb have four adult children and two grandchildren. They have been members at Blackhawk Church in Madison since 2009, and John has served multiple terms on the Blackhawk Elder Board. John had a nearly 40-year career in newspapers, working in several cities in the Midwest. He retired as editor of the Wisconsin State Journal in August 2020.
Kyle Buchmann
Board Vice President
Kyle, married to Leah and father of Owen, Addison, and Ezra, has dedicated 15 years to coaching, talent development, and philanthropy in the non-profit sector. As a leader and Senior Vice President for the University of Wisconsin Foundation, and an active volunteer and Elder of Blackhawk Church, Kyle’s commitment to service runs deep.
Paul Berkbigler
Board Secretary
Paul is the owner of P.Berkbigler Design & Multimedia LLC, where he ties together twin passions for design and media to produce visual communication pieces. Some of his prior lives include: earning an MFA in graphic and interactive design at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, serving as a professor of design at Concordia University-Nebraska, and producing design & video for Blackhawk Church.
Nancy Smith
Board Treasurer
Nancy is a CPA in Washington State. After also earning an MDiv and ThM from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School an MDiv, Nancy eventually returned to the Pacific Northwest, and serves as a consulting CFO for a variety of not-for-profit organizations.
Veronica Hummel
Board Member
Veronica is married with three young sons and is the Associate Director of Spiritual Formation at Blackhawk Church and has over a decade of ministry experience in both church and parachurch contexts. She has a background in spiritual formation, leadership development, adult education, and training including programming for training events and retreats.
John Sauer
Board Member
John retired in 2023 from LeadingAge Wisconsin, a statewide association of non-profit long term care and senior housing providers, after serving as that association’s President & CEO for more than three decades. He and his wife, Kathryn, have three adult children and four grandchildren and have been members of Blackhawk Church for over twenty years.