[5] He came back to the University of the South as Chaplain and associate professor of religion, during which time he obtained his Master of Sacred Theology degree (1962) and, later, his Doctorate of Divinity (1974).
David B. Collins was ordained as a deacon in 1948, and as a priest in 1949, during which time he served as the rector of St. Andrew's Church in Marianna, Arkansas.
Following his ordination, he served as priest-in-charge of the Holy Cross Church in West Memphis, Arkansas (1949–1953).
In 1966, he became the dean of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Philip, and served there until 1984, when he left to become the president of the House of Deputies.
He also chaired the committee addressing women's ordination during the 1976 General Convention, and was the vice president of the House of Deputies from 1979 to 1985.