HUNTINGDON COLLEGE
News Release
November 25, 2024
For more information, contact:
Brian Miller | brian.miller@hawks.huntingdon.edu | 334-833-4530
Worship Connects Huntingdon Students from Different Faith Traditions
Montgomery, AL – On Tuesday nights, Ligon Chapel in historic Flowers Hall on the campus of Huntingdon College erupts with worship. The setting and the congregation may appear to be a strange fit. College students sing modern worship songs with the backdrop of century-old stained glass.
According to Rev. Rhett Butler (’13), Dean of the Chapel, the contrast is instructive. Students at Huntingdon come from a variety of faith backgrounds. The overwhelming majority of Huntingdon students identify as Christian, and their faith backgrounds are spread among many denominations. “When we gather for worship,” says Butler, “we bring those differences together like the different flecks of color in the stained glass.”
This approach resonates with students. Hundreds of students gather for Tuesday Night Worship (TNW). The high watermark for attendance was set this semester when over 300 students attended TNW. “I went home and cried tears of excitement and gratitude,” said Rev. Butler. “I was so happy.” Under the leadership of Butler, students lead worship through music and prayer and Scripture reading. The students grow in their own faith and spiritual leadership as they lead.
Tuesday Night Worship also nurtures the spiritual health of students. Emma Thomas, a sophomore from Enterprise, Alabama, says, “It is a great place to relax after tough classes and feel Jesus’s presence.” Worship even contributes to academic success, “It helps my brain calm down so I can focus better.”
Olivia Bailey is a senior Cell Biology, Pre-Med major from Florence, Alabama. Bailey grew up Catholic and values the diversity of the student body at worship. “Huntingdon has provided a warm, welcoming environment that is overflowing with the love of God and continues to remind me every single day why I love God and Huntingdon College,” says Bailey.
Along with Tuesday Night Worship, the office of campus ministries offers a weekly opportunity for communion on Thursdays in the more intimate Rogers Chapel. This service features United Methodist communion liturgy as well as preaching from students and faculty. Because of the open table of United Methodist communion, students from all denominational backgrounds participate.
It’s the stained-glass theology that Rev. Butler finds so encouraging. “Through worship,” says Butler, “our students are connecting and building relationships with students they may not otherwise know. It helps our campus be better.”
Huntingdon College, grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition of the United Methodist Church, is committed to nurturing growth in faith, wisdom, and service and to graduating individuals prepared to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Founded in 1854, Huntingdon is a coeducational liberal arts college.
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Huntingdon College is committed to a policy against legally impermissible, arbitrary, or unreasonable discriminatory practices. Therefore, the College, in accordance with applicable federal and state law and stated College policy, prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age and/or national origin. Inquiries and/or complaints may be addressed to: Huntingdon College Title IX Coordinator, 1500 East Fairview Ave., Montgomery, AL 36106; TitleIXCoordinator@hawks.huntingdon.edu; or 334-833-4420.
