Back-to-school Q&A with the Rev. Dr. Joseph Scrivner, Dean of Chapel for Stillman College

Second in a series

by Emily Enders Odom | Presbyterian News Service

The Rev. Dr. Joseph Scrivner leads students at Stillman College in prayer at the start of a new academic year. (Contributed photo)

LOUISVILLE — Because “back-to-school” is a familiar rite of passage for students, families, faculty and staff at college, university and school campuses the world over, Presbyterian News Service conducted email interviews with the chaplains at the PC(USA)’s Presbyterian-related schools and colleges equipping communities of color to ask them some key questions as the new academic year gets into full swing.

As one of these institutions, Stillman College was founded by the Presbyterian Church in 1876. In fact, it is the only historically Black college in a covenant relationship with the denomination, as it sits “across the railroad tracks” in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, within the bounds of the Presbytery of Sheppards and Lapsley and the Synod of Living Waters.

In 2013, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Scrivner joined the faculty of Stillman College in conjunction with his installation as pastor of the church next door, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church. He became the Dean of Chapel for the College in 2017. His responses to the interview are provided below.

Scrivner, who holds a B.A. in Education and Religion from Crichton College, an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in the Old Testament from Princeton Theological Seminary, serves Stillman College as a preacher, a worship leader, a counselor, a grants administrator, a professor, and a liaison with various organizations. He also enjoys sharing his hobbies with colleagues and students: Chess, movies, TV shows, music, and sports.

Some answers have been edited for length.

Q: What are the biggest issues and greatest challenges – social, academic, financial, spiritual, etc. – facing your students today?

A: Of course, there are the traditional issues for college students everywhere — self-discipline without parental oversight, some homesickness, more difficult concepts in the classroom, and conflict resolution in on-campus living spaces. In addition, our students face the unique challenges created by technology as they have been socialized with the cell phone, the pervasive presence of social media, and the lingering effects of some isolation during the pandemic. This means that the spiritual and intellectual skills needed to overcome the traditional issues are generally less developed. In the classroom, this can be seen in students’ struggles with paying attention, reading comprehension, and pushing through a tough assignment that may take more effort. Another layer for our students at Stillman in particular is a teleological challenge due to the added pressure of strained financial resources. In other words, can they stick with their college curriculum until graduation, or will they be pulled away because more immediate needs take over? Our students generally come from low-income families, so they often need to work to make ends meet. Sometimes, this is for themselves; sometimes, it’s for their family. This certainly affects their mental bandwidth for endurance through short-term sacrifice for the greater goal down the line.

Q: How does your role/religious life on campus help them to maintain a healthy personal life and a commitment to self-care and care for others?

A: Religious life on campus is intended to reinforce their creation and their calling. First, we work to emphasize to our students that they are uniquely created individuals. I often mention Psalm 139:13-16 in this regard, especially that key phrase in verse 14, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”  This point helps counter messages they may receive that devalue them due to their race, gender, or economic status. We always want to say to them that they are God’s good creations. This leads to a second point — they are created for a contribution. This is their calling. God has created them and blessed them with gifts for a unique contribution to their various communities. This means their gifts are not just for themselves — they are not “for show” like a peacock’s wings — but for the good of others. So, they must develop their gifts and employ them in whatever they perceive their calling to be through their academic work, their extracurricular activities, and in their service projects.

We convey these messages through various formal events. We hold a New Student Confirmation Ceremony for entering students. We also have an Opening Convocation, where the President or a guest speaker will remind students of their special opportunities in college. In addition, we hold a Sophomore Rite of Passage Ceremony to celebrate the achievement of making it through the first year. Of course, we also hold Chapel services with an emphasis on these points. In addition, I help organize and guide the Christian Student Association (CSA) so that students can find ways to participate in Bible study together, in fun activities that reinforce positive messages, and in planning service events to remind them about focusing on others. These specifically religious activities complement similar messages given in their other student groups, such as Student Government, Greek organizations, student clubs, sports, and life together in the residence halls.

Finally, leaders on campus offer counseling. We have a director of student development who organizes formal counseling. I also offer spiritual counsel when students want to talk about their struggles one-on-one. We also work to support them during times of bereavement. Sometimes, this is the loss of an older relative, like a grandparent or a parent. Sometimes, this is the tragic loss of a classmate due to violence. In fact, one of our students who had completed his first year was murdered during the summer. This creates the need to offer support for his family and for the students who knew him as they grapple with understanding and processing such a shocking loss of someone with whom they learned and laughed.

Q: What does your school’s historical — and present — relationship with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mean to your students?

A: Every student at Stillman College is required to take four courses in religion and theology. This begins with the two introductory courses on the Bible: Old Testament and New Testament. Then students can choose any two upper-level courses offered by the Department of Religion and Theology. These courses include traditional church history, biblical interpretation, parts of the Bible, such as the wisdom literature or the letters of Paul, traditional theology, and courses on liberationist approaches to theology, including feminist, womanist, and Black Theology. As students take these courses, they are reminded that they are students at a self-identifying Christian institution founded in 1876 by the Presbyterian Church. Accordingly, they are required to learn about Christianity in particular and religion in general. In addition, the New Student Confirmation Ceremony, College Chapel, College Choir concerts, and other events are held at the church adjacent to the College, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church. This reinforces the college’s identity as a Presbyterian-related institution. In addition, all of our formal programs begin and end with prayer, which is another form of reinforcement and reminder. Further, we consistently emphasize that the college’s mission to them as students is rooted in our Presbyterian identity as we see ourselves as called by God to serve students so they can be the best God created them to be. Indeed, I often tell students that my Christian identity as a Presbyterian minister and professor is to educate them so they can flourish as God’s children. I see myself as teaching them how to love God with their heart, mind, and soul, and their neighbor as themselves. All of these aspects are rooted in the college’s founding and mission as a Presbyterian-related college.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph Scrivner (Photo by Taneisha K. Tucker)

Of course, the majority of our students are not Presbyterian. A smaller segment of our students is not Christian, as they are either adherents of another faith tradition, such as Islam, or they do not confess a religious identity. Accordingly, the point is not to proselytize them as Presbyterians in particular or as Christians in general. Rather, we exemplify the best of the Christian tradition when we value their minds, their lives, and their plans for becoming what they believe they are called to do.

Q: Because on your campuses many faith traditions are represented, why is religious pluralism an important topic for your students to understand and appreciate? What are some of the ways that you’re helping them to do so?

A: As leaders in a church-related college, we do not see our primary goal as religious conversion. We see our calling as a mission of education. Of course, as the courses mentioned above indicate, this includes teaching them about Christian tradition and faith. We are also open to the possibility that our leading by example will make our faith attractive to students. Yet, we are not focused on evangelism in our educational efforts. Accordingly, we model respect for religious pluralism in the classroom and in college events. This includes an emphasis on how one can be a part of one religious tradition without condemning or castigating those who adhere to another tradition. In addition, as the Dean of Chapel, I help students find resources for their religious tradition, including connecting students with fellow believers in their tradition, on and off campus, who may invite, host, organize, and generally support students through opportunities for worship and encouragement.

Q: What excites you most (programmatic initiatives, service projects, innovative worship, etc.) as the new academic year gets underway?

A: I am excited to help students grow, in the classroom and in their lives generally. It is a privilege to play a role in their spiritual and intellectual development. I do this through organizing and planning Chapel, including my messages to them, as well as finding speakers who will be encouraging and challenging. I also do this through assisting students in the Christian Student Association. It is a delight to see them plan Bible study, religious games, movies with religious themes, service projects, etc. In addition, I have a new grant focused on fostering leadership that will provide for student interns to work with me under the theme of “Witnessing through Worship and Work.” This will include the students helping me organize chapel services so that the services are engaging and relevant. It will also include instruction and mentoring about social justice, beginning with information and analysis, then moving to how one can become part of important advocacy efforts. Students will learn from local activists working on issues related to poverty, racial and gender justice, and criminal justice reform. It is exciting to see students expand their understanding of faith as a “witness” to what they believe God is doing. This includes witness in worship and in working for the good of others.

Q: What feeds and sustains you in your call to care for your respective communities?

A: I am fed and sustained by doing things that remind me that I have the privilege and calling of being a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:1-21), while always also remembering that I have this treasure in clay jars (2 Corinthians 4:7). Educating students is a very important aspect of reconciliation, especially considering the students we serve at Stillman College. I have the blessed opportunity to help them overcome societal and personal challenges so they can see God’s presence in their lives and pursue ways to honor God’s gifts in their learning, growing, and serving. Of course, there are moments of discouragement and disappointment, with others and even with myself. But when I recall the big picture, I am grateful to be of service in a place like Stillman College. It is a high and holy calling. God be praised.

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