Ministry Ties gains recognition as official campus club

Photo description: Senate Vice President Alex Vieselmeyer leads a student senate meeting

Photo credit: Tobias Novak

Nora Betts

Sower Staff

The Student Senate on Tuesday approved Ministry Ties as an official campus club and announced next week’s open forum with Chartwells’ new Director of Dining Services Patrick O’Brien.

Senior Owen Dawson gave a presentation on Ministry Ties, which has been an unofficial club for two years. He said the club fosters connections between pre-church workers who are Pre-Seminary or Pre-Deaconess, in the Director of Christian Education program, or earning a Lutheran Teacher Diploma.

“What we do is we try to break down some of the stigmas between some of the pre-church workers, but also just create a community,” said Dawson.

Ministry Ties events, which traditionally include lock-ins and barbecues, attract between 10 and 50 people, said Dawson. These events allow pre-church workers to bridge the gaps between their specific groups.

“We really don’t have very many classes together, and so it’s good to have an outside opportunity to get together and say ‘oh, that’s what you’re going to be doing,’ put a name to a face, and just establish community that way,” Dawson said.

Ministry Ties’ planning committee consists of three seniors and six underclassmen with an “ongoing structure” for club sustainability, said Dawson.

The Senate unanimously approved the application for official club recognition.

Chartwells Open Forum

The Senate will host an open forum with Chartwells’ Director of Dining Services Patrick O’Brien at next week’s meeting. The forum will take place at 6:15 p.m. on April 4 in the Dunklau lecture hall.

“It will be open to the whole student body, we’ll be able to discuss swipe boxes, (and) discuss what his plans are for campus,” said Senate Secretary Maddy Peters.