YORK, NEB. – York University is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Anessa Westbrook and Dr. Scott Laird as co-executive directors of a newly established Center for Ministry. This initiative was first introduced earlier this year, when York University was selected to partner with Pepperdine University for the Rural and Small Town Initiative through the “Empower and Equip Grant.” York Partners with Pepperdine University
The Center for Ministry will focus on ministry training, resource development, and leadership support for churches and ministers across the Midwest, Great Plains, and Rocky Mountain states.
Dr. Anessa Westbrook brings extensive experience as both a professor and ministry leader, with a strong background in teaching, mentoring, and leading conferences. She joins York University after more than a decade on the faculty at Harding University, where she served in the College of Bible and Ministry and led the Bloom Conference. The Bloom Conference is an annual women's conference with guest speakers, local speakers, and student speakers from a wide range of backgrounds. She was recently honored with the Teacher Achievement Award for the College of Bible and Ministry, and students dedicated the university yearbook in her honor.
“Thanks to the generosity of the grant, York University has the opportunity to partner with churches and church leaders in a region that is starved for encouragement, assistance, and resources,” said Westbrook. “Our hope is to create a center that will help address church needs—equipping and empowering both churches and ministers as they do Kingdom work. I am humbled and honored to be part of this important effort.”
Dr. Westbrook earned her Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2015, a Master of Divinity from Harding School of Theology in 2011, a Master of Arts in Church Growth from Harding School of Theology in 2003, a certificate in Women’s Ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts from Harding University in 1995. Her research interests include the spiritual development of women, and she has published on topics such as church growth, baptism, women’s ministry, discipleship programs, leadership development, and small group formation. She and her husband served as missionaries in northeast Hungary from 1995 to 2003, where they were involved in church planting efforts.
In her new role, Dr. Westbrook will oversee strategic planning, daily operations on campus, and women’s spiritual formation. Dr. Laird will focus on church relations and expanding the Center’s outreach through partnerships and regional services. Together, they will ensure the sustainability of the center, coordinate key events, and facilitate coaching and equipping opportunities for churches. They will also work collaboratively to identify and engage consulting partners to support the center’s mission.
Dr. Scott Laird brings a wealth of experience to the position and specifically has expertise for the target region, having served churches for many years in Montana and Canada. Dr. Laird has also served as an adjunct professor for Harding School of Theology. Laird completed his Bachelor of Science in Business from Montana State in 1981 and a Doctorate of Ministry focused on Leadership from Harding School of Theology in 2019. Laird has also been a presenter at the Christian Scholars Conference, been published in the periodical, Church Growth Magazine, is serving on the Board of Directors for The Christian Chronicle, a consultant for Hope Network, an associate with Heritage 21 and is the founder and organizer of the Shepherds Network and the Yellowstone Bible Camp Foundation.
Laird’s deep passion for mentoring church leaders and strengthening the local church makes him an ideal partner in leading the Center forward. Laird said, “I am humbled and blessed to accept the role of co-executive director for the newly formed Center for Ministry in association with York University. I am excited to see how God develops relationships for the furtherance of his kingdom in churches throughout the Midwest and Northern Plains. Please join us in prayer as we seek God’s wisdom and blessings for this new work.”
Together, Westbrook and Laird will launch the Center for Ministry with a mission to support church leaders through workshops, internships, mentoring programs, and resource development. The center is scheduled to open in Fall 2025.
“The creation of the Center for Ministry marks a significant step forward in York University’s mission to equip individuals for lives of service to God, the church, and the world,” said Jared Stark, interim president of York University. “Anessa and Scott are deeply committed to our mission of transformation, education, equipping, and service. Both have demonstrated outstanding, long-term dedication to the church and a deep love for people and congregational life. We are excited to see how their leadership will bless both our campus and the broader region.”