A new face to Wesleyan, this week’s Campus Celebrity is the new Chaplain Chris Scott! You may have seen him in the chapel leading prayers during special events like Student Orientation and Convocation. Who knows, you may have even seen him in the Oval advising the Ultimate Frisbee Club!
Chris is originally from Winchester, Va. although he’s spent plenty of time in W.Va. visiting family in Woodstock, Harrisonburg and Martinsburg. He graduated from Shepherd University in 2007 with a degree in political science and a minor in English.
Although he went to school wanting to become a lawyer, he found a passion for helping others through the organizations he was involved in.
“It was through the encouragement and voices of others that I discovered my own call to ministry” he said. “Throughout my time in college, I worked in Student Affairs, Multicultural Student Services and as a resident assistant. I never could have imagined that God was forming me for the working of campus ministry!”
As the new Chaplain, Chris can connect with students on a spiritual level. He enjoys hearing about their journeys—religious or not—and provides all of the spiritual guidance he has to offer. Chris will even go out of his way to connect with students; the chapel can seem extremely formal and a bit intimidating at times, so Chris is willing to go anywhere you feel most comfortable. In order to reach out to more students, Christ has also started working with other organizations on campus, including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, WE LEAD, Service Scholars and Multicultural Student Affairs.
Through working with different organizations on campus, Chris hopes to be a true part of the Wesleyan community. He also wants to give back to the community and serve others through these particular organizations.
“Jesus said that those who are greatest in His kingdom are those that serve. We can work with campus service organizations to create powerful and transformative opportunities to serve others.”
Chris is also heading up an alternative spring break to Washington, DC this year. He hopes that this will help students connect their faith to the real world. Connecting with the people of DC on a daily basis will give students the opportunity to see the more of the world, as well as what they can do to make it a better place. On the trip, Chris hopes to learn from the pastors in the community and hear about their different stories and experiences that got them to where they are today.