Nazarene Theological Seminary

Dr. Dean G. Blevins, professor of Christian Education at Nazarene Theological Seminary, has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors for YouthFront, a national leader in evangelical youth ministry. Blevins joined the ministry board two years ago and recently accepted the one-year appointment as board chair.

Blevins, Director of the Master’s in Christian Education (MACE) Degree Program at NTS, teaches coursework in youth ministry at NTS as well as other leading seminaries in the Wesleyan tradition.  He also regularly participates in Nazarene Youth International education projects.

YouthFront, a Kansas City based youth ministry, provides national training in youth ministry for several evangelical-based churches and denominations. The organization combines a vibrant local camp ministry with grounded spiritual formation practices, a model that provides experiential grounding for the organization’s national training programs and curricular development. The organization currently provides resources for a number of churches and denominational projects, including forthcoming curriculum resources for Barefoot publishing.

Blevins’ participation with YouthFront stemmed from a deep appreciation for the ministry’s purpose. “It is an honor to serve with a leading organization in evangelical youth ministry.  YouthFront demonstrates the future of youth ministry practice. Mike King (President of YouthFront) and Chris Folmsbee (Vice President for national training through Sonlife, a subsidiary of YouthFront) represent the type of creativity needed for the next generation of youth ministers.”  

Mike King and Blevins have co-taught courses at NTS, including classes in youth spirituality and missional leadership. Noting that the NTS and YouthFront partnership represents the types of new ministries that will shape future youth leaders, Blevins further shared: “We hope to cultivate strong professional development programs at NTS that address diverse emphases in youth ministry: from innovative approaches of spiritual formation to grounded compassionate ministry with urban youth.” Blevins believes his leadership role with YouthFront serves as an extension of his broader service to the local church, both within and beyond denominational borders.