New chaplains representing Judaism, Islam, Baha’i and the Buddhist faith join the new multi faith chaplaincy.
University multi faith chaplaincy
It’s all change at the University of Exeter, as the solely Christian chaplaincy now welcomes six new part time chaplains from different religious faiths in Exeter to form a multi faith chaplaincy.
The new Chaplains are drawn from the Jewish, Buddhist, Baha’i and Muslim faith communities in Exeter who agreed to sponsor a religious representative and sign up to the University ethos.
The University's Lazenby Chaplain (Anglican) Reverend Charles Hadley said ‘Although the Chaplaincy has always provided support for other world faiths this is now an opportunity to fully support staff and students if they have particular questions about their faith. We can now put them quickly into contact with a person from their religion.’
He added, ‘This is a great opportunity to share in a dialogue with other faiths who are equally as passionate about their faith and beliefs. We can respect each other and still hold onto our own philosophy and practice.’
The development of the role into a multifaith service demonstrates how the Chaplaincy is adapting to working in an increasingly multicultural University. Exeter’s students come from 120 countries and its staff from 68, in fact one in five staff comes from outside the UK. As the University develops, the ‘internationalisation’ of the campuses is set to continue. The University is focused on attracting students from countries like India and China. It is how exploring new appointments in Russia and Kazakhstan. The University also has a partnership with the new markets of Russia and Kazakhstan. There is also a partnership with the international student recruitment company INTO, who are investing £47 million in new teaching and accommodation facilities on the Streatham Campus.
The Multi Faith Chaplaincy Team serves all members of the University, staff and students, regardless of their faith background. They aim to provide opportunities for worship and for faith to be nurtured and deepened and to engage with those who have questions about the meaning of life. Chaplains also devote a considerable amount of their time to non religious queries in confidence which can involve supporting people and guiding them to services such as councillors, careers and the family advice centre.
The University team now covers: Anglican, Baha’I, Baptist, Buddhist (both Zen and Diamond Way), Catholic, Independent Churches, Jewish, Methodist, Muslim, Quaker and United Reformed Church.
Date: 25 November 2008
