Called to the Work: Meet NBC鈥檚 President-Elect, Rev. Doug Pierce
Doug Pierce did not start his college years planning to be a pastor. In fact, he was studying administration and finance at Southern Nazarene University. He was already married and had a good business job to return to after graduation. Then, in his third year of college, something began to change. He began to sense God might have something different in store for his future.
During a revival service at Doug’s home church during his senior year of college, he began to sense God calling him into the ministry. It was not what he expected. He would soon have a business degree! But he felt strongly impressed to seek God’s guidance in this new direction.
Doug and his wife, Becky, moved back to his hometown of Oklahoma City after college, where he worked in the family business. God kept speaking to him.
God was also speaking to someone else who could see pastoral potential in the young businessman. Becky’s father, Bill Johnson, believed there were signs of God’s calling on Doug’s life and encouraged him to take leadership opportunities in the church. He went back to SNU for a master’s degree in Old Testament studies and determined to follow God’s will for his life – whatever that might be.
Rev. Pierce’s first ministry leadership role was a youth pastor, but he quickly discovered his natural gifts leaned more toward administration, finance, and organization. Becky was the one who thrived leading the youth, allowing Doug’s duties to shift more into his areas of expertise. He took on executive pastor responsibilities and began doing media for the church. They already had an established television ministry, and he had experience with audiovisual technology. This allowed the work to expand into a prison ministry. It was a great fit!
Since those early days, Rev. Pierce’s ministry has been varied and exciting. “You never know where God is going to lead you when you’re starting out in ministry,” he says now. He certainly never expected to spend 37 years in ministry in Arizona or to pastor churches that were in great transition or to be District Superintendent for 12 years. He even points out that when he decided to retire from the district, “I had no clue NBC was on my horizon.”
Like many NBC students, Doug had one path in mind as a young college student – that is why he pursued a business degree. But God had a different calling for him to follow.
He has put to work those God-given talents and hard-earned training in the day-to-day ministry of the Church! “It's kind of intertwined,” he says. “God had that all in mind…. "I've used those things that I learned there and my training and experiences.” All have brought glory to God.
Rev. Pierce has first-hand experience of the unexpected call into full-time ministry to share with laypeople. He has followed the examples of those who encouraged and mentored him as he has guided others seeking God’s will. He has served as administrator for Christian schools, helping churches to build their ministry into the community. He continues to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, California.
In every place, a shared vision has been a necessity. When everyone is ready to pull in the same direction, the work is more effective, and people are more willing to participate. “When you have multiple levels of buy-in,” he has learned, “the success rate is going to be much higher.”
This will be an important part of envisioning the future at NBC. “NBC is in a unique position of training and empowering those leaders that will have a significant impact on our culture and not just themselves,” says the President-elect. “It's the multiplication factor that comes into play.”
NBC has been training ministers since 1967. For more than half a century, pastors and other church leaders have been mentored and instructed by the experienced professors at NBC, but this is just a glance back. God is continuing to move NBC forward with new students to train for God’s work. Rev. Pierce’s excitement shines through when he speaks of this reality. “It's significant when you think of the impact that takes place through each of [these students] – men and women. It's significant, and I want to be a part of that!”
Please join NBC in praying for President-elect Rev. Pierce and his wife, Becky, during this time of transition. He will assume his new duties on December 1, 2025. Please continue to support NBC with your prayers and generosity throughout this academic year!
Published: 10/20/2025
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