Chapel debate continues

Kaley Partington, assistant editor

A packed house filled Needham Chapel on Wednesday, March 3 to discuss the ongoing debate about the changes that have been made to the chapel policy on campus. The meeting lasted almost three hours as a question and answer format kept students and faculty raising concerns to the panel, comprised of Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Ann Hamilton, Director of Community Integration Megan McDanel, and Campus Pastor Vince Beresford.

The Spiritual Formation Department and its interns put on the forum to continue the ongoing conversation about the new policies. Chelsea Richardson, a senior and intern for the department asked that the attendees would try to hear one another before making themselves heard.

“[We] want to create a place for students to understand staff and for staff to understand students,” Richardson said, referring to the goal for the evening.

After Beresford briefly spoke about the reorganization of the department as a whole and the additional chapel opportunities that have been added this year, three representatives addressed issues that they had brought up in the previous forum.

Students were then asked to form lines by microphones to ask questions and wait for responses from both the panel and other audience members. Immediately, concerns over the elimination of the chapel requirement for seniors and the recent lack of depth were popular topics voiced by students.

“[Chapel is] a place where I’m not feeling any depth, not feeling any spiritual growth whatsoever…I’ve felt farther away from the community this year than any other year,” senior Kevin Bazan said.

Bazan views chapel as his church and was saddened by the recent rule that eliminated a chapel requirement for seniors.

Although seniors are not currently required to attend chapel, questions shifted to the implementation of a possible chapel policy for seniors, including consequences if it was not met. Hamilton stated that the withholding of diplomas is not an option, since the only permissible reason is for lack of financial payment. Junior Brianna Nishie suggested that if seniors did not make a chapel requirement, they should not be granted the privilege of walking at graduation.

Students expressed concerns over the current consequence policy for all other students, which requires a two-page paper and $20 fine per chapel missed.

“If there’s no consequence, there’s no accountability,” Beresford said in response to these concerns. He also stated that the department is currently looking into possibly altering the fee to include community service as well.

Juniors Jade Fernandez and Matt Edmondson approached the microphone with a signed petition with 10 reasons why the fine should be reversed. As a way to visually represent their support, Fernandez and Edmondson approached the stage with a shopping bag filled with almost 500 index cards with ID numbers on each one, that were dumped onto the stairs in front of the panel to illustrate all the supporters of their petition.

Other students presented opposing opinions about the $20 fee.

“Maybe we shouldn’t complain so much about the $20 fine because people would kill to pay $20 to worship God around the world,” sophomore David Vasquez said, reading a text message he had received from a peer.

By the beginning of the third hour, the audience had dwindled down to only a handful as there were still students waiting to ask questions.

Senior Ben Cross and junior Anika Wiebe both spoke regarding the financial effects on chapel. Cross compared this year’s chapels to past year’s in which more prominent speakers were brought in. He also questioned how money plays a role in the overall production of chapel.

Wiebe believes that the distribution of the school’s budget should make spirituality on campus a priority because it is the most important aspect of her schooling.

“I believe we don’t need to pay the Holy Spirit to do work on this campus,” McDanel said, countering the idea that only money will allow God to work.
The forum ended with a closing prayer with everyone holding hands. The audience and panel were thanked for their attendance and the panel expressed that the topics and comments brought up will be taken into consideration.

“I think anytime we have people listening to each other is a very positive thing because you can make changes based on listening and hearing. So I think this is a great opportunity for everyone to listen and hear,” Hamilton said at the conclusion of the forum.

According to Beresford, new decisions concerning the chapel policy will be made and communicated to students by the end of the semester.

Changes in Spiritual Formation May Result in Layoff

Nicole White

As a new Campus Pastor prepares to take the helm, worry has surfaced over the possible elimination and consolidation of positions in the Spiritual Formation Dept.
Those close to the situation, including numerous student leaders, have raised concerns, saying that removal of a key figure who would provide support for the new Campus Pastor will harm the health and direction of spiritual formation on the campus.
At the end of this semester it is understood that Carlos Fernandez, Pastor of Worship Ministries, could be let go.
“I was told in Feb. that my job would most likely be eliminated at the end of this year,” Fernandez said.
Administration could neither deny nor confirm due to legality issues, but did say no final decisions have been made.
“Those who are working on how to move Vanguard to a place of financial sustainability are taking this work very seriously and are agonizing over the consideration of every position and option,” President Dr. Carol Taylor said.

This move would mark one more change as the University works to expand the role of pastoral leadership while cutting back for budget reasons, according to Fernandez. For those close to Fernandez who were aware of the situation, the potential removal of this beloved and trusted face comes as a shock.
“I know that those in charge would like to take Spiritual Formation in a ‘new direction’,” junior and current worship leader Jamie Bransom said. “I just hope that Vanguard’s new Spiritual Formation Dept. does not forget or diminish the work, heart, time, and dedication that Carlos has put into his position.”
Fernandez is known as an important element in the spiritual health of the campus, and for going above and beyond to form relationships with students and demonstrate his passion for Christ.
“Carlos has brought an invaluable dynamic to the Spiritual Formation Dept. and Vanguard as a whole,” senior Amanda Ahrenberg and previous worship team leader said.
As Pastor of Worship Ministries, Fernandez knows changes are needed, but disagrees with the severity of how that is being accomplished.
“They [administration] are trying to rescue us from dying, but we are in a place of maybe throwing out our identity,” Fernandez said, whose possible removal would not affect the job of his wife and Laguna Hall RD, Andi Fernandez.
Looking back on his days as a student and the subsequent years working at Vanguard, Fernandez reminisced. “It was a place that still felt like a tight knit community—it valued you as an individual in that community.”
That is a feeling some say is not felt as strongly now.
“I’m not convinced that the appropriate response to rectify these issues is being taken,” Ahrenberg said. “As a student highly invested in this institution, I believe that the reason why Vanguard is so successful is largely because of people such as Carlos who have greatly contributed to the atmosphere of community.”
As chapel accountability continues to be an issue, some fear that spiritual formation is being viewed as just another program on campus.
“My concern is the direction of the spiritual life on campus and what they [administration] feel is important,” senior Johnny Giovati a spiritual formation intern and member of ASB said. “There is a sense of hard rejection of current programs in spiritual formation by the administration involved in overseeing this.”
Everything will now fall to this one person, shared Fernandez, whose disappointment on how things have been handled was stark.
“I have been completely disregarded,” he said. “I am not trying to save my job, but I am trying to preserve the heritage of the Vanguard I know.”
Giovati feels what should be a perfecting of roles and leader already in place, is instead, seeming to be a simple wiping of the slate.
“If we are eliminating positions that’s one thing, but we are eliminating people,” senior Kyle Harmon and a worship leader for Shine said. “The people I’ve encountered from Bill [Dogterom] and Carlos [Fernandez] in chapel to Shelley [Youd] on VESPA or going into the student life office with Dan [Brown] and Linda [Hartzell] brought a peace. These people really helped form who I am spiritually. Spiritual formation is not the structure, it’s the people.”
Giovati and other student leaders have expressed apprehension that the multi-page list of new responsibilities required of the new Campus Pastor is going to be too administrative and overwhelming.
“It is short-handing the Campus Pastor to eliminate someone who has had so much experience here in the trenches,” Giovati said of Fernandez’ removal.
Students invited to be involved in the Pastoral Search Committee process are now coming forward with questions of why their apprehensions about the new direction were not met forthrightly or given much weight.
“There are many three and four year members of student leadership dynamically concerned with the direction of student life and spiritual formation on campus,” Giovati said candidly.“The students are the ones living this and we care deeply. When we have concerns or are uncomfortable, listen to us. Understand the gravity of those concerns. I think I’ve earned my voice. If I only have 30 to 35 days left, I’m not just going to stand by.”
A definitive answer as to what will happen in the Spiritual Formation Dept. has not been released by administration.