Dr. Steve Peterson Named BU’s 10th President
Many changes come with the start of a new academic year: new schedules, new professors, and new classmates. This year, Bluefield University welcomed a new president, Dr. Steve Peterson.
Peterson is originally from outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he grew up in a Christian home with his mom and five siblings, but serving as president of a Christian university was likely the farthest thing from his mind considering he didn’t make a genuine profession of faith until he was 17 when he was “radically saved” and “committed (his) life to follow Jesus Christ.”
Peterson went on to attend Word of Life Bible Institute, where growing his faith was part of his education. He spent his time immersed in scripture, learning how to share his faith, and participating in a prison ministry. Word of Life, he said, “taught (him) how to be a Christian.”
It was at Word of Life where Peterson also met his future wife, Faith. They both went on to continue their education at Liberty University. Peterson, who was enrolled in LU’s Biblical Studies program, married Faith during his sophomore year before earning an undergraduate degree in religion. He would later work at Liberty for the next 22 years and earn his master’s degree in business administration and his doctorate in educational leadership.
While employed at Liberty, Peterson saw and was a part of LU’s growth. One of his accomplishments was working with colleagues to create a University Advancement plan. Peterson and his co-workers helped build an internal agency at LU that focused on marketing for the university, and this model is still in use today.
“Liberty’s motto is they train ‘Champions for Christ.’” Peterson said. “The concept is you’re trained in your field and discipline. The mission is to then go out from there and impact your world and your circle of influence.”
Peterson put this to action in 2017 when he left Liberty to help Houston Christian University create its online program.
“We started with just a couple of online programs and a handful of students to having 40 programs and almost 2,000 students,” Peterson said about the work he did at Houston Christian.
Continuing to use his skills to impact the world, Peterson accepted the position of president of Bluefield University. His love for Virginia was what first drew him to BU. In addition, Peterson said he appreciated BU’s history and traditions and the creed of creating “a Christ-centered environment.”
“I thought, what a great history and tradition that has been built for generations,” Peterson said. “That the Lord might give me an opportunity to come in at this time and serve the institution was really appealing to me.”
Meeting with the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students helped confirm Peterson’s acceptance of the president’s position. He said he has enjoyed learning about BU’s culture.
“My goal wasn’t to come in and dictate down who we are and what we are,” he said. “It’s my job to learn.”
Peterson values BU’s rich history and tradition and wants to use his skills to help the university continue to thrive and grow.
“I feel that the Lord put me in some places in my career that have allowed me to participate in some things that I think Bluefield can benefit from,” he said. “So, my goal is to help bring us along in that way.”
Student success is also at the forefront of Peterson’s goals. As a first-generation college student, he said he knows how an education can impact students’ lives.
“That’s why we’re here; we want to impact students’ lives,” Peterson said. “We want to create a learning environment that allows them to not only master their discipline or grow in their education but to grow in their relationship with the Lord.”
Peterson and his wife, Faith, have been married for 30 years. They have five children, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and two dogs. The new president began his work at Bluefield on August 19. The university will celebrate the beginning of his presidency with an inauguration ceremony on October 16.