Our Staff
Dr. Ayman S. Ibrahim
Director
Ayman Ibrahim was born and raised in Egypt. He completed two PhDs in Islamic Studies (Fuller 2014, Haifa University 2018). Since 1991, he has taught in various countries in the Muslim world and in the West at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has taught at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary in the United States, and at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon. Some of the courses he taught include: Introduction to Islam; History and Theology of Islam; Islamic Texts; Islamic Thought; Contemporary Islam; Christian-Muslim Apologetics; and Modern Standard Arabic. He is a member of the Center for the Study of Inter-Religious Encounters at Ben Gurion University of the Negev; the International Quranic Studies Association; the Evangelical Theological Society. He authored Muhammad’s Military Expeditions: A Critical Reading in Original Muslim Sources (Oxford University Press, 2024), Islam and the Bible (B&H, 2023), Reaching Your Muslim Neighbor with the Gospel (Crossway, 2022), A Concise Guide to the Life of Muhammad: Answering Thirty Key Questions (Baker Academic, 2022), Conversion to Islam (Oxford University Press, 2021); Basics of Arabic (Zondervan 2021); A Concise Guide to the Quran (Baker Academic, 2020); The Stated Motivations for the Early Islamic Expansion (Peter Lang, 2018); and co-edited Muslim Conversions to Christ: A Critique of Insider Movements in Islamic Contexts (Peter Lang, 2018). His articles on Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations appeared in the Washington Post, Religion News Services, Colorado Springs Gazette, Louisville Courier-Journal, First Things, among others. He has been married since 2012 and together with his wife, they serve among Arabs in the United States and the Middle East. Contact him via his email: aibrahim@sbts.edu and follow him on Twitter at @al2ostaz.
Grace Kim
Administrative Assistant
Grace was born in South Korea and came to the United States when she was 10 years old. She grew up in a strong Christian home, and during her freshman year in college, she received a heart to become a missionary in an unreached nation. After college, she went to Turkey for two years and then spent about eight years doing mission mobilization work around the world in 25 countries. She is now a student at Southern, where she graduated with an MA in Missiology and is currently a Ph.D. student in World Religions under the supervision of Dr. Ibrahim. Grace is passionate about serving Muslims and is excited to see greater Christian understanding of Islam through the work of the Jenkins Center.
Shaalim
Finance Associate
Shaalim was born in Lahore, Pakistan. He was born and raised in a family that serves the Lord. His father and late grandfather were both pastors. He has been married to Arooj since 2023. In 2018, he felt a deep call and desire to be in Christian ministry, and in Dec. 2019, he was ordained as a pastor for Biblical Faith Church (Lahore, Pak). Shaalim and Arooj came to SBTS to deepen their understanding of the Word of God. In his experience and regular encounters with Muslims, he developed an understanding of how they view Christianity. He believes that knowing the truth sets you free (John 8:32), and when free, it changes minds, thoughts, and motives. He believes the Muslim community needs to know the truth. But how do we effectively share it? What are the best ways to clearly communicate the Gospel? Exploring these questions is the reason Shaalim has joined the Jenkins Center. He desires to learn, understand, and implement the best ways to win Muslims for Christ.
Sarah Bryson
Communications Associate
Sarah grew up in southeastern Michigan in a loving Christian home. God saved her as a little girl, though her teen years were fraught with spiritual struggles. From a young age, she has been fascinated by other countries and cultures, but it was not until adulthood that she traveled overseas for the first time. It was an incredible experience that launched a journey of growth and deeper involvement in missions that continue to unravel. Understanding the global kingdom of God played an essential role in Sarah’s faith journey. Sarah came to Boyce in January 2024 to pursue her bachelor’s in global studies, where the Jenkins Center began to become a significant part of her first semester. She looks forward to getting more involved, serving, learning, and growing in understanding Islam from a Christian perspective and seeing where the Lord might use her in bringing His light to those in darkness.
Our Interns
Emma
Emma was born and raised in Southern Indiana and Kentucky, and much of her adulthood was spent church planting with her family in Southeastern Colorado. She is now in her second year at Boyce, studying in the Christian Worldview and Apologetics program. Emma spent a few years living in an area with a large Muslim population, and it was there that she first developed a heart for the Muslim community. During the spring semester of her freshman year, that heart grew into a desire to pursue missions among Muslims. Through her internship at the Jenkins Center, Emma hopes to learn how to best share the gospel with those of the Islamic faith while also gaining practical experience in evangelism ministry.
Karla
Karla was born and raised in Cuba and came to the United States in 2018. She grew up learning about Scripture but was saved later during her teenage years. After coming to the U.S. and interacting with other cultures for the first time, the Lord opened her eyes to the overwhelming need for the gospel among the nations. In the fall of 2023, she came to Boyce College to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Humanities, and she learned about the Jenkins Center through attending Ladies’ Brunch. Since then, she has grown a deep desire to be a faithful witness for the gospel, both here in Louisville and to the ends of the earth. Through the Jenkins Center internship, Karla hopes to learn more about Islam as a religion, share the gospel with her Muslim neighbors, and gain opportunities for discipleship in preparation for future ministry.
Natalie
Natalie was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is finishing her third year in the Teacher Education Program at Boyce College. Her eyes were opened to the overwhelming need for missionary workers through the intercessory prayer for Ramadan during her first year. This made such an impact on her, giving her a heart for Muslims and the Great Commission in general. By interning at the Jenkins Center, she hopes to gain experience and wisdom, learning to evangelize and being mentored by the other members of the team. After graduation, Natalie hopes to become a teacher and settle overseas, faithfully sharing the gospel in whichever country she ends up in.
Sarah
Sarah was born in North Carolina but spent her teenage years as a missionary kid in Maine. She was saved at a young age and has always desired to serve in missions to Muslims. While in Maine, she worked at a Somali refugee center with Muslim children. She is currently in her third year of study at Boyce College, with a focus on Youth and Family Ministry. After college, she hopes to serve in Toronto, focusing on inner-city youth and Muslim young adults. Through her internship at the Jenkins Center, she hopes to develop stronger skills in engaging with and evangelizing Muslim adults and teens.
Stephen
Stephen was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in South Bend, Indiana. By God’s grace, he attended Wheaton College, where his heart was first stirred for missions. After graduating, he moved to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and served there for eight years with a Christian organization reaching street-connected children and youth. Due to health circumstances, he returned to the States, where the Lord opened his eyes to the many immigrants, refugees, and international students here, and specifically burdened his heart to love and reach Muslims both locally and globally. In recent years, he has also spent several months in the Middle East and South Asia, further deepening his love for Muslims and his desire for them to know the hope and beauty of the gospel. He longs for the Church to be inspired and equipped to reach Muslim neighbors and is excited to intern with the Jenkins Center.
Our Team
Become an Intern
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