Erich Baumgartner combines his interest in  Intercultural Communication with his passion to develop organizational leaders. This is reflected in the two core courses he teaches on leadership theory and on diversity and culture.  In the course LEAD638: Issues in Leadership Theory he introduces experienced leadership professionals to the universe of theory. His Seminar on Diversity, Leadership and Culture (LEAD689/789) brings participants face-to-face with the realities of our global workplace. Most of his time, however, is now spent working with doctoral students on their dissertation research and editing the new Journal of Applied Christian Leadership.

Another interest of Erich is the mission of the Christian church.  Prior to coming to Andrews University, Erich served as a pastor in Vienna and Salzburg, Austria, and in Los Angeles, California, and as director of the Leadership Development Institute in Portland, Oregon, and Moscow, Russia. He also developed the Adventist Statistics Database that keeps track of the growth of the Seventh-day Adventist church worldwide.

He served as the 16th president of the  American Society for Church Growth (now Great Commission Research Network), an interdenominational organization founded in 1986 by C. Peter Wagner. 

Erich has translated Christian Schwarz's Impementation Guide to Natural Church Development and The ABCs of Natural Church Development.

Education:
1990
Ph.D. Intercultural Studies
Fuller Theological Seminary, School of World Mission
Dissertation: “Towards a Model of Pastoral Leadership for Church Growth in German-Speaking Europe”

1987
M.A. Missiology
School of World Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary

1978
Master of Divinity
SDA Theological Seminary, Andrews University

1975
Diplôme d’Evangéliste Licencé (B.A.)
Seminaire Adventiste Collonges, France

1974
Diplom für Pastoraltheologie
Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen, Austria