Local churches play an important part in ministering to Tusculum U. students

Published 8:10 am Friday, October 21, 2022

Local churches are playing an integral part in the educational and social experience of Tusculum University students by supporting athletic teams and ministering on campus.

Tusculum celebrated its connections with churches during the annual Pastors’ Prayer Breakfast Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the Meen Center. Sponsored by First Christian Church of Greeneville, the breakfast once again served as the kickoff to Tusculum’s formal Homecoming activities.

The breakfast concluded with ministers taking time to pray for Tusculum students and others at the university. Dr. Chris Shumate, Tusculum’s campus minister, offered Psalm 67:1-2 – “May God be gracious to us and bless us. May he make His face shine upon us.” He said this passage is a request for a blessing so the recipient can be a blessing to others.

“We need everyone’s help and support in ministering to our students physically, spiritually and emotionally,” said Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s president. “I very much appreciate all that churches do for our students. As you can imagine, students are special to me, and when I see someone ministering to our students, that’s especially important to me.”

Dr. Hummel expressed gratitude to the 13 churches that have adopted Tusculum athletic teams by inviting them to church services and coming to campus for their games. Some student-athletes have not spent a lot of time in church, and their perspective of it has been shaped by social media and Hollywood portrayals. They might be suspicious and not eager to attend a service because of what they have heard or seen, Dr. Hummel said.

“But when they go with their team to church and actually get to hear the gospel and engage with Christians and establish those relationships, their view changes,” Dr. Hummel said. “Then, when church members come to campus to watch them play, that sends the message that they are supporting our student-athletes. I’ve seen some tangible results. Last year, we had ten students accept Christ, particularly as a result of these church adoptions and student-athletes going to church. That is incredibly heartwarming.”

Another byproduct of these connections is that the churches become aware of student needs and respond to them, Dr. Hummel said. The university has a food pantry that supports students in need and supplements what students receive in the cafeteria, and many churches and individuals help keep it stocked. That is essential to some students who stay on campus during the summer or the holidays when the cafeteria is closed or who have other needs.

Dr. Hummel highlighted additional ways Tusculum enriches personal lives through programs it offers to students and the community. He referenced Theologian-In-Residence, which brings a speaker to campus on Fridays in February to discuss different aspects of spirituality and faith. In 2023, Dr. Ryan Stokes, director of M.A. applied theology and associate professor of religion at Carson-Newman, will discuss Satan.

In addition, Dr. Yosef “Yossi” Garfinkel, who leads the excavation at Tel Lachish in Israel in search of Iron Age fortifications, will speak about that project at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 7, in the Meen Center. The presentation is open to the public. Students and others interested in ancient history are eligible to participate in that excavation for three weeks next summer. That will follow another tour of Israel that Dr. Hummel will lead from June 22-July 1 and is open to community members.

This summer, Tusculum hired Dr. Shumate with assistance from donors. He spent the early days meeting with faculty and staff members but shifted his focus more toward students when they arrived on campus for the fall semester. He is building relationships with students as he speaks with them in the cafeteria and plays table tennis with them. He also organizes the voluntary weekly chapel services, which are held in the Pioneer Perk, a place for students to relax and play games.

At the same time, Dr. Shumate is working to facilitate opportunities for local churches to minister on campus. He said students need the interaction with local churches to complement the support they receive from the university. He mentioned that ten churches assisted with the move-in of new students in August and provided lunch to them afterward on campus. He said that was an excellent way to introduce new students and their families to local churches. It also illuminated the interest community members are showing students.

He said one church is meeting weekly on campus for Bible study and fellowship and another will hold weekly services at Tusculum in the spring.

During the breakfast, Tusculum student David Bowlin, who also serves as young adult director at First Christian Church, shared what Tusculum offers for faith development. Prior to transferring to Tusculum from Walters State Community College, Bowlin was able to minister to Tusculum students. He continues in that role now that he is a Pioneer.

Bowlin said the university offers many biblically based classes that can lead to a student receiving a religion minor. He is one of those students on that path. He also referenced several other ministries on campus, such as the Fellowship of Student Athletes and Breaking Bread, as well as off-campus activities, such as SPOT at Tusculum Baptist Church. He said he wanted to be part of these opportunities at Tusculum and spread the gospel to students.

He encouraged people to pray for the leaders of the college ministries at Tusculum, who have a limited time to impact students. He also urged people to pray for the Christian students so they grow further and meaningfully engage in a local church community. He also asked those in the audience to pray for students who do not know Jesus.

“As a Tusculum student and a ministry leader, thank you for your prayers,” he told ministers in the audience. “We need them. Thank you for investment.”