The Office of Campus Ministry (OCM) is a large part of the Ashland University, allowing students to further their religious connections and expanding their social horizons.
Charles Neff, the director of Campus Ministry, has been on campus since January of 2020. He describes OCM as the umbrella for all the different campus ministries offered at AU.
“What makes AU unique is that the Office of Campus Ministry is ecumenical, which means that it houses many different denominational campus ministries,” Neff explained. “That provides options and opportunities for students, but it also creates a space for dialogue to happen.”
There are several ministry organizations on campus ranging from staff-led to student-led: The Well, Newman Catholic Ministries, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and International Student Ministries are examples of staff-led ministries. Students lead Delight Ministries, Ratio Christi, Young Life, and Thomistic Institute.
“We primarily do programming for undergraduates, we partner with the seminary, and some of the other colleges on campus to offer for graduate students,” Neff said.
Giovanni Harding, graduate student at the AU Theological Seminary and president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, said “I remember going to FCA when I was a freshman a couple of times, but I did not start going officially till I was a sophomore. Towards the end of my sophomore year, I became a huddle leader and starting my junior year I was given the masters of ceremonies roll.”
According to Harding, FCA is a place where young students can truly make their faith their own.
“What a student would need to know before attending is that FCA is on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. in the lower chapel and the service is an hour long,” Harding explained. “It is important to mention that ‘you do not need to be an athlete.’ We encourage all students to come and fellowship with us.”
On the other side of student worship are the women of Delight Ministries, an all-women based religious organization focused on fostering vulnerability and taking a Christ-centered approach within the community through bible study and group discussion.
Emily Fry, the team director of Delight Ministries, said “We are all very welcoming, there is no judgment whatsoever. You can come in feeling down in the dumps, and that you do not belong, but you truthfully belong. We’re here to encourage you and support you, get you to feel like these women are your family.”
Delight Ministries meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m in Recreation Center room 230 and 231.
“All women are welcome. Your relationship with Jesus and Christianity, if you’re on the fence about it, there’s no judgment, we’re here to help you,” Fry said. “If that is something that you want to talk about, we can talk about it. We’re here to facilitate discussions and build communities.”
Another community open to everyone on campus is Newman Catholic Ministries, led by Faith Formation Chair and intern Sophie George. The group meets in Lower Chapel every Wednesday at 7 p.m with Mass at 4:30 p.m on Sundays.
“Ever since I started going last year, I just felt like it was a really great community,” George expressed. “With all the people there, they’re so nice and welcoming. As I kept coming and joined the leadership team, I just felt that more and more. It also provided me with a good space to ask questions about the catholic faith.”
Newman Catholic Ministries prides itself on the endless opportunities and educational series held throughout the year.
“We will be starting a single, married, and devoted series pretty soon. We will be bringing in speakers who will talk to us about what it means to live a life whether you’re single, married, or devoted,” George explained.
The series will be held on Oct. 4, Oct. 11, and Oct. 18, with a retreat open to all from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.
Alex Hill, the interim director of the office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence, leads the last group called The Well. The Well encourages students to come and be themselves amongst peers.
Hill said, “It’s a place where people can encounter Jesus, experience a transformed community, and respond to God in tangible ways.”
The Well meets on Thursday at 8 p.m. in Upper Chapel.
“A typical night at The Well looks like a mix between worship through music and a message,” Hill explained. “There’s usually some kind of icebreaker and some kind of call to response; whether that’s prayer, further conversation, whatever that looks like.”
Each campus ministry has their own unique traits and characteristics to make them welcoming for students. Students can experience them all in their own time.
“There’s been an interesting connection between the ministries since I’ve stepped into this position,” Hill said. “Now there’s some really cool connections that take place between the different ministries. I think it makes the campus better.”
