The Impact of College Ministry on My Life

BY BAYLEY ST. CLAIR

College ministry in the Diocese of Alabama has affected my outlook on community, church, and my own spirituality. I grew up in a neighboring diocese, and my small church never had enough resources or participants to maintain a youth department. When I came to the University of Alabama and joined the Canterbury Student Forum at Canterbury Chapel in Tuscaloosa, it was the first peer community I had ever joined. The dynamics were drastically different from the church I grew up in, from the services to the tone in a room. I was surrounded by college students who were going through similar experiences of living on their own for the first time, trying to balance loneliness and adult problems with an entirely new workload.

One of the first events I ever participated in was Stumpthe-Priest, where we could ask any question of our priest, the Rev. Marc Burnette. I asked the question ‘How can God forgive someone who committed grave atrocities if that someone asks for forgiveness?’ This was a question that had festered in me for a long time, but instead of Rev. Burnette answering, a fellow student raised her hand to respond to me. She described how the great forgiveness of God is his entire nature. God’s nature to forgive is incomprehensible, and God’s ability to forgive is much vaster than any of us could begin to understand. It was the first time I had felt the Holy Spirit through someone outside of clergy. I began to grasp at the things God’s love was capable of, and that was all because of this fellow student.

Since then, I have served as Vice President and President of the Student Forum. I moved into the church house and became highly involved in the parish. I was a part of this full and lively community of all ages, and for the first time I was able to critically engage in my religion and understand what values were the most important to me. During my tenure and leadership, I realized the most important thing was ensuring a safe community for college students to discover spirituality. Students came from all over the country with vastly different backgrounds - students who had never been to church before, students who were forced to go to a church not of their choosing, and cradle Episcopalians. It was crucial to develop a neutral space where students could experience God at their own pace, especially as they were living new lives in a new town. College ministry is the first stop for many people on their religious journey, and it has the ability to help develop a strong foundation when students experience the love of God.

I have so much gratitude for Canterbury Student Forum and the Department of College Ministry in the Diocese of Alabama. They provided a community for me when I felt alone, gave me the best memories and friends I could ask for in college, and ultimately, they solidified my faith in God and the Episcopal Church. For the rest of my life, I know I will be safe at church, God is love, and that love is at the core of all relationships.

Bayley is a 2023 graduate of the University of Alabama and recently served as the Director of Youth, Campus, and Young Adult Ministries while Kristen Blackerby was on maternity leave.