David Wells was ordained as an elder in 1995 and began his ministry as a student pastor at Gethsemane United Methodist Church in Pickerington, Ohio. He later served as an associate pastor at Lancaster First UMC and as the lead pastor of Village Chapel and Brice United Methodist churches.
David describes his passion for evangelism as “Reaching Out and Raising Up Disciples.” During his ministry at Village Church, he oversaw the creation of a praise/contemporary service and added a second such service as attendance increased.
As membership grew, it became evident that Village was outgrowing its 100-year-old facility. In 2001, the church purchased 15 acres of land for a new church site.”
David helped lead Village through a successful merger with Hedges Chapel UMC in 2004 and the combined congregation broke ground for a new facility on June 4, 2006. He describes that new facility as a tool to better serve and reach out to the Ashville community.
David was appointed as lead pastor of Brice United Methodist Church and the Brice Christian Academy in 2006. During his decade-long tenure, David helped to initiate a community pantry and feeding ministry that currently serves some two-hundred persons on a weekly basis. Likewise, David partnered with other non-profit agencies to create a recovery ministry that serves approximately twenty-five persons weekly and has established a partnership with a local Hispanic congregation. In 2015, Brice Church became a Power Philanthropy Partner with the Columbus Foundation seeking to maximize its service to the people of southeastern Franklin County.
David earned his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University after serving in the Army. He earned his Masters of Divinity from the Methodist Theological Seminary in Delaware, Ohio and, in May 2015, a Doctor of Ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary. He also holds a Master degree in alcohol and drug abuse ministries that led to his certification as a licensed independent chemical dependency counselor and social worker.
David and his wife, Cathy, live in Blue Ash. Cathy has spent her career in Sports Medicine with Syracuse University, Northeastern University, The Ohio State University Sports Medicine Center, as well as two volunteer stints with the US Olympic Committee. She is looking forward to new career opportunities in medical administration in the Cincinnati area. They have three children: Ryan Wells, 35, who currently lives in Zanesville and serves in the Army reserves, son, Garrett, 21, and daughter Courtney, 20, who attends The Ohio State University.