New Assistant Chaplain Kathryn Schnurr joined the staff of the Bunting-Meyerhoff Interfaith Center (IFC) on March 1. In this capacity, she will aid Chaplain Sharon Kugler as a right-hand to IFC programming and reach out to students, staff and faculty.
The growth in the number of religious groups on campus created the need for an expanded IFC both in physical space and staff. Since Kugler's first year at Hopkins in 1994, the number of registered religious groups on campus grew from roughly eight to 23. After the IFC's move from a suite in Wood House across N. Charles St. to the Bunting-Meyerhoff building, Kugler submitted a request for the University to budget money for the hiring of a new assistant chaplain.
"I can't possibly do all the outreach that is needed for all those religious groups," Kugler said. "The University certainly understood. There was no question in the University's mind that it was an important addition."
There were approximately 17 applicants for the position. Kugler, the campus ministers and the staff of the Office of Human Resources reviewed the applications and selected the top three applicants for interviews.
"In consultation with other people who had met [Schnurr], she seemed to emerge as the natural choice," Kugler said.
"My gut feeling was that she was a good match. I had a sense that she was comfortable in a university environment and this was a good match for her personally. The students that have met her feel very positive."
Schnurr returned for three follow-up interviews to meet students, the campus ministers and members of the IFC staff following the initial interview with Kugler.
"I thought it was an interesting process. I got to meet a lot of the constituents and stakeholders of the Center and Campus Ministries program," Schnurr said.
"I came here four times, but I did not feel like the process was cumbersome. It was a good opportunity for me to get to know Sharon and the campus ministers."
Schnurr attended the University of Iowa where she received her Bachelor's degree in Social Work and worked at a campus ministry center her senior year.
For two years after graduation, she worked at a campus ministry center at the University of Northern Iowa in a position similar to an assistant chaplain.
She came to Baltimore in the summer of 1990 with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVS), a one-year urban ministry program.
After her year with LVS, she decided to stay longer in Baltimore and take a job with an agency that provided supportive housing, called AIDS Interfaith Residential Services (AIRS).
According to Kugler, Schnurr's involvement with community service agencies was a primary reason why she was so enthusiastic about hiring her.
One of Kugler's objectives is to build relationships between local community service agencies and religious groups.
"She had campus ministry experience and experience in the nonprofit world of community service," Kugler said.
"There are a lot of students involved in community service on this campus, but the conversations about how these opportunities are affecting our faith journeys are not happening. This is what I want Kathy to do. She's going to be nurturing these conversations."
Schnurr will work to bring the factions of religion and community service together.
"I'll be helping to provide services for students to extend their community service experiences through the lenses of their faith," Schnurr said.
In addition, Schnurr's responsibilities will encompass helping to maintain the IFC Web site and creating an IFC newsletter that summarizes the events of the IFC-sponsored Open Hands Open Hearts program.
Religious Awareness Days, which is part of this program, began on Monday and will run until March 13.
Schnurr hopes to have the newsletter ready for distribution by the IFC's anniversary celebration at the end of April.
"Her charge is to profile Open Hands Open Hearts. She is going to create a newsletter that catalogs the religious awareness events," Kugler said.
"That is the best way for her to get a feel for the different religious groups here."
Schnurr, however, already holds an appreciation for the uniquely broad religious atmosphere of the Hopkins campus.
"I think the IFC is a model for the future for people of different backgrounds and beliefs to come together. I think that the energy that students bring to conversations about deeply important matters provides a foundation for community building that is healthy and necessary to have a better world," Schnurr said.
"The coming together of the diverse communities is what is essential and [Hopkins] is a good model for that. It is not a coming together to blend, but to learn and to respect and to have an appreciation.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.