By Madison Bonner, Writer
Photography by Madison Bonner and Gwendolyn Southerd
Though McKendree University’s religious affiliation is with the United Methodist Church, the student body contains a variety of religious denominations. McKendree welcomes students of all faiths and encourages them to grow and continue their spiritual journeys. On campus, Bothwell Chapel serves as an excellent resource for students to do just that.
This semester, students met in the lower level of the chapel for an event called Come to the Table. Every first and third Thursday of the month, students celebrate their faith in this student-led praise and worship session.
Reverend Beverly Wilkes-Null (Rev. Bev) oversees the event along with her chaplain interns. Rev Bev became McKendree’s chaplain in July 2021. She practices ecumenism and hospitality, ensuring that all students are welcome, no matter what their religious status is. Her goal is, “Empowering students to live their own faith.”
Worship first emerged because of the students. They were interested in practicing their faith together on campus, but there wasn’t an outlet for them to do so. Then, last school year, Come to the Table came to be. When this program began, it was held in 1828 Cafe and hosted by the chaplain interns. Though the chaplain interns still lead the sessions, they have now moved to the first floor of Bothwell Chapel.
The chaplain interns are students at McKendree who devote extra time to their faith. In addition to hosting the praise and worship sessions, they volunteer outside of McKendree weekly. In their volunteer work, the interns are mentored by pastors and laypeople at their assigned locations.
At the end of the semester, each mentor writes a paper about how their student has grown. The student also writes a paper about what they have learned through their service.
The number of chaplain interns has since increased from two students to nine. These interns serve at eight different congregations, which are located in surrounding areas such as Edwardsville, Troy, O’Fallon, and Lebanon.
The highlight of this experience is the music. When the service begins, programs are passed out containing the lyrics to the songs. Rather than traditional hymns, more contemporary Christian songs are played, such as “Perfectly Loved” by Rachel Lampa and “King of Kings” by Hillsong. Four songs in total are typically prepared by Samantha (Sammy) Elling.
Halfway through worship, one of the chaplain interns gives a message. Each intern takes turns offering a message, which could be a modern retelling of a passage in the Bible, a personal story with a touching message, or even their testimony. They are given two weeks to prepare, and the topic is completely up to them. Rev Bev’s only requirement is that their message must tie back to Scripture. Though the message may be about someone else’s faith journey, it is meant to inspire the listeners and help them find their own story.
After the message, the music picks up again.
After worship, the service is concluded with a brief prayer. On the first meeting of the month, Holy Communion is provided afterward.
The last session of this semester’s Come to the Table is scheduled to be held on Thursday, November 16th at 8:15 PM. The day and time are based on everyone’s schedules, so it may change next semester. Keep a lookout in your email for information regarding next semester’s praise and worship!
Come to the Table provides a safe place for students to practice their faith. It also serves as a wonderful opportunity to meet students of your faith and those of different faiths.
As Rev Bev says, “Give Come to the Table a try, and you’ll discover that you’re welcome.”
For more information, you may contact Rev Bev through her email or in person at Bothwell Chapel. We would love to see you there!
