Ashland University’s Office of Christian Ministries recently held two separate events celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.
The first event took place on , Oct. 22. A variety of religious ministers spoke to the audience, reciting biblical verses, leading the congregation in prayer and offering prayers of petition.
Among the speakers were Fr. Jim Winings, Rev. Nancy Hollomon-Peede, Dcn. Mike Hayes, Dcn. Greg Loya, Rev. Dr. Adam Carrington, and Rev. Dr. Eric Riesen.
Dr. Josh Sumpter, the Executive Director for the office of Christian Ministry, started the program reflecting on the Council of Nicaea and the importance of why Christians should celebrate it.
Sumpter said, “The Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. was a foundational moment for Christian doctrine. If your church has a ‘what we believe’ section on their website, it is likely that the core convictions of ‘Who is Jesus?’ and ‘What is the Trinity?’ are rooted in the creedal formulations first affirmed at Nicaea.“
“It is important for college students to realize that despite the shifting cultural trends and fast-paced updates of technology, the Christian Church across many traditions has remained remarkably consistent in its confession of Christ,” Sumpter said.
The second event took place on Oct. 29, only one week later. This event focused on the specific impacts that the Council of Nicaea had on today’s Christian belief. The panel featured six speakers representing a variety of denominations of Christian faith.
Nate Ediger, the Catholic campus minister and organizer of the event, was recognized by students for his incomparable hard work in organizing the event. One student said, “His work really shows how ecumenically minded he is and his heart for bringing all Christians together.”
A lot of time and planning went into the event. “We had multiple planning meetings over the course of 3 months, at which we planned the order of the prayer service (hymns, readings, sermon, prayers etc.) as well as the structure and topics for the panel discussion. Countless hours from too many people to list as it relates to planning, logistics, hosting, promoting and more,” said Ediger.
“Lots of praying and trusting that the Spirit of God would move people’s hearts closer to Christ and to one another through these two events,” said Ediger.
Overall, the event was enjoyed by community members, students and faculty.
For more information about future events, follow the Office of Christian Ministry on Instagram.
Photo Credits: John Keim
