SteveDavis.org

Dr. Steve Davis Steven L. Davis, Ph.D. is a native of Southern Maryland, just outside Washington, DC. He was raised United Methodist, getting at least some of the basics of faith, spirituality and the Bible. He went through the public school system, until 10th grade, when he was sent to the local Roman Catholic school, Archbishop Neale High School due to his "disciplinary" problems.

During high school and college years he played in local music groups and was a studio musician at different recording studios in the Washington area. Also during these years, he developed his skills as an artist and illustrator and became well known locally for his airbrushed murals on motorcycles, race cars and show vehicles. By 19 years of age, his work was winning prizes in national car shows and was featured on the covers of and in articles in several automotive magazines.

Steven met his future wife, Linda at Asbury College in Kentucky. While at Asbury, he continued to play music and be active in the art and illustration business, illustrating several books and album covers. Also during this time, he served as Youth Pastor at Calvary Assembly of God in Lexington, KY with Pastor Bob Rodgers - who is now Senior Pastor of Evangel World Prayer Center in Louisville, KY. Steven graduated from Asbury with a degree in theology and a minor in fine art.

After college, Steven and Linda moved to Maryland, opened a graphic art and sign lettering business and contracted with the Maryland Department of Corrections to provide Chaplain services for inmates and corrections staff. After three years in Maryland, he and Linda responded to an invitation from George Verwer, the International Coordinator of Operation Mobilization to come to London, England. In London, Steve illustrated books and magazines that would be published and distributed in India and the Middle East. During these years, he traveled, speaking in colleges, universities, civic groups and churches throughout England, Ireland, Wales, and in Belgium and Germany. He also spent time traveling and speaking in India.

During his time in India and working among Middle Easterners he was introduced to the stories and jokes of Mulla Nasrudin. As he heard public speakers, ministers, missionaries, a rabbi, businessmen and others using the Nasrudin stories to entertain, persuade, influence and communicate abstract ideas, he became a fascinated collector of them.

Also during this time, he gained a new appreciation for and understanding of many of the Jewish Scriptures, known as the Old Testament to Christians. Particularly as he became more proficient in the communication and learning styles of the Middle East, he began to understand the patterns and up-building messages of the Book of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

After returning to the U.S. in the mid 1980's, Steven and Linda reopened the graphic design business, and were asked to lead a home Bible study in a neighboring town. This Bible study evolved into a church, The Worship Center, a Southern Methodist church, which has become a full time occupation and ministry for them.

During the late 80's and early 90's, Steve was an advertising sales manager for Selling Power magazine. At Selling Power, his interest in cognitive therapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Rational Emotive Therapy and their applications was piqued by the intellectually stimulating conversations with the publisher, Gerhard Gschwandtner and with other contacts he made through his position at Selling Power.

This was the basis of his work on People Skills and Rapport Building, using Biblical principles to help you and your people understand those who are radically different from themselves, and be able to get along well with them - and actually enjoy each other! It's not that hard with the principles and techniques he gives you.

Steven continued his education and received his Master’s degree in Divinity in 1995. After getting his Master’s degree, he pursued his Ph. D. in psychology. His doctoral thesis was A Comparison and Contrast of the Rapid Change Techniques of Neuro Linguistic Programming to Those of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. This 380 page thesis lays the groundwork for much of Steven’s teaching, personal coaching and counseling approach.

For three years, from 1999 to 2002, Steven hosted the nationally aired television program, Leave it to Jesus, on satellite and cable systems. Leave it to Jesus presented a straightforward, no nonsense teaching and interview format to help the viewer sort through the various layers of religious and social teachings and develop their own belief system in line with the ancient teachings of the Bible.

Dr. Davis is an FBI Chaplain, assigned to FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC and to the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. The chaplaincy program is a resource provided by the agency to the employees and their families, to help maintain spiritual health and balance. He is also an inaugural member of the Behavioral Science Unit’s Spirit of the Law project and has presented his material at the Academy.

The idea of spiritual health being the source of a successful life is nothing new, but the recognition of the relationship of spiritual health to accurate cognitive functioning is coming more to the forefront in those working in human services agencies. Steve has developed his own blend of effective psychological techniques and therapies and sound spiritual teaching. He makes some of the most profound biblical and psychological truths merge effortlessly and in a way that the most pragmatic individual will find himself or herself embracing and applying them - resulting in a changed and better feeling life.

During his travels, interviews and experiences personally as a Chaplain, Pastor, Evangelist and television minister, Steven has developed a heart for those in the ministry, particularly those who seem to be in "impossible" ministry situations.

As a popular conference and church speaker, Steven gets a lot of private time with top Christian leaders and pastors. He knows the isolation that many Christian leaders feel and how easy it is to feel ineffective and like a failure. For many Christian leaders, it seems as though they are no better than their most recent sermon, meeting or conference - which will be compared unfavorably to the well scripted, edited, professionally produced and edited messages given by the mega ministries on television. It's this sense of challenge that prompted him to set up this site, as a place for pastors and other Christian leaders to glean helpful information and encouragement.

Dr. Davis also has more than a dozen CD programs available where he presents his approach to balanced Biblically based spirituality.