Tim Spivey has officially started work in his new position as Vice President of Spiritual Life. Spivey was appointed to this job Dec. 13, and it officially went into effect Jan. 1, according to previous Graphic reporting.
“I’m super excited,” Spivey said. “I like to be involved in lots of different things, and I enjoy serving. I think it gives me the chance to broaden what I’m able to do for the University. So, so far, it has been a wonderful fit, and I think there’s still work to do.”
Spivey said his main goal is to unite all five schools on Pepperdine’s campus. While there is a lot of focus on Seaver, Spivey said he wants to ensure that the graduate schools are being given the opportunities to grow spiritually as well.
“I think the idea is that this position can help bring some cohesion to all things spiritual life on campus,” Spivey said. “It’s good to have some cohesion with the understanding that we’re a community that has some diversity to it.”
Spivey said, to accomplish this goal, he plans to pay extra attention to the community. He said he wants to make sure the Pepperdine community is heard.
“We hope that everybody’s feedback is going to be taken and used,” Spivey said. “We want to do it in a way that exhibits the fruit of the Spirit and a Christlike heart.”
While Spivey works toward this goal of campus unity, he said he is also taking on bigger responsibilities. Spivey said the biggest change to his job is he was added to the University Steering Team.
“Previously, there was no one dedicated to Spiritual Life sitting on that committee,” Spivey said. “To me, that’s significant. I think that’s going to really be helpful to spiritual life on campus in general.”
While Spivey already has some early ambitions, he said his role will continue to grow with time.
“Now, it’s going to be the harder — the more delicate — kind of stuff is going to be the more dominant part of the next couple of years for me,” Spivey said. “The beautiful thing about working here is I know I have the full support of the administration.”
Spivey said the “delicate kind of stuff” in his new job will include providing an atmosphere that allows for God to move in the lives of people without it being quenched. The more delicate part of this process will be to build off of those who have laid down foundational pieces before him.
Spivey said this support combined with spiritual life’s success in 2023 is helping him ease into this new role with goals to continue growing. Spivey said, despite the tragedy that claimed the lives of four Pepperdine seniors, Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams, he saw God working on campus.
“It’s been a really good year for spiritual life on campus,” Spivey said. “The tragedy that took place was obviously a very difficult season for the campus, but there was so much good that happened during that. Watching people come together and be there for each other — I felt like I was watching God move on our campus in the lives of people just caring for each other and trying to help one another get through it.”
With just about two weeks completed in this new role, Spivey said he is eager to continue the new year and this new position on the right foot.
“I’m gonna have a lot of fun over the next year or two,” Spivey said. “I think it’s going to be an amazing adventure and one that is definitely worthwhile.”
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Contact Nina Fife via social media (@ninafife_) or by email: nina.fife@pepperdine.edu
