On October 27, 2007, Joseph Castleberry became the sixth president of Northwest University. Castleberry had previously served as the academic dean at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri. He had also been a missionary in many capacities in Central and South America, founded the Freedom Valley Project in Ecuador's Chota Valley, and has been published in a variety of books and articles. With regards to the future of Northwest University, Castleberry has stated, “I believe it is within Northwest University’s reach to become a world-class model of academic excellence that is loyal to the faith and spiritual power of our forefathers. I can foresee the deployment of Northwest University graduates around the world and an ongoing relationship with them that brings the world to the campus and takes the campus to the world. Given the Northwest Region’s rich heritage for foreign missions, such a vision is deeply consistent with our ethos and tradition.”