James J. Kragenbring, D.Min., CFA
James J. Kragenbring serves as Senior Vice President for Institutional Administration and Associate Professor of Business and Christian Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Spurgeon College. Dr. Kragenbring is also the Founder, President, and Chief Investment Officer of Aquifer Capital, LLC.
At Midwestern, Dr. Kragenbring is responsible for leading the school’s business operations, finance, and investment activities and serves as a member of the Executive Strategy Group and the Executive Cabinet. Dr. Kragenbring also teaches in the areas of business and Christian studies at Spurgeon College and serves as the Faculty Coordinator for the Business Leadership major program.
Dr. Kragenbring joined Midwestern in August 2017 after twenty years in the investment management industry. Over the course of his investment career, Dr. Kragenbring managed portfolios for a diverse group of clients that includes some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated endowments, foundations, and pension plans. Most recently, Dr. Kragenbring has served as the President and Chief Investment Officer of Aquifer Capital, which he founded in March 2008. Originally conceived as an investment management boutique and hedge fund sponsor, Aquifer served both as an investment adviser to charitable endowments and as the sole investment adviser to the Aquifer Funds from its inception through 2017. Since 2018, Aquifer has focused exclusively on managing affiliated capital and advising non-profit organizations on the management of their endowment funds.
Dr. Kragenbring holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (summa cum laude) from Washington University in Saint Louis and three advanced degrees from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry, Master of Theology, and Master of Theological Studies). He is also a CFA Charterholder and a member of the CFA Institute, the CFA Society of Phoenix, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Christian Business Faculty Association.
In addition to his professional activities, Dr. Kragenbring remains active in his community by serving on the Board of Trustees of Bethlehem College and Seminary (Minneapolis, MN), on the Board of Directors of Washed in the Word (St. Augustine, FL), and as the Treasurer of Heritage Baptist Church (Kansas City, MO).
Dr. Kragenbring and his wife, Raechel, have been happily married since 2019. When not busy with professional or charitable endeavors, he enjoys leisurely time with his wife, studying philosophy and theology, traveling, cycling, collecting art, and watching Saint Louis Cardinals baseball.