Life at Winthrop can be hectic, but there are multiple ways for students to find relief from stress with a little faith.
The Winthrop Cooperative Campus Ministry offers multiple religious ministries that hold religious services for students of various faiths. The goal of these ministries is to work with each other to reach out to new and incoming students and offer them spiritual development. Winthrop Cooperative Campus Ministry president and Wesley minister Ricky Howell notes how college is an important time for students to try and reconnect with spirituality and ways they can apply it in modern society.
“In addition to being about receiving an education, college is also a time about personal growth and development. For many students, faith and religion is an important part of their identities, so focusing on spiritual growth helps to shape their own self-understanding and discernment as to how they fit into our world,” Howell says.
Newman Group Catholic minister Courtney Hull notes how the ministries are not only open to all students, but also try to meet the university’s goal of diversity.
“Winthrop Newman Catholic Campus Ministry is open to any student on campus. The word ‘catholic’ means universal.” Hull says, “Although Catholicism might not be huge in South Carolina, worldwide there are over 1.2 billion members.”
Meeting once a month, WCCM gathers to plan out events for each ministry to hold each semester. “We reach out through special events on campus, tabling at events like convocation and involvement fairs, advertising like chalking Scholar’s or putting up flyers, through emails and social media, and by encouraging our current students to invite others,” Howell says.
According to Hull, the ministries offer students the chance to reconnect with their faith and have it grow stronger. “Religion is important for college students because it can be a way to be in community with others. Religion is also a way we can celebrate the things in our lives that are good and religion can be there for us when things go wrong or are bad,” Hull says.
Winthrop Reformed University Fellowship (Presbyterian Church of America) leader Reverend Mark Ashbaugh commented on how religion for his part consists of resisting the shame-based society in today’s world, and showing Christianity as a means of accepting people faults.
“If that is true, then students don’t have to rest on their hard work. [They] don’t have to worry about pleasing everyone around them, and can live at peace in a high stress and anxious world,” Ashbaugh says, “That doesn’t mean their problems are solved. It doesn’t mean that their issues go away. It does mean that there is someone who will always love them and care for them no matter what. There is nothing more important than that true story.”
With multiple religious groups from Methodist, Baptist, Catholic and the recent Muslim Student organization, the Winthrop Campus Ministries allow students to interact and hold dialogue with students of opposite faiths.
“Winthrop has a diverse variety of campus ministries – both student-led and professionally-led that serve a wide variety of faith traditions. Additionally, because of the different ways that each ministry functions we each appeal to a different group of students,” Howell says.
“Campus Ministries could be a part of the way students get involved. Campus Ministries has opportunities for leadership and students who have gifts in music, singing, have a heart for service and are looking for a community of supportive people could find a home in any one of our groups,” Hull says.
With the increase of faith and new students, religious groups are striving to work hard with new members to build tolerance. “Although Winthrop is about diversity, most student organizations are not diverse. Like most groups of people, students tend to move towards people like themselves. That being said, we hope, pray, and strive for a diverse group, not for the sake of diversity, but because we believe that the body of Christ is better when there are people that are different from one another gathering together for the same cause,” Ashbaugh says.
Religion can be applied not only on a Spiritual level, but can help students understand each other and what they believe in instead of stereotyping other faiths. “For many people, religion provides a helpful lens through which they can view and understand the world and how they relate to it. Their faith and beliefs in something larger than themselves also provides a sense of comfort, belonging, and direction.” Howell says.
“We’re very thankful for Winthrop University and their desire to encourage and care for their students through various student organizations and university organizations. We have enjoyed working with Winthrop and greatly appreciate the university and the employees. Winthrop is a great institution and produces great students. It has been a joy working with Winthrop.” Ashbaugh says.
