Leadership & Faculty

Dr. Ben Merkle is the president of New Saint Andrews College, as well as a Senior Fellow of Theology. He holds a DPhil in Oriental Studies and an MSt in Jewish Studies from Oxford University, England; a Greyfriars Letter; an MBA from Washington State University; an MA degree in English Literature and a BS in Education (Secondary Education-Chemistry, with a minor in History) both from the University of Idaho.

He is a teaching elder at Christ Church, Moscow, and regularly preaches at their downtown service. Dr. Merkle is the author of The White Horse King (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2009) and Defending the Trinity in the Reformed Palatinate (Oxford University Press, 2015). He and his wife Rebekah have five children and a growing generation of grandchildren.

Dr. Timothy Harmon is the VP of Academics and CAO. He holds a PhD in Divinity from the University of Aberdeen, MA and ThM degrees from Western Seminary, and a BA in Ministry Leadership from Northwest University. Prior to joining the College’s faculty, he served in pastoral ministry and in instructional and administrative roles at Western Seminary.

He lives in Moscow with his wife, Shelley, and their five children.

Nathan Kirkpatrick joined New Saint Andrews in the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2023 bringing with him almost 20 years of experience in the field of clinical operations for a large university hospital and medical school.  Prior to that, Nathan earned his B.S. from Pensacola Christian College and gained experience in construction industry management.  Nathan oversees college operations, including facilities, campus safety & security, retail, and other programs. 

He is planted in Moscow with his lovely bride, Damaris, and their nine children.

Matt Sarr joined New Saint Andrews College in 2022 as the Marketing Manager to develop the marketing department. His 20 years of experience across various fields, including retail, web design, accounts management, digital marketing, and customer service, has significantly enhanced the college's visibility and networking on a national scale. In 2024, Matt took on the role of VP of Marketing & Enrollment to oversee the college's marketing strategy and implement initiatives aimed at increasing enrollment. In 2025, he accepted the position of Vice President of Development to supervise the college's fundraising, marketing, and enrollment departments and continues to lead campaigns to further the success of the college.

He resides in Moscow with his wife, Jenna, and their 4 children.

Andy joined New Saint Andrews College in 2021 as Controller, working remotely, and was promoted to the President's Council in the following year.  He earned his BBA in Accounting from Texas A&M University-Texarkana and worked in a variety of manufacturing industries before coming to NSA.  With over 25 years of prior financial experience, Andy applies his knowledge of cost efficiency, capital management, budgets, and forecasting to the financial success of the college.

In 2023, he moved from Texas to Moscow with his wife, Heather, and youngest of four children.  He misses the thunderstorms but not the fire ants.

Brenda Schlect, the VP of Administration, holds an MS from the University of Idaho. She has served New Saint Andrews College since 1996 and has extensive experience at NSA in a variety of roles such as Director of Admissions, Director of Recruitment, Bursar, and Administrative Secretary to the Board of Trustees. She organizes regular staff meetings, prepares the weekly administrative dashboard, manages the college schedule, keeps all non-academic records, and provides a wealth of experience, perspective, and institutional memory.

Jean Brainerd, the Director of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Texas, and was a CPA at Price Waterhouse and Rockwell International. At NSA she serves as the liaison to accreditors, analyzes assessment results and documents actions taken in the annual Assessment Plan, develops and uses institutional research to improve effectiveness, and coordinates procedural updates to keep all guidance clear, concise, and concordant.