Name: Austin Westlake
Graduation Year(s): 2013
Major(s): Church Leadership
Current Position/Job Title: National Youth Director for The Assemblies of God
City and State: Springfield, MO
Tell us about your career and what you do now.
While finishing my final semester at CBC I started my career as a full-time youth pastor at my home church, Sheffield Family Life Center in Kansas City, MO. I served as a youth pastor there for over 5 years. Shortly after leaving Sheffield I accepted the role as District Youth Director for the Southern Missouri District of The Assemblies of God. As a DYD I had the opportunity to lead thousands of students and leaders through camps, conferences, and global missions initiatives. In 2022 I began a new season by joining the AG National Youth Ministries team as the National Director of Student Discipleship where I gave oversight to National Fine Arts, Teen Bible Quiz, and Student Resource Development. In December of 2024 I accepted a new ministry assignment and became the National Youth Director of The Assemblies of God.
Tell us one achievement or accomplishment that stands out in your career!
One thing stands out as a significant achievement was my appointment as the North America Next Gen representative on the World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF) Next Gen Commission. This is a committee made up of nine leaders from around the world, each of whom represents all of Next Gen (kids, youth, and young adult) ministry of the General Councils from their respective region of the world (My region consists of USA, Canada, and the Caribbean islands). As a member of this committee I get to help shape the future of AG Next Gen ministry globally; it is a very high honor.
What is your favorite memory from your time as a student?
My favorite memory from my time as a student would be meeting my wife Lauren. Additionally, I enjoyed being a member of the CBC basketball team for three seasons. As a member of the CBC basketball team I had the opportunity to travel the nation and abroad playing basketball and doing ministry in local churches.
How did your school help you identify/develop your calling?
CBC helped me develop in my calling because it was the place that helped me implement the disciplines that I needed in order to sustain a healthy relationship with The Lord, hear the Voice of The Holy Spirit, and lead others to a place of surrender in their own walk with God. At CBC there was a very high value placed on the presence of God and on the anointing The Holy Spirit so environments like chapel services and even classroom lectures were conducive for students like me to grow in our walk with The Lord and become more aware of exactly what He was calling us to do.
How did your experience as a student prepare you for life after graduation?
My experience as a student helped prepare me because it gave me the opportunity to practice what I was learning in the classroom. I wasn’t just listening to a professor teach us about preaching and leading—I actually got the opportunity to both preach and lead while I was a student. As a part of the basketball team, we would travel to away games and then minister in local churches in those communities. By the time I was a junior in college, and had developed some maturity, I was the primary communicator/preacher for our team and had the opportunity to preach in churches all over America. In addition to my ministry on the basketball team, I also had the opportunity to preach in chapel and to our Homiletics class; both venues proved to be very helpful to my development as a preacher of The Gospel. At the time I didn’t fully understand how valuable the preaching opportunities were, but since graduation I have preached all over America and around the world still leaning on the training that I received while preaching at CBC.
What advice would you give a current student preparing for the workforce?
I would encourage a student to develop as much discipline into his or her life as possible. The disciplines that we implement today will help sustain us tomorrow. Spiritual disciplines, physical disciplines, mental disciplines—they are each important. In addition, and most importantly, I would say that during your time at Evangel University you should grow as familiar with The Voice of The Lord as you can. Regardless of your planned profession—whether you are going into the field of education, the marketplace, or the ministry, the ability to hear and respond The Voice of The Lord might just be the greatest skill that one can develop at your stage of life. Your 30 year-old self will be grateful that your 20 year-old self learned to listen to The Voice of The Lord.
What would you look for if you were in a position to hire new graduates from Evangel?
If I was hiring someone from Evangel University, I would want him or her to place a very high priority on their relationship with The Lord. I would also want an employ who is self-aware and has begun to recognize who they are and who they are not; a great sign of maturity is recognizing who God created us to be and being just that. On a more practical level, I would look for someone who is mature and highly motivated to show up and do high quality work, regardless of the task that he or she is given. I want someone on my team who has the ability to see a need and fill it—not always waiting to be asked, but one who takes initiative and getting tasks done that need to be done. I would look for someone who kind and lifts the spirit of the room whenever they walk into it. One who has a sensitive heart but is not easily offended or flustered.