The Southwest Indiana District Church of the Nazarene began on Wednesday morning, August 25, 1948, at the Camby Campground, Indianapolis, Indiana. The assembly vote was unanimous to divide the Indianapolis District, thereby creating the new Southwest Indiana District. Rev. Leo C. Davis, pastor at Elkhart, Indiana, was elected as the first superintendent.
The district began with 4,760 church members, a Sunday School enrollment of 11,073, average weekly attendance of 6,762. Church property value was nearly one million dollars and $485,583 was received for all purposes.
The district experienced unusual growth under the dedicated leadership of Dr. Leo C. Davis, who served 18 years as superintendent until his retirement in 1966. The number of churches was now 106, church membership 6,911 and Sunday School average attendance 9,200. Doctor Davis was made District Superintendent Emeritus by the 43rd district assembly in 1991.
At the Eighteenth District Assembly at Bloomington, Indiana, in 1966, Rev. C. R. Thrasher of New Albany First Church became the second district superintendent. Following the assembly in 1967, Rev. and Mrs. Thrasher were involved in a serious automobile accident that claimed the life of Mrs. Ruby Lee Thrasher and inflicted serious injury to Reverend Thrasher. Feeling that he could not sufficiently carry on the duties as district superintendent, Reverend Thrasher retired from the superintendency in September 1968.
Dr. Charles W. Oliver, who was serving in his eighth year as superintendent of the Mississippi District, was appointed as superintendent of the Southwest Indiana District by the Board of General Superintendents and began his work on October 1, 1968. During his nine years of superintendency, the church membership increased to 8,500 and Sunday School average attendance to 9,001. Many new churches and parsonages were constructed and value of churches and parsonages increased to a total of $12,015,819. In June 1977, Doctor Oliver resigned to become superintendent of the Alabama District.
At the 29th district assembly in July 1977, Dr. B. G. Wiggs, pastor of the Seymour First Church since February 1959, became the fourth district superintendent. During the superintendency of Doctor Wiggs, several new churches were organized or reopened, and a new district office was constructed. At the 1992 district assembly, Doctor Wiggs retired after 15 years as superintendent. He was made District Superintendent Emeritus by action of the 45th district assembly in 1993.
In September 1992, Dr. M. V. Scutt, then serving as Executive Director for the Department of Evangelism, was appointed by the Board of General Superintendents as the fifth superintendent. Doctor Scutt was raised as a minister’s son on SWID and was pleased to be "back home again in Indiana." In his years as superintendent, Doctor Scutt implemented a number of successful initiatives, a few of which include the planning and construction of the new district parsonage, the appointment of zone superintendents, and the successful implementation of church planting. At the 1999 district assembly, Doctor Scutt retired after 7 years as superintendent.
On July 14, 1999, at the 51st District Assembly, Dr. Garrett Mills was elected by the assembly to serve as the sixth superintendent. Doctor Mills is a graduate of God’s Bible College, Cincinnati, Ohio, with a bachelor of ministry degree. He received his master’s degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene College. He has pastored several churches on the Eastern Kentucky District, and was elected district superintendent of that district. In recognition of service rendered during his tenure as Eastern Kentucky district superintendent, Mount Vernon conferred upon him the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.