Külli Tõniste, PhD, is a New Testament scholar whose research focuses on the Book of Revelation, biblical canon, and theological interpretation of Scripture. She is passionate about helping students engage the biblical text with intellectual rigor while discovering its relevance for the life of the Church and the contemporary world.

Originally from Estonia, Dr. Tõniste earned her theological education at Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary in Tallinn before completing graduate studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. She received her PhD from London School of Theology, where her doctoral research examined the intertextuality of the Book of Revelation. Her scholarship has resulted in a monograph The Ending of the Canon: A Canonical and Intertextual Reading of Revelation 21-22 as well as the commentary on Revelation in the Central and Eastern European Bible Commentary.

Dr. Tõniste has taught biblical studies and Greek in both the United States and Europe. Before returning to Estonia, she served on the faculty of Houghton College and taught at Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan University. In 2015, she and her family were commissioned as missionaries to Estonia, where she joined the faculty of Baltic Methodist Theological Seminary. Over the next decade, she taught courses in biblical studies, theology, philosophy, and biblical languages, supervised diploma theses and research projects, and served for five years as President of the seminary. She also contributes to the quality assessment and accreditation of theological education across Europe.

Dr. Tõniste's academic interests include the formation of the biblical canon, the interpretation of Scripture within the Christian tradition, and the enduring capacity of the biblical text to shape individuals, churches, and societies. She is particularly interested in helping students develop an integrated, interdisciplinary worldview that connects biblical insight, faith, history, culture, and contemporary life.

Growing up in Estonia during the final years of the Soviet Union, Dr. Tõniste first encountered Christianity during a period of renewed religious freedom. Discovering a family Bible in a closet (forbidden literature during the Soviet time) sparked a lifelong fascination with the world of Scripture and its continuing significance, ultimately leading to her vocation as a biblical scholar and teacher.

An experienced international educator, Dr. Tõniste has travelled extensively to ancient sites relevant to Bible, participated in an archaeological excavation, and speaks multiple languages. She and her husband, the Rev. Douglas Childress, a pastor and church historian, live in New York's Finger Lakes region with their three sons.