Heather Crews

Pastor Heather Crews, D.Min., accepted the invitation to join the North American Division Evangelism Institute as Associate Director in July of 2023. In this role she supports students in their preparation for effective ministry as well as provides evangelism training for church leaders and members throughout the NAD.

Previously Pastor Heather served dual roles, one with Potomac Conference and one with the North American Division Ministerial Association. With NAD Ministerial she was privileged to offer support to the female clergy serving across the North American Division as well as offer leadership training for pastors and leaders. As an Associate Ministerial Director for the Potomac Conference, Pastor Heather took delight in serving as the pastor to the pastors. This meant coaching and support for the pastors aimed at helping each pastor to be effective in his or her ministry context, leading search processes as vacancies arose, and connecting local churches with the conference.

Heather previously pastored the innovative and creative Courthouse Road Church in Richmond, Virginia. While there, she supported the church’s mission of building bridges back to God through community connections, evangelistic invitations, and resourcing ministry leaders to accomplish the dreams God placed on their hearts.

Before moving to Richmond, Heather served a three-church district in Williamsburg. There, she discovered the delight in ministering to families with small children and creative outreach.

While taking pre-med at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, Heather had a life-changing experience. God made it clear it was time for a career change to the Gospel ministry. In December 1998, she completed her Bachelor of Arts in Theology at Southwestern Adventist University and began ministry as the Associate Pastor at the Cleburne church in Texas.

In 2003, Heather completed her Master of Divinity degree at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. She then returned to the Texas Conference where she became the first female district pastor in that conference. Heather was entrusted with the leadership of two churches: Brownwood and Coleman County. While serving in this district, her ministry focused on lifestyle evangelism, worship, and Biblical spirituality. After two and a half years with these congregations, God opened the doors to transition to a new role as Pastor for Church Life at the Keene Church at Southwestern Adventist University.

Ten years at the University Church in Keene provided Heather a wide range of ministry experiences. As she focused on training and support of Bible workers, prayer meeting series, and outreach events, she connected new members to the church community, supported ministries for new moms and young families, and led out in young adult ministry.

Heather enjoys researching the spiritual practices of our early Adventists pioneer leaders – how they spent time with God through discipleship practices like Bible study, prayer and more. She Completed her Doctor of Ministry degree in 2016, which included writing a resource book that is a small group study on how to create a deepening relationship with God by following in the pioneers’ footsteps.

Pastor Heather grew up in a double pastors’ family. Both parents served the Seventh-day Adventist church in various ministry, leadership, and missionary capacities. She learned early that Adventist faith is a mission adventure that invites involvement and disciple-making as a way of life, defining who she is not just what she does.

In addition to living out her calling and passion for the church mission, Pastor Heather is blessed when she makes time to go on adventures with her family. In 2006, she married her husband Eric, a senior software engineer. Together they have two children, Molly and Owen.