Beginning this semester, a new ministry group will provide student-led, interdenominational ministry opportunities to students on campus.

The Student Ministries Board, assembled by College Chaplain Adam Rick, hopes to unite students across campus with the goal of worshiping Jesus together regardless of denominational or theological backgrounds.

“There is no ministry on campus that is committed to ecumenical Christian action,” Rick said. “I wanted to create a forum where we could dream up ministry opportunities that were intentionally inclusive. As a consequence of which, I really wanted my team to be ecumenical.”

Rick picked four upperclassmen students of various faith backgrounds for the team: senior Ingrid Dornbrier and juniors Alex Schrauben and Nathan Stanish, all three of whom attend College Baptist Church, and sophomore Andrew Winter, who attends St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

“I’m really excited about my team,” Rick said. “They are all eager for a genuinely unifying ministry on campus. I think they all feel the burden of our divisions and, without denying our differences, they want to try to minister Christ to people anyway.”

Winter said he hopes to bring Christians of varying denominations together in a supportive and welcoming environment. 

“Ecumenical ministry is knee-hobble from the start,” Winter said. “There’s differences between Christians, really sad differences, sometimes violent differences, and thankfully at Hillsdale, we have from the get-go a very good atmosphere in which to grow the ecumenical ministry.“ 

Winter expressed his excitement and concerns for the program as the sole Catholic representative on the board. 

“As a Catholic, I have to remember my goals with SMB, and that I can’t capitulate on my own beliefs,” Winter said. “My goal for the board is to increase the listening capacity of diverse denominations. We know what we believe, we know what our boundaries are, and that is the first step to loving each other better. And then the big goal is praying together in the end.”

Schrauben said she wants to see unity among Christians on campus. 

“I have met so many people here who believe different things than me, but I know when we talk that we are talking about the same God,” Schrauben said. “It’s always been such a shame to me that we haven’t had a space to come together.” 

Dornbrier said she shares the same desire to create unity on campus. 

“We want to foster more spaces in the Hillsdale community for people to share their faith and be gathered in a place simply to share their faith stories and walk in faith together,” Dornbrier said.

The Student Ministries Board plans to host numerous events throughout the semester to facilitate multi-denominational spaces on campus. In addition to the preexisting Sunday evening Evensong worship at 6 p.m., the board will host a night of contemporary worship called EvenPraise at 6 p.m. on Sept. 24 in the Christ Chapel. On Oct. 11, they will host a night of testimonies in the Formal Lounge.

Rick and his team said they hope to create a space that harbors shared aspects of the Christian faith in all denominations, including prayer, hymns and worship, charity, and the sharing of testimonies. 

“My hope is to promote Christian charity and mutual understanding on campus, and to really communicate to the campus community that the college is invested in spiritual formation and growth in Jesus,” Rick said. “A lot of what we are focusing on in our ministry here is not the doctrine, but my interest is more in Christian life, Christian formation, Christian testimonials, opportunities to come together and sing hymns, and stuff like that.”

In addition to hosting events, the board hopes to create an environment that is safe and welcoming for Christians from a wide range of theological knowledge. 

“We assume that everyone here is theologically educated,” Schrauben said. “And then we all feel incredibly insecure because we all think that everyone knows what they are talking about.” 

Schrauben said she hopes to create an environment that is welcoming to all Christians, regardless of their personal stage in their walk with Christ. 

“I think because we feel insecure, people don’t show up, because they feel like they don’t have a place,” Schrauben said. “I think that having things that are intended to bring multiple groups together might actually make a safer space for people who wouldn’t normally show up to things to start showing up to things. We are trying to come toward mutual effort and understanding.”