Mason West: The Heart of BU Campus Ministries
All Bluefield University faculty and staff members care about BU students and are committed to helping them grow and succeed during their journey at Bluefield. But one staff member in particular, sets himself apart by the way he loves, nurtures and cares for BU students, and that staff member is campus pastor Mason West.
West was in born in nearby Welch, West Virginia, which is about 45 minutes north of campus in McDowell County. He actually lived and grew up in different places, including Charlotte, North Carolina, and Bluefield, Virginia, where he attended Graham High School before enrolling as a student at BU.
“I came here as a student right out of high school on a ministry scholarship,” West recalled. “I was passionate about worship ministry and getting a degree to stay involved in ministry.”
West served all four years of his undergraduate studies as a team leader for BU worship arts. He also served two years as a leader for BU Student Ministries (BUSM). Soon before he graduated he learned that staying at Bluefield to continue his ministry work was a viable option.
“I started to work for (BUSM) as the leader my senior year of college,” West said. “I found out that I could stay on staff of the ministry team, so I stayed to direct all the Campus Ministry things.”
West said that opportunity along with the ability to stay close to family made the decision an easy one.
“I didn’t know if I was even going to stay at Bluefield after I graduated from college,” West said. “I had a lot of opportunities through Bluefield. I wanted to stay on top of ministries because something special was happening for what we built. My wife (also a BU student with West) was another reason why I wanted to stay close to Bluefield. (We) got married our senior year of college, and we wanted to stay close to our families.”
Now in his third year as campus pastor and director of Campus Ministries at BU, West said he’s here to let all students know about the love of God and to help them find their identity in Christ. He works to develop a culture of devotion, community, and Christ while being a creative force in spiritual formation opportunities for students. He said he believes that God has placed every student here for a reason.
“The main thing that I hope students get is that these four years (of college) are the most formative years of your life, not just educationally, but spiritually,” West said. “I hope the students that come into and are already at Bluefield gain a relationship with God and gain a community to be there for them spiritually.”
Landon Breeden, who often works alongside West as a student leader of Campus Ministries, spoke about how grateful he is for West’s mentorship.
“Mason and I have had hard times where we disagreed and clashed; however, I believe because of the Lord’s faithfulness we have grown exponentially together this past year,” Breeden said. “Working on events, projects, and sharing life together has been a blessing to me that I value and treasure. I’ve watched the Lord work in both of our lives, shape us, mold us, and heal us. I am deeply grateful for our friendship and brotherhood. Mason is truly special to my heart.”
Katie McDaniel, director of Student Life, spoke about what it’s like to work with West and who he is as a person.
“Working alongside Mason has been the blessing I never knew I needed,” McDaniel said. “Mason is not only a dedicated campus pastor, mentor to students, and light on this campus, but he is also one of my closest friends. Mason never has a negative thing to say and is always the one to bring the positivity and optimism to a campus that can sometimes only see the negative view of the situations around us.”
McDaniel added that West is always willing to help despite he many personal and professional responsibilities.
“I do not think that people see all that Mason does for this campus community and how much of his time and energy he gives to make this a place that students can worship the Lord in whatever they feel comfortable,” McDaniel said. “The amount of time he is here to make sure that our students feel heard and loved is something I have never seen in any co-worker I have ever worked with.”
McDaniel said West avidly prays for BU students, faculty and staff, and that he has a strong desire for all members of the BU community to be the best they can be.
“I know that he is someone who if I send him a prayer request, it is 100 percent getting prayed for and continually until he can personally come and talk with me to make sure that I am okay,” she said. “Being able to share a workplace with Mason West is easily one of the highlights of this job for me. We push each other to be better versions of ourselves for the betterment of this campus.”