BWGI Ministries Board of Directors 

Founder & President, Professor, Board member

Pastored for 16 years. Former Dean and Executive Vice-President for Western Seminary in San Jose and Portland. He holds a B.A.(Philosophy), M.Th., M.Div., and Doctor of Philosophy (Hebrew Studies and Old Testament). He studied at Oxford University in England from 1982-1986 to work on his doctorate, and received his Ph.D. in Old Testament and Hebrew from Golden Gate Seminary. Dr. Eckman was supervised by Professor James Barr at Oxford University. He is a contributor to the Thomas Nelson New King James Version Study Bible.

Board Member

Stu brings 20 years of experience as an Information Technology business executive. He has over 40 years of business and information technology (IT) experience with Healthcare, Financial Services, Government services, High Tech and Automotive industries. As a former VP at DXC/HPE/HP/GM/EDS, Stu has broad leadership experience in general management, delivery and sales. Over three decades on multiple continents0

Board Member

Dr. Blair serves as the Dean of the Second Baptist School-University Model in Katy, Texas. For the past fifteen years, Daniel has been involved in various ministries, serving as a youth pastor and a Christian Education teacher. Dr. Blair has a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation from Pittsburg State University. He also holds a Master of Theology Degree in Jesus Studies and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Bible Exposition from Dallas Theological Seminary. He lives in Houston, TX, with his wife and four children.   

Board Member, Emeritus

Dr. Merilyn Copland is an expert in Mediterranean archaeology particularly as it relates to the Bible and holds a Ph.D. in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology from UC Berkeley.  She earned Master's Degrees in History from San Francisco State University and holds degrees in Hebrew language and Literature from Jerusalem University College.  Dr. Copland has co-authored a book for Christian touring in Greece and Israel as well as speaking on the Book of Revelations in TV appearances.  Dr. Copland has taught at several colleges, universities, and seminaries in the US and abroad, and has retired a professor of Bible, Theology, and Archaeology at William Jessup University in Sacramento, California. Dr. Copland has extensive knowledge and expertise in the areas of Old Testament, biblical archaeology, biblical backgrounds, Hebrew language and literature, Greek language and literature, Egyptology, Near Eastern archaeology, Classical archaeology, women in the Bible and the Early Church, Islam, Middle Eastern History, Medieval History, and the Seven Churches of Revelation. Dr. Copland is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, Biblical Archaeology Society, and Near Eastern Studies Society. 

Executive Director, Board Member

GAYLE E.

Gayle graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Biological Sciences and from the University of San Francisco for her M.B.A. in Management & Marketing. She began her career at the largest Bioscience company in the world, ThermoFisher, formerly Applied Biosystems. Gayle worked there for almost 20 years as an Operations Manager for the Services & Support Division of North America.

Gayle grew up in a Christian home and attended church all her life. She dedicated her free time serving in church ministries for 14 years but it was only after taking Dr. Eckman’s BWGI Spiritual Life course at Western Seminary that she encountered the truth that she had been searching for all her life. Not wanting anyone else to have to wait as she did, she dedicated her time to volunteering with BWGI Ministries since 2009.

In 2017, she left her career with ThermoFisher Scientific to serve as the Executive Director for BWGI. Gayle is currently attending Johns Hopkins University for an M.S. in Distance Education & Technology.

Board Member

Jimmy Lee grew up in Taiwan and came to US for graduate study in 1978.  He is a co-founder of Integrated Silicon Solution, Inc. (ISSI), a semiconductor company.  He served as the Chairman and CEO of ISSI for many years and took the company public on NASDAQ.   He is now the Executive Vice Chairman at ISSI after the company was acquired by a consortium of Chinese investors in 2015.  Mr. Lee also served as a board director in several semiconductor companies including SMIC, the largest Semiconductor IC Foundry in China.    

Jimmy has been an elder at Chinese Church in Christ in San Jose (CCIC-SJ) since 1977.   His ministry includes teaching, preaching, shepherding, mentoring and discipleship training.   He is passionate to help people to connect their faith and work. 

Jimmy graduated from National Taiwan University and received MS/EE degree from Texas Tech University.   He studied in Western Seminary and graduated from Christian Leadership Institute with a Master Degree in Biblical and Theological Study. Jimmy is married and has two grown sons.

Board Member

John graduated from Queen’s College in Hong Kong, has a B.A. in Organic Chemistry from Brandies University and a Ph.D in Organic Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne.

John has worked in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry for > 40 years developing breakthrough medicines for multiple therapeutics areas. Since retirement in 2016, John remained a consultant for the biotech industry.

John grew up in Hong Kong and came to the United States in 1972.  He accepted the Lord in 2000 and now served as an elder in Golden Gate Christian Church in the bay area as well as one of the founders of the San Francisco City Impact Chinese Ministry in the Tenderloin area.

John came to know Dr. Eckman and BWGI through the BASS (Bay Area Sunday School Convention) and has been a student of Dr. Eckman’s teachings since 2006.

 John has been married for 40 years.  He has a son, a daughter and two grandchildren.

Board Member, Emeritus

Steve grew up in the East Bay of Northern California as a 4th generation Chinese American.  He was blessed to have a faithful Uncle and Aunt pray for salvation of his family daily.  Then through the witness of some high school friends who attended Bay Area Chinese Bible Church (BACBC), Steve came to follow Jesus as a Senior at Encinal High School. 

He received a BS in EECS at UC Berkeley and worked as a Software Engineer for 11 years before following God into vocational ministry in 1988.  He and his wife Esther met through the college fellowship at BACBC and married in 1979. 

They have 3 adult children, two of whom are married, and two grandsons!  Steve enjoys running, chess and reading.  He has a M.Div.  from Liberty Seminary a D.Min. from Talbot School of Theology.

Board Member, Chairman

Tim Papa has been connected to BWGI Ministries for over 20 years. Tim has worked for Chevron in Human Resources for 25 years and is currently the General Manager of Compensation. He has held numerous leadership roles in Chevon over his career, including the Secretary to the Board Management Compensation Committee. His tenure has included regional responsibilities for Africa, North America, and South America, international assignments to Nigeria and Venezuela, and extensive multi-national collaboration experience and worldwide travel. 

Tim’s career has afforded him the unique opportunity to learn about and partner with various ministries throughout the world and to see the miracle of Christ across many cultures.

Tim has a BA in History and an MBA from Texas A&M University. He has also served in the US Army infantry and as a police officer in Bryan, Texas. He currently lives in Houston, TX with his wife and identical twin daughters.

Board Member

Jim Toms, a graduate of Duke University School of Law, provides strategic advice for the ministry. 

Jim and his wife Susan’s friendship with Dr. and Mrs. Eckman extends back almost fifty years, when Jim was a young Naval officer in San Francisco, and Dr. Eckman, then a seminary student, was their Sunday School teacher. 

The Toms have two daughters.