Maranatha High School Board Of Trustees Announces New Head Of School

The Board of Trustees of Maranatha High School is pleased to announce that Dr. Matthew Ketterling has been named as the next Head of School (HOS) beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. 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.”

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.” A 3-member Steering Committee identified a search firm to assist in the process. The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) conducted a nationwide search. With numerous qualified candidates identified, a Search Committee was formed to narrow the selection to two finalists based on interviews and input from various members of the Maranatha community. On November 27, the Board of Trustees unanimously and in complete unity made their selection of Dr. Matthew Ketterling. 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 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.” 

Maranatha High School is a Christ-centered, evangelical college preparatory school that celebrates the whole student by equipping hearts and minds to reflect God’s glory through academics, as well as the arts, athletics, and service. For more information about the school, visit www.maranathahighschool.org.