ISGA Research Fellow Bios

Anicka Fast (Canada/Burkina Faso)

Raised in Papua New Guinea, Anicka has also lived in a variety of francophone contexts in Africa and Québec. In 2020, she completed a PhD in theology at Boston University, where she focused on the history of Mennonites in Belgian Congo. She currently works for both MCC and MMN, teaching courses about the history of the church and its mission in Africa, and supporting African historians in writing the stories of their churches. She seeks to encourage connections and collaboration between historians in the global North and South.

Danang Kristiawan (Indonesia)

Born and raised in Indonesia, Danang currently works as a pastor of a GITJ church in Jepara and teaches Anabaptist history and theology part-time at a Mennonite seminary in Pati. His primary academic interests include interreligious dialogue, religious history, pastoral pedagogy, and Anabaptist theology. Danang is passionate about bringing Anabaptist-Mennonite theological and historical teaching to Indonesia in ways that translate more accurately into this cultural context. He hopes to begin writing historical and theological material that originates from an Indonesian perspective (rather than translated from English).

David Irala (Paraguay/England)

After working as a youth pastor in Asunción, Paraguay, and teaching at Instituto Bíblico Asunción (IBA), David has just started a PhD in theology at Durham University in England. During his studies, he will continue to work with IBA. He hopes to formulate a critical conversation to analyze assumptions in biblical and theological education and provide a framework for developing theological curriculums, especially in the context of Paraguay. His main research interests are in practical and historical theology, and theological education with an Anabaptist approach.

Luis Tapia (Chile/USA)

Luis grew up in Valparaiso, Chile, and encountered Anabaptism through theological/philosophical studies and pastoral ministry in the Baptist and then Mennonite Church. After finishing an MDiv in theology at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Luis has just begun a PhD program in theology at the IBTS Centre/Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His research is focused on the intersection of Anabaptist theology and the Latino context. He will continue to live in the USA and teach theology through various Anabaptist-Mennonite related programs.

Read about the ISGA Research Fellow program HERE.