In May we had a great gathering of alumni who had been a part of the Christian community at Kenyon. We were excited to honor Fred Linger for his years of service at Kenyon. Thank you to all who contributed letters! Fred said, “I’m quite arrested by the kind words represented from across the many seasons of my life. To find them all in one binder brought profound emotion…laughing out loud, reliving scenes I’d completely forgotten, and tears.”
We look forward to seeing you all next May!
You are invited to join us for an online get together on May 23, 2020 at 1pm-3pm (EDT)!
We hope to share with you what is currently happening in the Christian Ministry at Kenyon. Although this will look differently than our in person gatherings we also hope you will be able to connect with other Christian alumni from Kenyon. There is no cost, but registration is required. We hope to see you then!
Eric Christiansen studied physics at Kenyon and graduated in 2003.
Since graduating I’ve pursued a career as an airline pilot and I’m currently flying for JetBlue Airways. When I think back to my time at Kenyon, I’m reminded of the many voices and ideas that I heard over the course of four years from fellow students, professors, and campus ministers. I contribute to the CCO campus ministry at Kenyon because I want students to continue to have access to dedicated Christian ministers within that sea of voices. I know from experience that some conversations have immediate impact, and some take years to resonate, so it’s important to me that there are ministers on campus equipped to walk alongside students today and to plant seeds for their future spiritual health.
Merri Anne is the Director of Care and Outreach at Journey Church in Howard, OH
After years of praying for the opportunity to have Journey Church as a presence on the campus of Kenyon College, I was approached out of the blue by the pastor of Vineyard Church of Knox County to consider being a part of the McIlvaine Fund Board. After meeting the Kenyon alumni board and learning about the CCO, I knew that God had created a space for Journey on the campus to come alongside the students as they walk through their college years. It is my passion to see God work through our congregation to engage students and empower them to live lives that are transformed by Christ. We see this happening organically by meeting with them for coffee or having them over for dinner. We are intentionally mentoring individual students, and joining them for times of study and prayer on campus. We invite them to our worship services at Journey, and give them service opportunities. God is up to something big on the campus of Kenyon College through the Mcilvaine Funds’ support of the CCO and Journey wants to be a part of it.
The Mcilvaine Fund has an all volunteer board of Kenyon alumni, representatives of local congregations, and area CCO staff alumni. This board helps provide oversight in cooperation with the CCO for the selection of a CCO campus ministry staff person, provides prayer and financial resources for half the funding of a CCO staff person at Kenyon.
Rev. Doug Campbell is a ’91 graduate of Kenyon College. He graduated from Princeton in ’97. He is currently the Executive Director of Hope Clinic in Ypsilanti, MI and financial supporter of the McIlvaine Fund.
I am so thankful for the ministry witness at Kenyon, which was instrumental in my life. Like many college students, I was searching–I just didn’t know the answer was Jesus Christ. It was through dedicated students and leaders, who reached out and patiently walked with me as I asked questions. The Christian fellowship was a safe place for me to listen, learn and, ultimately, understand. What was great about the environment at Kenyon was that I could ask questions without fear or pressure. Even though I wasn’t a follower of Christ, they didn’t judge or expect me to be in a certain place. Instead, they accepted me and offered opportunities to hear the Gospel through the witness of their lives. The other great thing is that they didn’t expect us to check our intellect at the door. Instead, we were encouraged to question what they said, which was a different environment than what I had experienced from other Christians I met. After graduation, I felt called to enter seminary (where I also met my wife, Emily) because I wanted to know more about what it means to follow Christ today. That led to ordination and now serving in ministry.
I often look back to my time at Kenyon and reference the witness there as a positive way to meet people where they are. I am thankful that I can now, in a small way, support the current ministry with the prayerful expectation that other students can have the same opportunities that I had to hear the Good News. Keep going!
Hello, my name is Kelly. I am on the board of the McIlvaine Fund. I had the opportunity to serve with my husband at Kenyon as Campus Ministry Staff from 2006-2010. I loved my time at Kenyon. I often think of the individual students I had the privilege to get to know while I was there. They are now teachers, artists, social workers, pastors, grassroots advocates, doctors, and scientists. Kenyon students are amazing! They are at an important junction in their lives as they choose to live in such a way to be to making lasting impacts on our world.
I am invested in the CCO and the McIlvaine Fund because they step into students’ lives during this critical time to encourage them to follow
Jesus with their entire lives. I remember when I was a college student and a campus minister took the time to ask me tough questions, ones that would make me think about how my faith interacts with everyday life. I am so thankful for that opportunity and how it has shaped me.
The CCO also offers great training and support for the Campus Ministry Staff at Kenyon. The McIlvaine Fund allows alumni and friends of Kenyon to step up and say, “I believe this is important.” My hope is that we will continue to be able to minister to Kenyon students for a long time, so that today’s students, who will be tomorrow’s leaders, will be challenged and encouraged to follow Jesus in everything.
In 2002, Chris White, the CCO Campus Ministry Staff at the time, and his wife, Jessika, began having conversations with Kenyon alumnus Rebecca Barth. She had shared with the Whites that there was a strong base of Kenyon alumni who were impacted by their time in the Kenyon Chrisitan Community and cared deeply about the ongoing campus ministry at Kenyon. This led Chris, Jessika, Fred Linger, Rebecca and her husband Chris to dream of how alumni could continue to support the Christian Community at Kenyon. The CCO had historically partnered with local churches to support the CCO staff at Kenyon, but such partnerships were temporary. The Board believed that the Fund would enable there to be a constant campus ministry staff presence by inviting alumni, alumni parents, and local churches to support the ongoing ministry of a campus minister at Kenyon. The Fund was named after Kenyon’s second president, Bishop Charles McIlvaine, who worked stridently for the Christian Community at Kenyon. Within the first few months of the Fund’s existence, many alumni began to support the Fund. A then-current student’s parents even gave a $15,000 gift. The Fund’s work was underway.
The McIlvaine Fund’s first staff person was Jessika White. She served from 2002 until 2005 when the Whites were called to Pittsburgh so her husband Chris could begin seminary. In 2005, the McIlvaine Fund Board interviewed a number of candidates, but no suitable candidate was a good fit. The Fund interviewed candidates again in 2006, and the McIlvaine Fund was blessed to hire Jeff and Kelly Bergeson. It was the right time, for at that time, there was not a local church able to provide for a staff person. Because of God’s provision through the McIlvaine Fund, the Board has continuously had a CCO staff person serving at Kenyon since 2006.
The Kenyon Christian Alumni met Memorial Day weekend to gather and reconnect.
We had great conversation and food. Each year we get together to share stories from the past and updates from the present. The reunion is held the Saturday of Memorial weekend from 11am-2pm. We hope to see you next year!