Blue Mountain Christian University President Dr. Barbara McMillin to Retire in June 2027

BLUE MOUNTAIN, Miss. — Dr. Barbara C. McMillin, the eighth president of Blue Mountain Christian University, has announced she will retire June 30, 2027, completing 15 years of service at the close of the 2026–27 academic year.

The university’s Board of Trustees will share details regarding the presidential search in the coming months, according to the announcement released Monday.

McMillin, a native of Falkner, Mississippi, came to Blue Mountain in 2012 from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, where she last served as Associate Provost. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Union University and a Doctor of Arts in English from the University of Mississippi.

“I have always considered my tenure at Blue Mountain Christian University as something entrusted to my care for a season,” McMillin said. “Whatever has been accomplished during my years here rests on a foundation that was laid long before I arrived: our Christian mission, a deep commitment to prayer, and a confidence in the faithfulness of God. My hope is that we have strengthened that foundation and made our mission so clear that it will continue to shape Blue Mountain Christian University long after my presidency has ended.”

A tenure of milestones

McMillin’s 15 years included several of the most significant developments in the institution’s recent history:

• Leading the institution’s transition from Blue Mountain College to Blue Mountain Christian University, reflecting an expanding academic mission while preserving its historic identity and values.
• Expanding academic opportunities with new programs including nursing and kinesiology.
• Overseeing major campus improvements, including the Center for Grace and Healing, the university’s new health science facility set to open in October.
• Strengthening enrollment, fundraising and institutional partnerships.
• National recognition for academic quality and affordability — U.S. News & World Report named the institution the No. 1 Best Value among Regional Colleges in the South in 2018 and 2019, and ranked it among the top 10 Regional Colleges in the South in three consecutive editions from 2017 through 2019.

“When I think about legacy, I really don’t think first about buildings we have constructed, programs we have added, or milestones we have reached,” McMillin said. “I think about people. I think about the students who have left this place prepared to see their lives and their work through the lens of a Christian worldview and to serve Christ faithfully in their professions, churches, families, and communities.”

The Reverend James Lewis, chair of the Board of Trustees, said McMillin “has led Blue Mountain with conviction and with care, and she has done so during a period that has not been easy for any Christian college. She leaves this institution clearer about who it is, better equipped to teach, and on firmer footing than she found it. The Board is grateful for her faithfulness, and we begin this year confident about what is ahead for Blue Mountain.”

The university will mark McMillin’s final year with a series of programs and events celebrating the university’s history and the people who have shaped it. Details will be announced throughout the academic year at bmc.edu.

Blue Mountain Christian University was founded in 1873 in Blue Mountain, Mississippi, as Blue Mountain Female Institute by Mark Perrin Lowrey. The institution has been affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention since 1920, has been fully coeducational since 2005, and competes in 18 intercollegiate sports as the Toppers in the NAIA and the Southern States Athletic Conference.

By Jon Myers