Meet Our Director of Spiritual Life

Westminster’s news director of spiritual life, David Ottolini ’04, has a heart for walking alongside adolescents in their relationship with the Lord.

“I try to help students understand who they are in Christ,” Mr. Ottolini says. “Or, if they don’t know the Lord, I want to help them understand their identity in Him first and then to pursue Jesus instead of the false things the world tells them their identity lies in.”

Involved in youth ministry since before graduating from Covenant College in 2008, Mr. Ottolini’s worked with the next-generation for almost 12 years now. His career in ministry began at Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church in Tennessee. Today, David oversees the youth ministry at New Covenant Church where he serves as an associate pastor and elder—in addition to his role at Westminster.

While overseeing the youth ministry at his church and the spiritual life of Westminster may seem like similar work, walking the halls of Westminster and having the ability to interact with students on a daily basis makes it quite different. “Being here [at school] with the students gives me the opportunity to walk alongside them in what they’re doing,” he says. “I  have more opportunities to talk with them about the joys and greatness of the Lord, who He is, and how He impacts their lives.”

An alumnus familiar with Westminster’s culture and a desire to see the school grow and thrive, Mr. Ottolini has a strong vision for the school. He oversees Chapel and the peer counselors program, teaches a freshman Bible class, works alongside the student life department to disciple, empower, and encourage students, and so much more.

“If the Lord will use me, I want to cultivate further transformation here,” he says. “My vision for Westminster at this moment is joy, life—to change students’ apathetic indifference into motivation to do something for the Lord. I want to talk to students about who the Lord is, get them excited for it, have them show it, and shake up the culture.”