Bridging Faith & Learning DUKE CHAPEL 2019–2020 ANNUAL REPORT
“During uncertain times, our faith in God is a rock on which we can rely for strength, assurance, and hope. Duke Chapel continues to be both a symbol of God’s presence in our lives and a community that can come together, in many different ways, to receive and celebrate God’s love for us all.” —Charles Berardesco, T ’80
NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR
LETTER FROM THE DEAN Jesus said to his disciples, “I will not leave you comfortless.” It was a word offered to a small gathering of friends as they approached the events of Holy Week. This promise, made to a few, is also made to us who are living through this unprecedented time. Throughout the last academic year, I have seen with my own eyes the ways that the Spirit of God has offered comfort at Duke and beyond. Today, I am called by this ever-present Spirit of God to continue to be faithful and to offer comfort and hope to every member of this wide and diverse community. I will raise my voice to praise God and to imagine a bright future even in a time of loss and sorrow. I will move forward in hope even in times of extraordinary suffering. I will work for peace and justice because God invites us to reimagine the ways in which we live, work, and relate to one another. Whether together or socially distant, I invite you to be in solidarity with one another, caring for the needs of the least of these, raising your voices in joy and in sorrow, responding to the all-inclusive love of God no matter where you are or what your circumstance. These are acts of hope. These are acts of faith. This year, I am particularly grateful for the means to adapt and rise to the times at Duke Chapel. It is your support that makes it possible for us to serve students and the whole campus community even when our doors are closed. It is your generosity that allows us to record and livestream worship services to comfort and inspire thousands of viewers even when the pews are empty. It is your faithfulness that keeps the carillon ringing every day at 5:00 p.m. I hope that through the following pages, you will glimpse the comfort Jesus spoke of in our work with students, with the community, in sacred music, and in the worship of God. I also hope that as you read about our year, you will reflect upon your own life and see more clearly that God has been with you, in every moment of every day. Thank you for believing in us, joining us, and praying with us as we offer hope and comfort across Duke, Durham, the nation, and world. Together, through every season, and with God’s enduring help, we will find the comfort promised to us. With gratitude and hope,
Dean Luke A. Powery
COVER PHOTO: The Chapel in Fall 2020. LEFT PAGE: Dean Powery at the altar shortly after the conclusion of an online Sunday morning worship service.
Christian Worship Even as we continue our traditions of worship, this year falls into two distinct categories—before and after COVID-19. Like faith communities all over the country, we celebrated Christmas with all the exceptional brilliance of our longstanding traditions. On Christmas Eve, the Chapel was full for all four services while CBS Television debuted The Marvel of This Night: Christmas at Duke University Chapel on more than 200 stations around the country. But by the time we entered Holy Week, the Chapel was closed to the public due to COVID-19. Easter Services were held with no one seated in the pews, but more than 10,000 people joined us online and on the radio. As different as our Christmas and Easter services were, they both showed that “the great towering church” envisioned by university benefactor James B. Duke is also embodied today as “a great loving church” bringing hope to the campus and the community, near and far.
Sunday at 11:00 a.m. In person and online, the Chapel has continued the long—and living— traditions of faithful preaching and inspiring sacred music in our Sunday morning worship services, enriched by participation of members of the Congregation at Duke Chapel and a vast network of friends and alumni. A notable Sunday morning service in the fall featured a partnership with the Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts (DITA), which included guest musicians and a sermon by the Anglican theologian N. T. Wright. Students also played a significant role in these services with eighty students serving in worship leadership roles. Other Services Sunday morning services were complemented by the weekly Choral Evensong and Choral Vespers services during the academic year, as well as special services for Ash Wednesday, Blessing of the Animals, Jazz Vespers, and All Hallows’ Eve.
LEFT: Chapel Music Director Dr. Zebulon Highben and the Duke Chapel Choir lead the congregation in singing during The Marvel of This Night.
Students serve communion during a Sunday morning worship service.
The Duke Chapel Recordings Archive Originally funded by the Lilly Endowment, the Duke Chapel Recordings digital archive continues to collect sermons preached in the Chapel as a resource for scholars and preachers worldwide. This online archive of more than 3,000 videos, audio recordings, and manuscripts from Chapel services and sermons can be found via chapel. duke.edu/archives. This year, a group of students, led by Duke Divinity School Professor Dr. Jerusha Neal and graduate student Peace Lee, completed a research project investigating the Chapel’s preaching tradition in times of social upheaval. “Preaching and Protest” included presentations on their research into how sermons did, or did not, intersect with social justice movements over time. This project was funded by a
Bass Connections grant designed to link research opportunities with the lived experiences of our community members. Opportunities for Prayer, Meditation, and Reflection Worship at the Chapel also encompasses opportunities for silent rituals. Again in 2020, in partnership with the Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South, the Chapel installed the cloth Labyrinth on March 2, 2020. More than 400 people came to the Chapel’s crossing to meditatively walk the labyrinth over two days. Midday Prayers on Tuesday continued to bring staff and community together for a time of prayer focused on requests submitted online or in the Prayer Request Box located outside the Memorial Chapel. During every open day, the Chapel welcomes individuals who come to sit, read, meditate, and
Worship leaders sit in the chancel for an online Sunday morning service.
pray. The Chapel is a true sanctuary for the campus and the community.
“There are insufficient words to express our gratitude for the Chapel services during COVID-19 social distancing. Perhaps surprisingly and perhaps then again, not so surprisingly, these months continue to be a time of reflection and spiritual growth. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” —Barbara and A. J. McClure
Worship in the Time of COVID-19 In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, we made a dramatic shift in our worship life in mid-March. All services were moved online-only with Sunday morning services streaming live and Vespers and Evensong services being rebroadcast at their usual weekly times. Since then we have continued to adapt to the online format with hymns present on-screen, a rotating online minister, and virtual ways of “passing the peace.” While the Chapel pews may be empty, technology allows us to reach the community wherever they may be and bring a message of God’s hope in these difficult times. Prayer continues to offer us a way to express our abiding hope in God’s unfailing love.
Sacred Music and the Arts Under the leadership of the new director of Chapel Music, Dr. Zebulon Highben, the Chapel’s music program continued beloved traditions while also introducing new music and launching initiatives that draw on the Chapel’s strengths in sacred music performance and education.
recitals, four Bach cantata programs, and performances by the three choirs. Unfortunately, the season was cut short by COVID-19, canceling the final organ recital, the last two Bach cantatas, and the spring oratorio, which was to present Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, and other musical settings of the mass.
Sacred Music in Worship
The music program also broke new ground in a number of areas. All three choirs and the entire Chapel Music staff contributed to the Marvel of This Night Christmas broadcast, performing traditional carols as well as seasonal anthems and spirituals from seven countries, including Sweden, Cameroon, and China. Although it is almost impossible to know how many viewers watched the broadcast, estimates place the number near one million viewers nationwide.
In the fall and winter, the Chapel Choir continued to provide musical leadership in Sunday morning worship services. The Vespers Ensemble and Evensong Singers continued to lead Choral Vespers and Choral Evensong services, respectively, with loyal participants engaging the services in person as well as online. Sacred Music in Concert The Chapel Choir presented its eighty-seventh performance of G. F. Handel’s Messiah to packed audiences on December 6-8, 2019. Chapel Music’s concert season was popular once again this year with hundreds of people attending each of the five organ
New Opportunities
As a way to contribute to and expand the canon of sacred choral music, the Chapel launched the Music from Duke Chapel Series with ECS Publishing Group/MorningStar Music. This series
LEFT: Chapel Organist Christopher Jacobson leads the Evensong Singers in their concert on February 23, 2020. Photo by Jessica Marlow, T ʼ20.
Students view the Saint John’s Bible exhibition.
is publishing new choral anthems and other compositions commissioned by the Chapel or performed in its worship services and concerts. The first three pieces in the series include two spirituals and an arrangement of “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” that was commissioned for and premiered in The Marvel of This Night. On October 20, 2019, Psalms in Dialogue gathered dancers, singers, musicians, theologians, and artists using their respective disciplines to reflect upon, and express themes from, the Book of Psalms. The public performance before a full house in Goodson Chapel featured nationally recognized artists—including visual artist Makoto Fujimura, Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet, and tap dancer
Andrew Nemr—in a collaboration with the Chapel’s Zebulon Highben, Organist Christopher Jacobson, and Evensong Singers. Dr. Ellen Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School, prepared an original translation of Psalm 65 for the program and offered theological reflections. Jacobson and the Evensong Singers presented several pieces based on Psalms 42, 51, 63, and 84. On the day following the performance, the participants conducted a morning
“Being part of the Chapel Choir has been essential in facilitating my development both from a faith and academic perspective.” —Grace Jeffrey, T ʼ21, Duke Chapel Choir President
Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet performs at the Psalms in Dialogue event. Photo by Brian Mullins Photography.
seminar with invited guests and students discussing the process of engaging the Psalms in communities of faith to console and to bless in times of sorrow and of joy. In the area of visual arts, the Chapel collaborated with the Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts (DITA) to present an exhibition of artwork from the Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible with its full-size replicas of this Bible’s large-scale, handwritten, and handilluminated pages from January 17 to March 8, 2020. Sacred Music and Arts During COVID-19 In responding creatively to the coronavirus pandemic, Chapel Music created the Sounds of Faith video series, which provided commentary about the composition, history, and meaning
of pieces of sacred music performed at the Chapel. The online series offered our broader community access to the scholarship and experience of our music staff. The longstanding tradition of daily carillon recitals played from Duke Chapel are a hallmark of life on West Campus. In an effort to connect the campus with the many students, staff, and faculty teaching, learning, and working remotely, the Chapel began livestreaming these recitals, so that people off campus and around the country could continue to enjoy what some have called the “soundtrack of life at Duke.” What began as an answer to a time of crisis will continue into the future as a way to “gather” the larger Duke Community.
Student Engagement At the Chapel, our building, our ministries, and our core mission align to inspire care for the undergraduate and graduate students on campus and beyond. We live into this care by being with students in a multitude of ways. Through both one-on-one mentorship and programs that connect faith and learning in small and large group gatherings, the Chapel engages the critical questions faced by students. With the advent of COVID-19, the necessity of innovation created new ways to connect. With the offices closed, ministers and staff opened Zoom Meetings and FaceTime calls to keep their connections strong. Whether in person or virtually, Chapel ministers and staff helped students bridge their faith and learning through small groups, tower climbs, celebrations on the first and last day of classes, and many prayerful conversations. Students in Worship Throughout the year, students enlivened our worship services with their talent and
grace. Jordyn Blake, T ’21, a neuroscience major and member of the United in Praise student gospel group, sang a solo as part of The Marvel of This Night Christmas special that was broadcast nationally on CBS Television. This spring, our annual student preacher was Liddy Grantland, T ’20, a Chapel Scholar and double-major in English and African American studies. She delivered a sermon, God of the Valley, based on the Transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17. Small Group Ministries Students also grew in their faiths in small groups. The Chapel Scholars students met one-on-one with Chapel ministers and in small “Framing Your Faith” groups as they navigated Christian faith at college. A group of seniors went deeper into study and discussion of faith, meaning, and purpose as Dean’s Scholars. C. Eric Lincoln Ministries The C. Eric Lincoln Minister for Student Engagement, the Rev. Joshua Lazard, led a spring break retreat at the remote
LEFT: Liddy Grantland, T ʼ20, preaching on Student Preacher Sunday. Photo by Karissa Tu, T ʼ20.
The 2019-2020 Chapel Scholars class. Photo by Jessica Marlow, T ʼ20.
Christ in the Desert monastery in New Mexico. Six students spent a week in silence, prayer, and reflection. During their retreat, the university announced the end of in-person classes due to the outbreak of COVID-19. With faith and kindness, Rev. Lazard shepherded students to the airport, saying goodbye as they headed back to their homes for the remainder of the semester. Chapel Ambassadors A new Chapel program engaged students this year. The Chapel’s Caroline Horton conducted a competitive search for seven undergraduate students to be the first cohort of Duke Chapel Student Ambassadors. These students learned the history of the Chapel, its architecture, and its ministries and were trained to greet visitors and give tours. Each student also chose an area of
particular interest and created their own custom tour. The Chapel Ambassadors expand the extraordinary efforts of Dr. Lois Oliver and her cadre of volunteer docents. Together, the docents bring their passion for the Chapel to thousands of visitors each year. Religious Life at Duke The Rev. Kathryn Lester-Bacon was hired last summer as the Chapel’s new director of Religious Life. Under her leadership, eight students were accepted into the Eruditio et Religio Living Learning Community, a joint initiative among the Chapel, the Department of Religious Studies, and the Office of Housing and Residential Life. This program expands interreligious engagement on campus by bringing students together to live and learn about each other’s faith commitments and
Jonathan Avendano, T ʼ21, a Chapel Scholar, rehearses reading scripture for an online worship service.
spiritual practices. A group of Religious Life leaders continued the Interfaith Roundtable, supported by the Faith Council Fund, in order to study sacred texts, reflect together, and become more adeptly equipped to educate students about other religious traditions. The Chapel continues to convene and support more than thirty leaders of twenty-three Religious Life groups, as these leaders guide and care for students across the Duke community. COVID-19 Response When the COVID-19 pandemic escalated in mid-March, Chapel ministers pivoted to online communication with students, convening study groups on Zoom and reaching out to students who found themselves newly isolated, as well as launching a video series of Two Minutes Together pastoral reflections and offering
prayers in weekly emails as a starting point for personal devotions. As Religious Life groups moved online, more than 500 students continued to show up for virtual gatherings through the spring; some groups, including Eruditio et Religio, continued to meet virtually over the summer.
“My time at Christ in the Desert reminded me of the value of creating pockets of solitude and silence even in my everyday life, though it is certainly more challenging to do so. You don’t have to escape to the middle of a desert to encounter God. God is accessible always and everywhere.” –Grace Cai, T ʼ19, Christ in the Desert retreat participant and PathWays Fellow
Community Engagement The Chapel worked with campus units and community partners in seeking to be a living witness of both the pain and the hope present in Durham and other neighboring communities. Bridge Panels The Chapel continues to shine its light on issues of concern in America. In the fall, a Chapel Bridge Panel public conversation gathered academic, law enforcement, and community leaders to share insights, frustrations, and hopes about preventing gun violence in Durham. Moderated by Chapel Dean Luke A. Powery, the event was covered by the campus newspaper and a local TV station. Community Art In partnership with the public history group Bull City 150, the Chapel presented the exhibition Uneven Ground about the history of housing, geography, and economic justice in Durham at First Presbyterian Church in downtown
Durham. The exhibition was the source of discussions about affordable housing for about 300 visitors, including at events by the Chapel, First Presbyterian, and Duke Religious Life. PathWays House and Fellowship Through the PathWays Fellowship, a recent Duke graduate and two graduate students spent a year living in a Christian community, seeking vocational discernment, and serving the Durham community through community partners. Originally funded by the Lilly Endowment almost twenty years ago, the PathWays House and Fellowship continue to receive financial support from individual donors and partners in the community. This year, the community partners invested in our work, supporting fellows financially by contributing a quarter of the fellows’ annual stipend. The PathWays House continues to serve as a tangible witness to the Chapel’s commitment to the West End neighborhood of Durham.
—Durham Police Chief C.J. Davis on the issue of gun Panel on October 15, 2019
LEFT: The 2019–2020 PathWays Fellows: Vivienne Kim, Oon Feng, and Grace Cai. violence at a Duke Chapel Bridge Photo by Grace Cai, T ʼ19.
The Rev. Breana van Velzen leads a discussion at the Uneven Ground exhibition.
New Partnerships A new partnership with the community organization DurhamCares allowed for PathWays Fellows, Duke Religious Life groups, and others to better understand Durham through Pilgrimages of Pain and Hope that visit sites important to the history of African Americans, native Americans, and others in our local community. In collaboration with the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham and the Congregation at Duke Chapel, the Chapel also helped to start a new “faith team,” which meets regularly to support a person recently released from prison as they reintegrate into the community. Faithful Support The Chapel is able to financially support its community partners through the
Mission of the Month program. The monthly collections during Sunday morning worship services also allow these organizations to raise awareness about how they are serving the Durham community. Find a list of these organizations in the insert at the back of this report. Community Ministry in the Time of COVID-19 The coronavirus pandemic brought about new community issues and highlighted existing ones. One response by the Chapel was to work with Duke Divinity School, the City of Durham, and local churches to deliver more than 1,200 cloth face-coverings to essential workers and to people in prison. Our community minister, the Rev. Breana van Velzen, has continued her work in virtual settings, advocating for justice
Dean Powery moderates a Bridge Panel about gun violence in Durham.
and equity in Durham and beyond. Rev. van Velzen served on four local boards and advisory committees working to improve the lives of every member of the communities we serve.
“Our work in Durham is at the intersection of education, conversation, prayer, and collaborative action. We worship with our hands and feet in the community, alongside our individual neighbors and community partners, to concretely and faithfully bridge divides and stand in the breach.” –The Rev. Breana van Velzen, Community Minister
2019–2020 VISITOR BREAKDOWN General visitors 135,060 Chapel worship services 21,987 Ceremonies and talks 5,734
190K
Concerts 10,197 Weddings, memorials, and baptisms 7,311
TOTAL VISITS
Religious Life services 7,248 Tours, tower climbs, and organ demonstrations 3,455
IMPACT
In the interest of public health, the Chapel was closed to visitors beginning March 13, 2020, which reduced the overall number of visitors for 2019–2020.
80
STUDENTS SERVED in worship leadership
45
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
60
221
WORSHIP SERVICES held in the Chapel
CHAPEL SCHOLARS
76
23
PASTORAL SERVICES weddings, funerals, and baptisms
RELIGIOUS LIFE GROUPS in addition to 2 affiliate groups.
3,151,176 MINUTES
watched on the Duke Chapel YouTube channel, which equals almost 6 years of watch time
2,318 GIFTS
from donors in 48 states and 7 countries
115,500 MINUTES
watched on the Duke Chapel Facebook page, which is up 194% from the previous year
25,076 Social Media Followers
134,910 Chapel website users
We give THANKS OFFICE OF THE DEAN
ADMINISTRATION
Oscar Dantzler
Dean of Duke Chapel
Director of Development and Strategy
Beverly Jordan
Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery Ava West
Assistant to the Dean
Amanda Millay Hughes Joni Harris
Business and Facilities Manager
MINISTRY
James Todd
Assistant Dean
Kevin Goldfarb
Rev. Bruce Puckett Rev. Kathryn Lester-Bacon Director of Religious Life
Rev. Breana van Velzen
Communications Manager Communications Specialist
Lisa Moore
University Housekeeper University Housekeeper
CHAPEL ADVISORY BOARD Charles Berardesco, T ’80 Chair
C. B. Richardson III, T ’92 Vice Chair
Dr. Zoila Airall
Community Minister
Accounting Specialist and Office Coordinator
Rev. Joshua Lazard
Caroline Horton
D. Michael Bennett, T ’77
Erica Thomas
Staff Assistant for Development
Rev. Dr. Keith Daniel, T ’90, D ’05, D ’16
HOSPITALITY
Dr. Ellen Davis
Hospitality Coordinator
Rev. Dr. Cathy S. Gilliard, D ’97
C. Eric Lincoln Minister for Student Engagement
Gale Pettiford
Staff Assistant for Ministry
MUSIC
Dr. Zebulon Highben Director of Chapel Music
Dr. Philip Cave
Staff Assistant for Development
Robin Barefoot John A. Bussian III, T ’76
Mark King
Thomas Felgner, T ’94, B ’95
David-Michael Kenney
Elizabeth Grantland, T ’20
Wedding Coordinator and Visitor Relations Assistant
Zachary Heater, T ’17
Associate Conductor for Chapel Music
Blanche Williams
Sara Elizabeth Hyre, T ’89
Wedding Director
Dr. Robert Parkins
Grace Lee, T ’79 and
Ann Hall
Kenneth Lee, T ’74
University Organist
Christopher Jacobson Chapel Organist
John Santoianni
Ethel Sieck Carrabina Curator of Organs and Harpsichords
Lauren Scarborough
Program Coordinator for Chapel Music
W. Paul Bumbalough Chapel Carillonneur
Joseph Fala
Chapel Carillonneur
Tom Gurin
Chapel Carillonneur
Visitor Relations Assistant
Antoinette L. Bethea
Visitor Relations Assistant
Wanda Cobb
Jeffrey Nelson, D ’13 Dr. Thomas Walker Robinson, T ’00, G ’01, M ’09
Visitor Relations Assistant
Hananiel Setiawan, G ’24
Sr. Jacinta Coscia
Max Sirenko, T ’11
Visitor Relations Assistant
Alexandria Da Ponte
Visitor Relations Assistant
Jane Kelly
Visitor Relations Assistant
Keshia Perry
Visitor Relations Assistant
Shawn Proffitt
Valerie Sirenko, T ’11 Amanda Wright Smoot, WC ’63 Kathryn Lynn Watkins, T ’19 Dr. William E. King, T ’61, G ’63, G ’70 Emeritus Member
Visitor Relations Assistant
Chapel staff during the 2019–2020 fiscal year. All photos taken by Chapel or University Communications, unless otherwise noted.
OUR VISION
To respond to God’s all-inclusive love at Duke, in Durham, and in the world. OUR MISSION
Rooted in the love of God in Jesus Christ, Duke Chapel bridges faith and learning by nurturing and embodying the intellectual, ethical, and spiritual life.
919-681-9488
dukechapel@duke.edu
Box 90974 | 401 Chapel Dr. | Durham, NC 27708
@DukeChapel