{"id":27883,"date":"2020-01-30T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-30T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/?p=27883"},"modified":"2020-01-30T16:09:11","modified_gmt":"2020-01-30T21:09:11","slug":"keeping-the-faith-a-history-of-campus-minsitry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/tartan-news\/2020\/01\/30\/keeping-the-faith-a-history-of-campus-minsitry\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping the Faith: A History of Campus Minsitry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sinclair\u2019s commitment to students goes beyond the academic, physical and social dimensions of personal growth. For over five decades the college has provided resources to supplement students\u2019 needs on their spiritual, as well as academic, journeys through the office of Multifaith Campus Ministry<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larry Lindstrom is the current head of the office and was hired in 2016. Shortly after his hiring, his job title became the Multifaith Campus Chaplain, reflecting the commitment to the inclusion of all faith traditions at Sinclair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Campus ministry at Sinclair began in 1968 and focused on serving as a resource for students to learn more about religious and spiritual matters during their schooling. The office was originally staffed by two ministers, one Protestant and one Catholic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In observance of the established legal separation of church and state, the office refrained from the practice of proselytizing (seeking to convert anyone to their religion). The office space was provided by the college, but funding for the positions would come from off-campus organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor many years, the Catholic campus minister\u2019s position was funded by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,<\/a> and the Protestant campus minister\u2019s position was funded by an independent association, known as Dayton Ministries in Higher Education (and now known as the Multifaith Campus Alliance),\u201d Lindstrom said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the 21st century, the campus ministry office has undergone significant change. Former campus minister Barbara Battin expanded the work of the office into an Interfaith project, fostering communication and cooperation among many different faith traditions, as a reflection of the college\u2019s religious diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe department began in a time when the religious culture around campus was predominantly Christian,\u201d Lindstrom said. \u201cNow we are far more aware of the wide variety of spiritual communities, the office seeks to develop better communication among people of different traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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