Starting his next chapter of life, Dr. Ron Jackson accepted the call to become assistant to the president for church relations in September. Jackson retired from teaching full time in 2024 but continued to accept speaking engagements and direct The Call @ MNU. With Dr. Randy Cloud’s retirement, the church relations position needed a new shepherd.
“Ron is a seasoned leader, educator, and pastor, bringing more than 40 years of ministry experience across the local, district, and global Church of the Nazarene to this position,” said Dr. Jon North, MNU president. His previous leadership at MNU since 2008 has included serving as assistant professor of youth ministry, director of The Call at MNU (a youth institute), director of summer conferences, director of Land Gymnasium and dean of campus life. He is widely recognized for his work in youth and college ministry, having served in a variety of roles for churches in Alabama, North Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, including as college and senior high pastor at Olathe College Church of the Nazarene.
Dr. Jackson is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene and has been honored with numerous accolades, including the Excellence in Youth Ministry Award, the Timothy Award from the Kansas City District, the Charles K. Morrow Service Award from the Nazarene Student Leadership Conference and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Youthfront. He holds a Doctor of Education from Olivet Nazarene University, a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Nazarene Theological Seminary, and bachelor’s degrees in religion and history from Trevecca Nazarene University and the University of Alabama, respectively.
“It is a great honor to serve MNU and the Church of the Nazarene in this capacity,” Jackson said. “No account of my life would be complete without a description of the impact of both these institutions on my life. I look forward to working closely with pastors, district leaders, and congregations across the region to support their ministry and share the life-changing mission of MNU.”
Dr. Jackson and his wife, Sharon, reside in Olathe, Kansas. They have two married daughters and are members of Olathe College Church of the Nazarene.
