“You can’t have a GU education without spiritual development being a part of it,” said Ross Baker, Greenville University dean of students. “It is the cornerstone of our mission.”
Though spiritual development has been an integral part of Greenville University since its founding as a Free Methodist college 130 years ago, Baker and new GU Chaplain Keli Pennington have been taking a fresh look at how that experience is delivered.
It was identified as a priority by President Suzanne Davis in her “First 1,000 Days” Action Plan, which was rolled out a year ago. In that plan, Davis directed Baker to “examine the next phase of The Wednesday Experience (TWE) and Encounter services, and determine what spiritual development looks like at GU.”
Then, at a meeting of the GU faculty and staff this fall, Davis identified spiritual development as an aspect of the Action Plan in which significant progress has been made. She pointed to the hiring of Pennington (a former GU student and residence life employee who went on to earn a master of divinity at Duke University), and the revamping of spiritual growth opportunities (such as the weekly TWE, Encounter and Vespers services) as notable accomplishments.
“Helping people thrive spiritually is key here,” added Baker, pictured at right. “If a student walks out of here without progressing in their spiritual life, we haven’t provided the right educational opportunities for them.”
Pennington, pictured below, considers the renewed emphasis on spiritual growth as a return to the University’s roots.
“Spiritual development has always been an underlying foundation of a Greenville education,” she said. “We want it to be more of an explicit part of the students’ experience here. By doing so, we want to develop people with Christ-like character who are involved in service activities across campus and beyond.”
To buttress the historical faith component, Davis’ action plan also elevates the University’s historical ties to the Free Methodist Church by making discussion of “The Free Methodist Way” a visible part of campus life.
“We’ll be introducing ‘The Free Methodist Way’ through TWE this year,” Baker said. “We believe the five central values cited there are important for any Christian, and we’ll explore them deeply all around campus – in chapel, in the classroom, and on our athletic teams. We want everything we do to be informed by those values.”
As she settles into her first academic year as chaplain, Pennington is quick to credit former chaplain Lori Gaffner for beginning the spiritual development emphasis on campus. However, Gaffner’s work was cut short when she passed away unexpectedly on June 4, 2021.
“We’re grateful for all that Lori put in place,” Pennington said. “She worked tirelessly as our chaplain, and we will build on that foundation.
“As chaplain, I want to be present with students through the highs and lows of life. Coming out of COVID, people are looking for meaningful connections and are open to spiritual things. We want to provide a wide range of spiritual development offerings to all members of the GU community – the students, the faculty, and the staff.”
Baker acknowledged that during their college years, many students are wrestling with big questions about their lives and careers.
“Students today are asking deep questions,” he said. “They’ve seen a lot of hurt and need in the world as they’ve grown up, and they feel that pain more acutely than some previous generations. We want to walk with them through that process and engage them in conversations about spiritual things. That type of spiritually infused learning has been the hallmark of Greenville University since it began.”
Original source can be found here.
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