Alumni Award Winners 2003

The 2003 recipients of the Alumna and Alumnus of the Year awards and the Carry the Torch award have been announced by the MNU Alumni Association. The recipients will be honored during the Homecoming Extravaganza, Friday evening, Oct. 17.

Carry the Torch Award: Rev. Pete Van, Jr.

Rev. Pete Van, Jr., with daughters Annie and Tia.

Following graduation from MNU with a degree in religion, Pete Van pursued a professional athletic career before becoming the founding pastor of the Inner City Church of Christ in Des Moines, Iowa
In 1992, one week after the Los Angeles riots, Van moved to Long Beach, Calif., to pastor the Community Christian Church. His desire then and now is to effectively cross racial and cultural boundaries emphasizing reconciliation through his work with education, public speaking and preaching.
In 1996, Van became discipleship pastor at Shepherd of the Hills church in Porter Ranch, Calif., one of the fastest growing churches in America. While there, Van served as chaplain for the California State University men’s basketball team.
In 2000, Van was recruited to the Petaluma Christian Church in northern California, and this May he earned his Master of Educational Technology from Sonoma State University.
“My ministry has been significantly changed by my involvement, compassion and advocacy for children with AIDS,” Van said. “Far too many children experience prejudice and isolation due to AIDS. Therefore I have been involved in creating curriculum and peer teen mentoring to teach AIDS education in America, in Africa, and around the world as a shared responsibility.”
Pete and his wife, Karla, have two daughters, Annastatia, 15, a freshman in high school and Tia, 13, a seventh grader.

Alumna of the Year: Tammie Jo (Bonnell) Shults

Tammie Jo Shults with her Navy fighter jet.

When she tried to attend aviation career day at her high school, Tammie Jo (Bonnell) Shults was told they didn’t accept girls.
Wondering what step to take next, she decided to enroll at MNU because it had a good pre-med program and she had an interest in veterinary medicine. However Shults’ desire to fly never went away.
“In my junior year I went to an Air Force winging with a friend whose brother was getting his wings,” said Shults. “And, lo, there was a girl in his class.”
After graduation, Shults applied to the Air Force, but found they wouldn’t allow her to take the test to become a pilot. The Navy, however, was more welcoming.
Shults became one of the first female fighter pilots in the history of the U.S. Navy and one of the first women to fly F-18s. She landed her fighter plane on boats at 150 miles per hour and eventually became an instructor. Although she wasn’t allowed to fly in combat, she did fly as an aggressor pilot. After a successful career, she resigned her commission in 1993.
Shults and her husband, Dean, are now captains with Southwest Airlines. She recently told her former track coach, Curt Ammons, that sitting in the captain’s chair gives her “the opportunity to witness for Christ on almost every flight.”
But, as much as she loves flying, Shults says her favorite occupation is being a mother to Sydney, 4, and Marshall, 2.

Alumnus of the Year: Rev. David McKellips

Rev. David McKellips with daughters Keri and Lindsey.

As senior pastor of Tulsa Central Church of the Nazarene since 1981, Dave McKellips has built a vibrant ministry, and this involvement in the life of the church, his powerful impact while on the MNU campus and his devotion to his family make him the choice for this year’s Alumnus of the Year award.
A 1977 graduate with a degree in religion and philosophy, McKellips served as student body president at MNU. He went on to earn his Master of Divinity degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1981 and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., in 2000.
He and his wife, Gloria (Robison, ’80), have three children: Keri Mitchell, a married daughter living in Houston; Lindsey, a junior at Southern Nazarene University; and David, a ninth grader.
McKellips also serves on several boards of the Northeast Oklahoma District of the Church of the Nazarene, serves as an anchor pastor and conference presenter for Mainstay Ministries of Wheaton, Ill., is a member of the Board of Trustees of Nazarene Bible College and the Board of Directors of Nazarene Publishing House. He’ll also serve as chair of the counseling and follow-up committee for the Franklin Graham Festival coming to Tulsa this September.
A native Kansan, McKellips still follows and enjoys the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals sporting teams. He helps coach his son’s basketball team and serves on the Union High School basketball booster club.