Five questions with Pastor Vern

When Vern Kinard, M.Div. ’18, completed his seminary internship at Lenoir-Rhyne and Bethlehem Lutheran Church nearly a decade ago, he left Hickory with a hope to come back someday. In 2024 he returned to Bethlehem as pastor, then he stepped in to assist with Spiritual Life at LR for the final weeks of the spring 2026 semester and continues into the fall as interim campus pastor.

You first came to LR as a seminary intern nearly a decade ago. What brought you back?

During my internship in Hickory, I discovered just how deeply I love this unique season of life, when students are developing their identity, belonging and purpose.

I also met my wife here. She was a member at Bethlehem and an LR student. Her family invited me into their lives. By the time I left Hickory, we were engaged, and we got married shortly after she graduated with her undergrad degree from LR.

I left my internship saying it would be my dream to be the pastor of Bethlehem and to get to do campus ministry at Lenoir-Rhyne again. I thought the chances of that were probably slim to none. But it seems like every time I say “never” or “it’s not going to happen,” God kind of laughs at that.

What draws you to campus ministry and this stage in students’ lives?

College is a transformative time when people are figuring out who they are. Students are developing their own sense of identity and discerning what they want to do with their lives. They’re preparing for careers, but they’re also asking what gives their lives meaning, what kind of impact they hope to have and where they belong.

That’s what I love about this season of life. My vision for ministry is to cultivate relationships that are authentic, vulnerable and affirming, and to accompany students as they explore those questions and develop a clearer sense of who they are and what matters to them.

What does a welcoming campus ministry look like to you?

Churches often say, “All are welcome.” I think that is a true statement, but sometimes the church does not do its best living that motto.

For campus ministry, it doesn’t matter if you’re Lutheran or Baptist, Christian, Jewish or Muslim, atheist or agnostic or just unsure altogether. A huge piece of campus ministry is creating space to acknowledge the value and gift of every individual — no matter who you are, what you believe, who you love, where you come from, what color your skin is or what dialect you speak.

I want students to have opportunities to discover how much they have in common, build relationships across their differences and find a sense of belonging together. I want their relationship with the office of Spiritual Life at LR to be one that when the graduate they can confidently say that they were all welcomed.

One of the greatest ways we can live out the gospel is to love one another. I once made a T-shirt for a youth event that said, “Love one another,” and then, in parentheses, “No exceptions.” As soon as we put exceptions around what love should look like, we’re taking away from the heart of the gospel.

Music has been part of your life since childhood. How does it shape the way you approach ministry?

Music has and is one of the ways in which continually experience God and hear God speaking into ministry. It starts with my mom, who for my entire life has been a church musician. Some of my earliest memories connected to church go back to playing in the sanctuary while she rehearsed for worship. I’ve also played trombone rom since middle school. My original intent when I went to college and my original plan was to become a high school band director. From Fleetwood Mac to classic jazz; Lil Wayne to Dierks Bentley; dub step to Muscle Shoals, various genres and musical expressions speak to me.

I think we’re wired to respond to sound. When my son was born, I couldn’t be in the operating room, but I was close enough to hear his first cry. There were other babies crying in the unit, but I knew his cry, even though I’d never heard his voice before.

I think music taps into that same primal connection. It can reach us before we have the words to explain what we’re feeling. Music allows us to express our feelings and thoughts when words fall short. It can communicate joy, sadness or a sense of danger without a single word.

That’s where I see an intersection between music and ministry. As a pastor, I want to communicate love and grace in ways that connect with people’s lives and experiences. Music reminds us that we can reach one another beyond words, and that shared experiences can help us build relationships and community.

What do you want students to know about Grace Chapel and Spiritual Life?

I want Grace Chapel and Spiritual Life to be an integralpart of campus like any other activity — as welcoming and affirming as athletics, music, theater, creative writing, history or ethics.  

This is a space and a place of grace for everyone. Whether someone has a concept of what grace or religion and spirituality is, or has no idea whatsoever, this is a place where they can feel welcomed. It can feel like home.