Chaplains help students find their religious footing at college
For Shannon Thomas, campus chaplain Ed Wilson at Indiana Wesleyan University in Hilliard was the perfect person, maybe the only person, who could have helped her through her struggles.
Wilson was the right person for Thomas to talk to because he didn’t know her or her family, and she felt comfortable having him there just to listen.
“It was a really big relief to sit and talk to him,” said Thomas, a 42-yearold West Side resident who is studying for an associate’s degree through the university, which offers traditional and online classes. “He let me talk, he gave me Scriptures to read for the bad days, and he let me know it’s something I’ll get through.”
He and other campus chaplains are “really there to care for (students’)
spirits,” Wilson said. “I feel like my job is just to hold the umbrella when the storm of life comes.”
Not all universities employ chaplains; many rely on faith leaders in the community to offer students support and guidance. If a university does have a chaplain, the person often is paid by that university.
Some area campuses provide faith leaders to work specifically with students of all ages and faiths, whether it’s helping students cultivate their faith or just get through daily life struggles.
“As students are trying to pursue academic studies, we want to make sure they have a support person no matter their faith background,” said David Rose, vice president of enrollment and marketing for Indiana Wesleyan’s national and global campaigns. “It’s really creating a nurturing, caring environment for folks as they’re learning.”
At Cedarville University near Dayton, which is affiliated with the Baptist Church, Director of Discipleship Ministries Aaron Cook works to help students cultivate their own faith and the faith of their fellow students.
“All of us humans have to answer the ultimate question of ‘Where did I come from?’ ... The way we answer determines the lens we have to look through to interpret the world,” Cook said. “I feel the university setting is a great place to work through those things and a great place to ask questions.”
The period between ages 18 and 25 can be an important growth time in people’s lives, said the Rev. David MacDonald, university chaplain at Ohio Northern University in Ada, in northwestern Ohio.
“A lot of decisions are made and a lot of growing is done,” said MacDonald, who is ordained in the United Methodist Church. The university is loosely affiliated with the Methodists, but MacDonald’s role is as religious counselor for students of all religions. “I think we do a disservice to our students when we don’t have a spiritual service as well (as academics).
“It’s being there and letting them know I’m concerned about what they’re concerned about,” said MacDonald, who has been at the Ada campus for about four years. “I’m not a chaplain just to Christian students. I am a chaplain to the university ... I’m here to help everyone feel like they can practice their faith.”
When Dominic Mejia came to Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware four years ago, he knew he wanted to be a Methodist pastor. University chaplain Jon Powers “softened my theological edges,” Mejia said, and taught him how to open up to people who explore faith differently.
“The day before classes started, I heard about a bible study at the pastor’s house,” said Mejia, now 22 and a senior. “I was looking for a community. (Powers) opened the door and said he was glad to see me, and gave me a hug.
“He serves as the spiritual heart of the campus,” Mejia said. “He’s definitely been a mentor.”
“As students are trying to pursue academic studies, we want to make sure they have a support person no matter their faith background.”
— David Rose, Indiana Wesleyan University