The Rev. Duane R. Bidwell, Ph.D.
Interim Pastor
OFFICE PHONE: (909) 624-9693 x 1302
EMAIL: duane@claremontpres.org
Rev. Duane Bidwell, Ph.D. joins CPC as Head of Staff in an Interim Pastor role. We are looking forward to having him lead us through the next steps of calling an Installed Pastor. Many thanks to the members of the Interim Pastor Nominating Committee, Andrew Brooks, Robbin Kelley, Janet Siedschlag and Carol Sittig. Their task took much longer than expected for a variety of reasons, but they have persevered with grace and diligence to find the right person.
Duane and his wife Karee have been active participants of CPC since 2010, when he joined the faculty of Claremont School of Theology. Duane has preached, taught, and led retreats for CPC, serving as a Godly Play teacher for several years. Karee currently serves as a CPC deacon, and their son Ben was confirmed here. Duane also serves on the Committee on Ministry for San Gabriel Presbytery. In addition to leading the church as the Interim Pastor, Duane will be an integral facilitator in the church’s Mission Study development.
He served as Interim Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Bonham, Texas, and as temporary pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Bridgeport, Texas. He served on the Committee on Ministry of Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery while teaching at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa and on the Examinations and Churches Embracing Transformation committees of Grace Presbytery in Texas. Duane completed Interim Pastoral Training through the PC(USA) Transitional Ministry Education Consortium.
Most recently he served on the faculty of the Department of Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, and as an Educational and Research Associate for the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., where he directed a collaborative project with the US Veterans Health Administration to improve educational leadership at medical centers across the country.
Duane has published six books and more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, and his work has been featured by National Public Radio, CNN, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Interfaith Radio, the Utne Reader, and many podcasts.
From 2010-2022 he was professor of practical theology, spiritual care, and counseling at Claremont School of Theology in Southern California, where he also maintained a clinical practice at The Clinebell Institute for Pastoral Counseling and Psychotherapy and served as CST’s accreditation liaison.
Duane is ordained by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and he received his Ph.D. from Texas Christian University.
Duane’s Books Include:
After the Worst Day Ever: What Sick Kids Know About Sustaining Hope in Chronic Illness (Boston: Beacon Press, 2024)
When One Religion Isn’t Enough: The lives of Spiritually Fluid People (Boston: Beacon Press, 2029)
The edited volume Spirituality, Social Construction, and Relational Process: Essays and Reflections (Chagrin Falls, OH: WorldShare, 2016).
Empowering Couples: A Narrative Approach to Spiritual Care (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2013), which places contemporary research on resilient partnerships into conversation with the Christian desert traditions and the practices of narrative psychotherapy.
The Formation of Pastoral Counselors: Challenges and Opportunities (New York: Routledge, 2006), co-edited with Joretta Marshall.
Short-term Spiritual Guidance (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004), which explores the Christian practice of spiritual direction in light of social constructionist psychotherapies.
Duane’s teaching, research and writing are informed by the practice of vipassana (insight) meditation in the tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He has a keen interest in hybrid religious/spiritual identities and Buddhist-Christian dialogue.
A clinical Fellow of the former American Association of Pastoral Counselors and former editor of The Journal of Pastoral Theology, he has worked as a chaplain, parish pastor, spiritual director, pastoral counselor, accreditation specialist, and director of an interfaith HIV/AIDS agency.
Please join CPC’s Elders, Deacons, and Interim Pastor Search Team in warmly welcoming Duane to this new role. His gifts, wisdom, and skill will be invaluable as we take next steps to prepare to call a permanent Pastor.