Bill Berning has a Master’s Degree Philosophy of Religion (graduated 1999, with Honors) and a Master’s Degree Biblical Studies (graduated 2002, with Honors), both from Denver Seminary. He graduated Magna cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Biology Degree (Chemistry minor) in 1980 from University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. Bill also has worked since 1983 as an environmental scientist. His work includes extensive hazardous waste site investigation and assessment, presentations at national conferences on issues of environmental sample collection, analysis, and data handling, as well as publications in proceedings from those conferences. He is currently an environmental science consultant, and is transitioning from environmental work and graduate work to the next step in his and his family's walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Bill became a Christian at the age of 34 after hating God for over twenty years because of what people did to him and his family in God's name. He has started the Thomas Ministries to help "get the message out" that being a genuine Christian does not mean endorsing religious abuse, nor does it mean having to check your brain at the Door of the Church.