As the semester begins, the Center for Religious Life finds itself with a renewed desire for collaboration, both among their individual ministries, and with the entire campus. The Center was brought into the Student Affairs umbrella by interim president Dr. Bill Crothers, with the intent to infuse religious life throughout student life.

“We’ve had strong connections with different student life organizations in the past, but there were definitely places where we weren’t having any conversations at all,” Jason Barnhart said. Barnhart is the Executive Director of Religious Life and the Campus Chaplain. 

“I think, for us, it means that we have an awesome opportunity to be more plugged into the larger pulse of campus and to collaborate more with some of the student affairs activities,” Nate Addington said. Addington is the Catholic Campus minster.

The restructuring offers opportunities for Student Affairs to work with Religious Life in expanding many of the collaborative efforts already in place.

Now we are being more intentional to create integrative processes that include Orientation and RA training, for example, as well as enhance partnerships with the Religion Department, the Brethren Church and Ashland Theological Seminary,” said Sue Heimann. She is the Vice President for Student Affairs.

Addington was excited about the collaborative service opportunities in particular.

“I think about… partnering up in a more intentional way with Greek life or the AU GIVS stuff and say ‘Let’s stop doubling up on the smaller projects and push for a larger emphasis on campus together when we are trying to accomplish the same goals.’ That could have happened before but now it’s a lot easier when we are included in the same meetings,” he said.

Within Religious Life, there is an increased desire for collaborative work between the ministries, building on the strong friendship of the core staff.

“[Nate] Bebout, Addington, Mallorie [Miller, the Isaiah project coordinator] and I are such close friends, we’ve been friends for years so I really get to come in and work with a team of people that I respect and get along with, there’s just great unity on this team,” Barnhart said.

The staff will look to build on the success of last year’s Harvest Hootenanny, a fall dance party out in a cornfield, as well as bringing each of the ministers to the different groups to speak, as well as coming together in service.

“We’ve had [Addington] from Newman over to speak at the Well, he’s invited me to teach on a Newman night, same with Jason,” Bebout said. Bebout oversees The Well, the largest student group on campus and a ministry unique to Ashland. “We are looking for more partnerships with local service opportunities where we can come alongside each other and say ‘Even if we don’t agree on every issue of theology, we are in absolute agreement that Jesus came to serve the least of these.’ How can we emulate that in our department?”

Barnhart, in his first full year as the Executive Director, is impressed with the growth that took place in Religious Life since he graduated in 2004. However, there are certain aspects he wants reemphasized in the Center.

“There was a sense of deep Bible study, deep spiritual direction,” he said. “There was a lot of mentoring happening, not just students mentoring students but local, older wiser citizens from local churches who would come in and mentor college students. Those are things I want to strive for.”

Barnhart invites all students to stop in and check out any of the ministries housed within the Center for Religious Life. The Well meets Thursday nights at 8 in Upper Chapel, while the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), led by Joe Maggalet, meets Tuesday nights at 9 in Lower Chapel. Catholic mass is celebrated Sunday nights at 9:30 in Upper Chapel, and the Newman Catholic Ministry hosts dinners at 6:30 in Lower Chapel.