Biography

After 25 years of pastoral ministry, Dr. Penno served the churches of Georgia-Cumberland as the evangelism coordinator for five years. He began his ministry in the Iowa-Missouri Conference in 1980, serving there for 13 years. He moved to the Georgia-Cumberland Conference in 1993.

He graduated from Southern Adventist University in 1980 with a BA in Theology and a minor in Biblical Languages. In 2000 he received an MA in Religion from Southern with emphasis in homiletics and church growth. In May of 2009 he graduated with a PhD in Leadership from Andrews University.

David is married to Nancy, who works in the Academic Records Office at AU. They have two sons. Matthew is a firefighter for Cobb County, Georgia, and is married to Heather. Eric is a college student and is married to Melody. Eric and Melody have two daughters, Chrissy and Judith, and one son, Bentley.

The Pennos enjoy spending time at the beach, reading, and visiting historical sites. The boys and David also like to go backpacking and camping.

Current Research or Professional Activities

Dr. Penno teaches the DMin Professional Dissertation Seminar and the DMin Research Methods Seminar for the DMin program, and leadership classes for the MDiv and MAPM programs. He also works with the University's Institutional Review Board to help expedite the approval process for DMin projects.