Twice a week at Eastern Nazarene College, the school holds chapel services that consist of a speaker, song service, and announcements. Some students, including myself, have had some input on chapel and see room for improvement.
Joanna Joseph, women’s volleyball captain and senior accounting major, believes that the music and speakers she’s heard at chapel services have improved since her freshman year, but she thinks there is still room for further improvement. She believes that students are not being “spiritually fed,” and students leave each service the same as when they came in. Joanna would like to see greater variety in song selections. She believes that the song selections should be more diverse and more up-tempo music. Currently, they are mainly contemporary Christian music; she would like to see the addition of African American Gospel songs.
Jonni Albetta, a journalism major and sophomore at ENC, sees chapel differently. She believes that chapel has always been great. But with the change of the new leadership, she believes it might be getting even better.
She thinks that the new chaplain really makes all of the difference. Albetta believes, “ENC has made one of the best decisions by changing it all up.” She went on to say that no one could have ever been a chaplain like Montague. She sees that our new chaplain is always pushing the musicians to their best potentials.
There are other positive qualities to the chapel services, such as the diversity of students in attendance. Religion major Raijene Murchison voiced her opinion stating, “Chapel has always been great. Seeing people of all colors and backgrounds worship has been a highlight for me during my time here at ENC,” she said.
Raijene, a member of the chapel team, has seen the music grown to represent campus and it has been evolving each year that she has been here at ENC. She has confidence that the ministry here at ENC will continue to grow and chapel will continue to get better.
Although there are various opinions about chapel, I have enjoyed chapel each week. As a freshmen, seeing the whole school come together and worship God has been great. There is nothing like being on a Jesus-centered campus where one can feel comfortable to talk about God and worship. Chapel may have its flaws, but it is a great environment to come and know God more and his teachings.