Maranatha Announces New Head of School

Dr. Ketterling is no stranger to the Maranatha community. He served as a Math and Science teacher for the school from 2004-2006 before further pursuing higher education, earning a Masters degree from Talbot School of Theology, and both a Masters and Doctorate in Theology from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. Since returning to Maranatha High School in 2016, Dr. Ketterling has served in multiple positions: Theology Department Chair, Science instructor, Chair of the Oliver Honors Institute, Dean of Special Projects, Biblical Integration Coordinator, and most recently as the Associate Dean to the Office of the Head of School. In each role, he has inspired collaboration, established trust, and led astutely with grace and humility.

Board Chair Cory Ishida remarked, “We are thankful to God for guiding us through the entire process of finding our next Head of School. We firmly believe that we are in the center of God’s will for Maranatha with Dr. Ketterling leading as our next Head of School.” Click HERE to view the announcement video. 

Nearly 18 months ago, in anticipation of the retirement of current Head of School John Rouse at the end of the 2023-24 school year, the Board of Trustees prayerfully began the process of “replacing the irreplaceable.” They formed a 3-member HOS Steering Committee that identified a search firm to assist in the process. The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) conducted a nationwide search, narrowing the field to six candidates. A Search Committee was formed to further reduce the search to just four candidates who would then be interviewed via Zoom. The two finalists they identified were invited to spend time with John Rouse and selected members of the senior administration, as well as to meet with the faculty, staff, students, and parent leaders. After a final interview with each candidate, the Search Committee debriefed with everyone who had met with the candidates. They then spent one week fasting and praying over the decision, joined by faculty, staff, and various members of our Maranatha community. On November 27, the Board of Trustees unanimously and in complete unity made their selection. According to Board Chairman Cory Ishida, the Board selected the candidate who was “the most mission-aligned and culturally attuned and would give us the greatest potential for stability and longevity.”

Dr. Ketterling has been married to his wife, Kari, a Maranatha class of 1999 alum, for 19 years. They reside in the San Gabriel Valley along with their four children. He is currently an elder and board member at Church of the Open Door in Glendora, where he had previously served as the Student Ministries Pastor from 2008-2012.  He expressed how honored and excited he is to step into the role of Head of School, adding, “I am committed to the mission of Maranatha High School to be a Christ-honoring community that seeks to glorify God through excellence in academics, arts, and athletics. That’s what Maranatha has always been about, and what we are going to continue to be about. We have a really unique position within the Kingdom of God. There is no other school like ours in this area that seeks to honor Christ and to pursue excellence.”

 

John Rouse shared, “As I look to ending my time here at Maranatha, one of the prayers I’ve had is that God would raise up a strong leader to guide our school into the future that God has for us. Just as in a relay race, as one runner finishes their leg and passes the baton to the next runner who will continue the race, I am so very confident in passing the baton to Dr. Ketterling knowing that he is a strong man of faith, has a heart for our school, and the courage to persevere in keeping Maranatha true to its mission.” 

Please join us in thanking God for His goodness and mercy to Maranatha, and for bringing us clarity and unity in this selection process. Pray for Dr. Ketterling and his precious family, for his leadership, and for our school—that we will continue to faithfully seek God’s will for Maranatha in the years ahead.