MACOMB – The Wesley Foundation at Western Illinois University is always looking for ways to connect with the campus and the Macomb community. On three consecutive Monday evenings in September the campus ministry held a speaker series at the Foundation.
The Board of Directors and students brainstormed on ways to promote faith on campus. This collaboration led to the creation of the “Talking Faith On Campus” events, which greatly exceeded expectations. Over the summer, students invited seven campus administrators, faculty, staff, and community leaders to participate in these forums. The students of Wesley Foundation decided to use a question and answer format and then developed specific questions for each guest.
On the first Monday, student moderator, Hannah Porter led the discussion with guests Dr. Jack Thomas, President of WIU, and Dr. Algerian Hart, Kinesiology Graduate Program Coordinator. They are pictured in the photograph.
The following week, student Jordan Mance led the dialogue with retired Dean of the College of Applied Sciences Rodney Fink; Param Singh, Macomb Red Cross staffer; and Abha Singh, College of Education faculty member. Student Jillian Ross led the final session with guests Naval Chaplain and WIU Academic Advisor Ron Pettigrew and JoAnn Hairston-Jones, WIU Health Education Coordinator.
All guests answered questions about their upbringing, their faith journey through their college years and advice for a balanced Christian life. The panel members came from diverse backgrounds and had fascinating stories about how their Christian faith has evolved. Several speakers are current members of Macomb Wesley UMC.
The fellowship time following each forum provided opportunities for meaningful connection. This was a unique occasion for students to visit with WIU faculty and community members in a Christian environment. Based on attendance, participation and interaction the speaker series was a great success. We look forward to hosting this program again in the future.