NNU announced Friday, March 26, that Chaplains Olivia and Dustin Metcalf will be stepping down from their positions following Olivia’s appointment as the District Superintendent of the Upstate New York District of the Church of the Nazarene. Olivia will take over from interim district superintendent Newell Smith on the first of June.
“Olivia and Dustin have been an integral and vital part of NNU for the past seven years,” NNU President Joel Pearsall said. “The Metcalfs will be greatly missed by all of us. Their contributions to the spiritual development of our students, staff, and faculty have been significant, and I’m confident that same effectiveness will continue as they move to the Upstate New York District.”
Olivia Metcalf is a fourth-generation ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene. She and Dustin have served as chaplains at NNU since 2014. During that time the Metcalfs oversaw, managed and preached at chapel services for NNU’s 1200+ students and 300+ faculty and staff and taught classes in theology. Additionally, Olivia engaged in ministry and education at the local women’s prison, and together, Olivia and Dustin led student mission teams to Argentina, Liberia, Poland, Kenya, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.
“It has been a joy to serve NNU students over the last seven years,” Dustin said. “Watching them grow and mature into Christ-followers who love God and love their neighbors is a privilege.” Olivia commented, “Although this next chapter of ministry will be different for Dustin and me, I’m excited to join the people of Upstate New York as they strive to do what NNU does—Seek first the kingdom of God.”
The Metcalfs attended Northwest Nazarene University, where they earned their bachelor’s degrees. They then went on to earn master’s degrees at Nazarene Theological Seminary; Olivia is currently pursuing her doctorate in Innovative Leadership at NTS. From 2002 to 2014, the Metcalfs were co-pastors at the Mountain Home Church of the Nazarene, the Atwater First Church of the Nazarene in Atwater, Calif., and Gunn City Christian Church in Gunn City, Mo. Olivia received the 2013 Centennial Medallion Award for women in ministry.
The Metcalfs currently live in Nampa, Idaho, with their two sons, Andrew and Ethan.