December 30, 2024

Stained Glass Windows

An op-ed by Dr. Anthony Leigh, President of Huntingdon College

A Huntingdon friend recently gave me the book Alabama Faith, a 140-page collection of photographs of stained-glass windows in churches across Alabama from the Shoals to the shore.  I don’t think the person who gave the book to me knows of my affinity for stained glass windows.  If I’m being honest, I can easily find myself distracted in a church service by staring at the intricate details in the windows of a sanctuary. 

I have visited all 67 counties in Alabama, and I have been in many of the churches spotlighted in Alabama Faith.  I am convinced that one of the greatest assets of our state is our rich network of faith communities.  We certainly have some incredible high-steeple, stained glass churches, but you can also find across Alabama spaces of worship in former shopping strip malls, under pole barns, and even on Sundays at the Flora-Bama.  Despite the uniqueness of each church, collectively they work to advance the word of God, serve local communities, and provide a place of connection for other believers.  The faithfulness of our people is real, and it is genuine. 

The overwhelming majority of my students at Huntingdon College come from Alabama, with the bulk of the rest coming from Florida and Georgia.  Most of them are products of a church family that has helped form their faith foundation.  They come from across the denominational spectrum and from large and small churches.  Regardless of their faith background, they have chosen to attend a college of the church that honors and respects people of faith and the diversity of faith traditions. 

We have a vibrant campus ministry program at Huntingdon and our campus chaplain often compares his ministry to a stained-glass window.  Lots of beautiful individual pieces that come together to create something better than any of the individual pieces alone.  Irrespective of where each student is on their faith journey, Huntingdon provides a space for students seeking connection to others, to grow in their faith, and to serve God and others in a pre-professional education setting.

Our students also find faith communities in Montgomery that are eager to embrace them during their formative college years. Throughout any given week, you can find Huntingdon students worshiping and interning at a variety of Methodist churches including United Methodist, Global Methodist, Free Methodist, and AME Zion churches, participating in the Monday night college gathering at First Baptist Church, having Wednesday night supper at Trinity Presbyterian Church or First United Methodist Church, attending mass at one of Montgomery’s Catholic churches, or carpooling across town to the Church of the Highlands. We also share a special relationship with our neighbor, Temple Beth Or, and appreciate the hospitality they regularly show Huntingdon students.

I celebrate the faith of Alabama and Huntingdon’s connection to the church and to faith communities across Alabama and in surrounding states.  If you are a stained-glass window aficionado like me, I invite you to visit historic Flowers Hall on the Huntingdon campus to see the beauty of our chapel and our iconic stained-glass windows.  To learn more about Huntingdon College, please visit www.huntingdon.edu.

###