In Memory of Dr. Carl Christensen
Dr. Carl Christensen, founding dean of the Buntain College of Nursing, went home to be with Jesus on Saturday, January 27, 2024. He was a humble and dedicated servant of Christ, and he used his unwavering passion for the field of nursing and Christian education to teach, mentor, and inspire hundreds of nursing students at NU.
Dr. Christensen was born on October 8, 1952, in Seattle, Washington. His interest in health care led him to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Anderson University in 1973, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Oregon Health Sciences University in 1978, and a Master of Nursing from the University of Oregon Health Sciences in 1980.
He married his wife, Debra, in 1980. The two were married for 43 years, and they had two sons together.
His nursing career began in the 1970s, and over the course of his professional life, he held many nursing-related positions—from nursing assistant to registered nurse to nursing administrator to academic dean. In 1990, Dr. Christensen earned his PhD in Public Administration from George Washington University.
His deanship at Northwest University began in 1999. As the founding dean of the Mark and Huldah Buntain School of Nursing, Dr. Christensen’s work was critical in establishing one of NU’s most well-recognized and sought-after academic programs. He was instrumental in guiding the Christ-centered culture of the department, the academic prestige of the degrees that are offered, and the cross-cultural medical missions component that makes NU’s nursing program unlike any other. Because of his missional heart and academic leadership, our nursing students have traveled to global destinations such as India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines, the Republic of Georgia, Taiwan, and the Yup’ik region of Alaska on various medical mission trips. Dr. Christensen’s career vividly demonstrated NU’s value of empowered engagement with human need, and he inspired his students, staff, and faculty to embody this important value as well.
President Castleberry said this about him: “Dr. Christensen was truly a godsend to Northwest University at the time we founded our nursing program. Along with the late Dr. Annalee Oakes, he designed and administered a truly distinctive approach to training nurses for God’s mission here in the USA and around the world. Carl was a true missionary and a great disciple of Jesus.”
Dr. Christensen retired from his role as dean in 2018, paving the way for Dr. Erin-Joy Bjorge, the current dean, who shared these words about him: “Carl was the epitome of servant leadership: selfless, humble, and faithful. He was faithful to his calling as a nurse, educator, and leader, but most importantly to his calling as a child of God to bring glory to Him in all that he did. He genuinely reflected Philippians 1:6: ‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus’” (NIV).
Dr. Christensen was a lifelong learner, an avid reader, and a loving husband, father, and grandparent. After retiring, he earned a Master of Ministry degree from NU in 2020. He also remained an active part of the Buntain College of Nursing as a professor emeritus, research fellow, and adjunct faculty member. And he volunteered at Fairview Ministries in Seattle. He is survived by his wife, Debra, two sons, two daughters-in-law, and two grandsons.
Please join us in praying for the Christensen family during this time and in celebrating the incredible life and legacy of Dr. Carl Christensen.