Speakers

First-Plymouth was not on Huertas’ radar. He wasn’t looking to move to Lincoln, nor had it crossed his mind to move from preaching at a Methodist Church in Louisiana to a United Church of Christ congregation in Nebraska. But God works in mysterious ways, and apparently so does Jim Keck. 

 

Keck heard him preach and realized Huertas could help us write our post-pandemic chapter, striving to be present and involved in creating a more just community. As you probably already understand, Keck can be persuasive. He invited Huertas to be a guest preacher in March. 

Once connected with our congregation that day, Huertas felt “it”—“That LOVE thing--You’re a congregation committed to LOVE. This has to be a God thing,” he recalled. 

 

Huertas realized that at First-Plymouth he might have opportunity to do what God has called him to do next in his ministry; “To work as Jesus would have us work to make a difference in our community, to work together for peace and justice.” Inspiration in the pews, then rubber on the road. Exciting stuff. More of who we are. Bigger and bolder.

A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Jerry Bockoven received a BA degree from Sioux Falls College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He went on to receive a Master of Divinity degree from North American Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls and was ordained in the American Baptist Church. He served as a parish minister in South Dakota for several years during which time he was honored as the state’s minister of the year. He subsequently received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in counseling psychology from the University of Oregon.

 

Dr. Bockoven began his work as a psychologist at the Norfolk Regional Center specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with chronic and persistent mental illness. From there, he went to the Lincoln Regional Center’s Forensic Unit where he worked with mentally disordered criminal offenders. During the decade of the 90’s, he served as Executive Director of the Samaritan Counseling Center in Lincoln where he specialized in relationship issues, anxiety and depression problems, trauma recovery and spiritual concerns. He then spent 12 years at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln where he served as Chair of the psychology department, achieved tenure and was promoted to full professor. While at Wesleyan, he also maintained a private clinical practice through Orr Psychotherapy Resources in Lincoln and was a leadership consultant for Methodist clergy. Following his time at Wesleyan, he worked with returning war veterans at the VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care Systems and retired in 2021. He was recently given the title of Professor Emeritus of Psychology by Nebraska Wesleyan and is writing a history of Wesleyan’s psychology department.

 

Dr. Bockoven is an active public speaker and has published several articles on self-esteem and social skills development in professional journals as well as a book entitled “What Rhymes with Therapy?” Aside from his professional involvements, Dr. Bockoven enjoys his two children and three grandchildren. His hobbies include music, close-up magic, and travel.