Living Right and Being Right for Others: Dr. Gary Hartke

“ONU’s EDD program was so much more dynamic and robust than I expected. This program takes students into so many different areas of leadership.”
Laura Warfel headshot

LW Warfel

December 7, 2024 Academics, Alumni & Friends, Ed.D.

“Three friends I really respect recommended Olivet Nazarene University’s Doctor of Ethical Leadership program to me,” says Dr. Gary Hartke ’05 MCM/’17 EDD. “They shared their EDD journeys with me and encouraged me to look into it. So I did.”

At that time, Dr. Hartke was serving as the Director of Youth Ministry for the Church of the Nazarene (CON). He had been with CON for 20 years and in that position for 15 years. He admits that he was “very settled and very comfortable.” When he enrolled in ONU’s Doctor of Ethical Leadership (EDD) three-year degree program, he felt uncomfortable right away. And that turned into a growth opportunity for him.

Student of Life and Learning

As the program began, Dr. Hartke soon realized that he was the oldest person in his cohort. Many students were 10 or more years younger than he was. He knew no one in his cohort. “I had never been in a position to share my thoughts in that kind of setting,” Dr. Hartke says. “The students in our cohort were from many different walks of life. I was surprised by how quickly we bonded. We became close, transparent with one another. We helped one another. Putting myself in that environment shook my world. In a good way. Getting unsettled was really good for me.”

ONU’s intentionality in structuring the EDD program as a faith-based program inspired and encouraged Dr. Hartke. For his dissertation, he studied theological coherence among CON youth pastors in the United States. His research group included several hundred participants, and his research results validated the licensing and education systems already in place.

New Leadership Adventures

After receiving his EDD degree in 2017, Dr. Hartke was elected as CON’s General Secretary in 2018. “My degree brought credibility to my ability to lead,” he says. “I know I’m a more effective leader because of completing ONU’s degree program. Not a day goes by that I don’t apply something from the EDD program in my work.” Today, he leads a team of 20 in serving 2.7 million Nazarenes in 500 districts and 165 world areas.

“As a manager, I use the four Ds of execution with my team in putting together a strategic plan and managing our strategy to the end,” Dr. Hartke says. “I’m also more strategic about dealing with conflicts because of what I learned with my EDD cohort. I know how to live and work as an ethical leader. I’m purposeful in my lifestyle, intentional about what I do, and set up guardrails for my life. Ethics is part of all of that. Living right and being right for others is deeply embedded in me now.”

Encouragement for Others

Dr. Hartke wants prospective students to know that opportunities like ONU’s EDD program rarely come at the perfect time in life. “I was very busy, like everyone else is,” he says. “I had to structure my life carefully to get the work done and to do it at the level I wanted to do it. I poured myself into it so I could get as much out of it as possible.”

Dr. Hartke adds, “ONU’s EDD program was so much more dynamic and robust than I expected. This program takes students into so many different areas of leadership. Research, communication, statistics, personal development. All of that is having such a huge impact on my life. My mom and dad didn’t go to college. Because of my degrees, college is now in our family conversation. I have the opportunity to influence my two granddaughters and my children in their future educational decisions.”

To learn more about the Doctor of Education degree, visit olivet.edu.

Laura Warfel headshot

LW Warfel

Laura Wasson Warfel is a story gatherer, writer, editor, and follower of Jesus Christ. A good listener, she distills details into meaningful communications. Her greatest joy is to bring others along with her on her faith journey. In 2015, she launched More Than A Widow, a ministry to help widows live beyond the label and find their more.

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