Dean of the Chapel

BEREA COLLEGE

Seeks an ecumenical, compassionate and visionary spiritual leader for its DEAN OF THE CHAPEL position.

Berea College: Like No Other

Berea College achieved national distinction as the first coeducational and interracial college in the South. With an emphasis on service to the people of Appalachia and beyond, Berea enrolls 1,600-plus students from more than 40 states and 70 countries. The College has a longstanding commitment to interracial education; here, people of different races seek to learn from and about each other, while also living together. Berea is among the most racially diverse private liberal arts colleges in the United States. It admits only students whose families are unable to afford the high cost of tuition and awards each of them a four-year tuition scholarship valued at $200,000, meaning no student ever pays tuition. Ninety-eight percent of Berea’s domestic students are Pell-eligible, probably the highest percentage in the country.  They excel in the College’s supportive but demanding academic environment, and many are the first in their families to graduate from college. In addition to an excellent liberal arts education, Berea is one of eight federally-recognized Work Colleges, requiring all students to participate in a work program 10-15 hours per week in a variety of positions across campus.

To Understand the College’s mission, visit Great Commitments.

Berea College has always nurtured the spiritual life of its community in a variety of ways. While categorized as non-denominational, the school creates an inclusive Christian spirituality that has always promoted social justice in its many forms. During its earliest history, the College provided many opportunities for Christian education and spiritual development, requiring the participation of all students and faculty. Beginning with the founders of the College, several members of the faculty and administration, including five of the school’s nine presidents to date, also have been ordained ministers from several different Christian traditions and denominations. Through much of the College’s history, many of the ministerial members of the College’s faculty and administration led the community in worship and study of scriptures. For many decades, the president of the College even appointed a “College Preacher.” This person helped the school to fulfill its Christian commitment. Despite the important role of the Christian faith in the founding, history and present mission of the College, the College does not regard itself as a church. It considers participation in any religious community or tradition completely voluntary for its students, staff and faculty.

To learn more about Berea’s Campus Christian Center (CCC), visit the https://www.berea.edu/ccc/.

To explore more information about the CCC’s mission, visit the https://www.berea.edu/ccc/mission/.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

Reporting to the President, The Dean of the Chapel provides leadership in interpreting and applying the college’s 3rd Great Commitment through participation in formal occasions of the College, speaking to various groups on and off-campus, supervision of the Campus Christian Center, and involvement in the governance of the College.  The Dean of the Chapel reports directly to and serves as an advisor to the President and the senior leadership of the College.

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PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Regular and predictable attendance is essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

   CAMPUS LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership emphasizing ethical values and religious faith to create and sustain community;

Provides leadership in the implementation of the third Great Commitment within and beyond the CCC;

Provides spiritual campus life leadership, creating space for campus community members to explore religious, spiritual, and ethical dimensions of life through connections to the College’s curriculum, programs, and activities;

Collaborative connections with other, administrative offices, programs, and Centers of the College;

Ministry to students, staff, and faculty through programs, worship experiences, personal interaction, crisis-intervention, and individual and/or group counseling;

Planning for ecumenical worship, convocations, and other special services and leadership in ritual events in the life of the College;

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

With assistance from the CCC staff, the Dean of the Chapel fulfills the following specific duties:

Provides visionary leadership in conjunction with colleagues, the President, and advisory groups for the future direction of the CCC;

Oversees the daily administration of the Center and its programs, and provides supervision, support and guidance to CCC staff members in their specific roles and areas of focus;

Organizes the two convocations which the CCC sponsors each year;

Provides leadership in the planning of ecumenical worship, convocations, and other special services;

Prepares the annual budget for the CCC in close consultation with the CCC Office Manager, providing responsible stewardship of the funds and resources of the CCC;

Builds relationships with religious professionals assigned to the campus (Intervarsity, FCA, Newman Club, etc.), and together with the President, serves as liaison with local pastors and churches;

Regularly offers sermons/homilies/messages during weekly noon worship services and other events on and off-campus;

Teaches 1-2 courses a year in the area of academic expertise and/or General Studies;

All other duties as assigned by the President.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education required to ensure success in this position:

Traditional ministerial/chaplaincy credentials (ordination, etc.)

Master of Divinity Degree (required)

Ph.D., D. Theol., D. Min., or equivalent is required for teaching 

Experience required to ensure success in this position:

10 years of Chaplaincy in Higher Education and

5 years of Supervisory/Administrative experience in Higher Education

Special skills, knowledge and abilities:

A strong spiritual grounding and a commitment to ecumenism and interfaith cooperation;

Excellent communication skills;

Strong supervision skills;

Experience working with, and the ability to relate to, students, faculty and staff from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds;

Significant training and experience in preaching and pastoral counseling with sensitive pastoral support skills and crisis intervention expertise;

Working knowledge of various Christian traditions as well as significant major world religions and spiritual disciplines including an objective understanding of specific rituals, rites, customs and communal demographic trends;

Expertise in mediation, large and small group engagement, community building, and experiential learning.

Berea College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.

To apply for this position, please visit our webpage.

Screening of applications will begin February 15, 2022 and continue until the position is filled.