Mount Vernon Nazarene University President Carson Castleman announced the appointment of David Mills as vice president for Spiritual Life and Church Relations, effective 2 January 2024.

Mills emerged as the unanimous selection of the selection committee after conducting interviews with three candidates. Under the leadership of Castleman, the selection committee was comprised of a diverse panel that included a pastor from the East Central Region, a university dean, and both a male and female ministry student. Castleman conveyed the committee’s selection to the Executive Committee of the MVNU Board of Trustees. 

“I have been blessed to call Dave Mills my pastor for the last 15 years,” Castleman said. “More importantly, he has been a trusted friend and confidant. God has uniquely gifted and raised him up for such a time as this. His compassion, humility, and Christlike witness will be tremendous assets to our faith community.”

With nearly 25 years in ministry, including 15 years as lead pastor at Generations Church of the Nazarene in Independence, Kentucky, Mills and his family are following God’s calling to Mount Vernon to embark on a multi-faceted position that is key to Castleman’s goals of enrollment growth and enhanced church relations.

“My background in church planting, building community engagement, and cultivating a deep desire to share the gospel with everyone will be at the forefront of everything I do at MVNU as the vice president for Spiritual Life and Church Relations,” Mills said. “I will be deeply committed to fostering spiritual growth and promoting a vibrant chapel experience to the campus community. I will foster an inclusive environment that respects diversity, promotes understanding, and cares for the student body, staff, faculty, and churches in the East Central Region.”

Mills will serve as a member of the President’s Cabinet, offering a strategic spiritual blueprint for the campus in the role of chaplain. This encompasses overseeing functions and programming within the Spiritual Life department, directing and supervising music groups, establishing and overseeing local and statewide service-learning initiatives, and missions opportunities serving the East Central Region and the global Church of the Nazarene. 

Additionally, Mills will collaborate with various campus offices to address student needs, cultivate relationships with churches in the region, and take charge of managing Church Relations events, among other duties.

Coming into the position as a pastor from the region provides Mills with insight into what regional pastors and churches need and should expect from MVNU.

Mills holds a Bachelor of Science in Christian Education from Olivet Nazarene University and a Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management from Indiana Wesleyan University.

He will relocate to Mount Vernon with his wife, Jodi Mills; daughter, Karly, a sophomore at Olivet Nazarene University; son, Davis, who will be a freshman at MVNU in Fall 2024; and son, Brady, a high school sophomore. 

--Mount Vernon Nazarene University

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