Written by Noah Bankhead
Fall semester is underway, and changes are being made across campus. Changes to chapel in particular have caused division within the student body. I am certain the new administration’s goal was not to cause division, but it has occurred. Is change, for change’s sake, worth causing division?
In the past, a lack of student engagement in chapel has been a concern. Changes made to “fix” these engagement issues include contemporary Christian music played before and after chapel, and dimming the lights to set a “mood,” emphasis on the visual appearance of the music slides (at present, the slides do not include the notes to follow if you do not know the song) and more energetic song leading, including a praise team two days a week to enhance the “worship experience.”
While I do believe engagement of the student body is important, I do not think the administration has taken the proper approach. Student engagement is not about being entertained by a song leader or a praise team. We are there to praise God; not there for our entertainment. Is dimming the lights to set a “mood” for a “worship experience” necessary for acceptable praise to God? These changes represent emphasis on creating an experience for students rather than a meeting of God’s people focusing on worshiping and honoring Him.
In the first month of the semester, the song leader stepped off stage for a song after singing the first note. It was a song with a soprano lead and instead of the song leader continuing, he left it to be led by a woman on the praise team. This song was not well known by many of the students and without sheet music, very few of the students were able to sing. Due to the changes already made, some students saw this as a woman leading the chapel assembly. This song, the culmination of the various chapel changes, led a few students to get up and walk out of chapel. Some students saw this action as disruptive; others respected these students for not violating their spiritual conscience. Students took to social media to haze the students that walked out. Regardless of whether you view the changes as appropriate or not, the hazing of these students on social media is completely inappropriate. Matthew 18:15 says, “If your brother does something wrong to you, go to him. Talk alone to him and tell him what he has done. If he listens to you, you have kept your brother as a friend.” We should not be attempting to “break” our brothers and sisters. We should be building each other up.
Harding University is a Christian school affiliated with the Church of Christ, which for the majority promotes male spiritual leadership. To have controversies about spiritual leadership and “worship experience” taking place in a mandatory chapel is very dangerous ground to tread on. If students are asked to either question their salvation or suffer shaming and chapel probation, what does that say about Harding as a whole? Will Harding become like the world and mire itself in division and discord?
