Albion College United Methodist Student Spotlight

Josiah Fallot
Year: Junior
Major: English education
Home church: Morenci UMC
At age 12 Fallot attended Albion College as part of his process of being confirmed in the United Methodist Church and eight years later he is more than half way through his education there.

He is a co-president of the Student Volunteer Bureau, where he’s helped set up community service trips to places like Cass Corridor in Detroit and he’s active in Karate Club and the college’s Peace Action Club.

But what has helped define his experience more than anything he says, is the personal introspection he’s experienced through shared experiences with people of so many different faith backgrounds.

“I really enjoy a group called Bridge, which is essentially a meeting of any students willing to talk about their progress and spiritual growth. We meet once a week over lunch and usually one person will give kind of the evolution of their spiritual beliefs and their historical backgrounds to help us understand their perspectives on life,” he said. “A lot of my friends were already in this group and others were not. The leader of the group is from Nepal and he has a very interesting spiritual background in that there were Buddhist temples as well as Hindu temples next to each other and it kind of just debunked some of the beliefs I had prior to speaking with someone like him.”

Fallot said his home church, Morenci UMC, still holds a special place in his heart because the congregation is like family to him and he learned a lot about interconnectedness growing up.

David Keyworth
Year: Senior
Major: History
Home church: Midland UMC
Keyworth was the son of a United Methodist pastor growing up, but he didn’t have a clue one day his children might be called “PKs” until Albion College helped him discern his call.

He said he was ready to get involved with on campus ministries right away, but it wasn’t until a friend invited him to a Wednesday night chapel service that everything started clicking.

Keyworth joined the chapel band as a singer, and he now plays keyboard for the group. He said students are empowered by leading the entire chapel service, including giving the message, and he has been shaped by his interactions with other faithful Christians the last three-plus years.

He said people always told him to consider ordained ministry, but he just shrugged it off — until one Wednesday evening he heard God calling.

“The people here and Chaplain Dan (McQuown) helped me move forward and one night in chapel we were having a quiet time, with music softly playing and people praying — and at that time I heard God tell me I needed to go to seminary,” he said. “The powerful experiences we have in chapel, the powerful experiences being able to interact with other Christians on campus helps shape who you are, helps shape the person you’re going to be.”

He will head to Asbury Theological Seminary next fall, but before that he hopes to have a greater impact at Albion. He graduates in December and McQuown hired him as an advisor to all of the Christian groups on campus for the spring semester.

“A major goal of mine next semester is bringing all the chairs of the different Christian groups on campus together so we all know what each other are doing,” Keyworth said.

— RJ Walters

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Harmony perpetuates itself on inclusive Albion College campus

By RJ Walters, Editor

Albion College has one of the richest Methodist traditions of any college in America and if John Wesley was still around in 2010 he would surely be proud of the experiential faith transpiring on campus.

Wesley strongly believed that Christians would be better fortified in their faith through personal experiences that re-affirmed it and Albion College Chaplain Dan McQuown contends Wesley was on to something.

In 2003 McQuown was part of initial discussions trying to bring religious groups on campus together and by 2005 an interfaith life team was born, thanks in part to a meeting held between the student president of Albion’s Campus Crusade for Christ chapter and leaders of the Secular Humanist group at the college.

Every year since, the interfaith group has included leaders from 7-12 different religious backgrounds who come together to discuss different aspects of spiritual life on campus.

While McQuown is a Christian, his background is certainly diverse in its own right. He grew up Presbyterian, he married a United Methodist and started the ordination process, and he and his wife are now members of the United Church of Christ.

On campus a “normal” day isn’t so normal and that’s precisely what McQuown loves about his job.
“(One day) we have a student speaking on human trafficking, sponsored by the chaplain’s office and our interfaith group,” he said. “Then we’re launching our Pakistani flood relief, starting with a reading of the Muslim call to prayer and then we have campus Shabbat here in our student center — and all three are open to all people.”

He said he does infinitely more Christian evangelism and spiritual counsel by engaging diversity and doesn’t see much benefit to labeling people or rejecting them because “diversity can be a terrifying encounter a lot of people hide from.”

“If I put up a sign outside this window that said, ‘Christians Only,” I would lose 70 percent of the student body. Then if I put up a sign that said, ‘United Methodists Only,” or “Protestants Only,” I’d lose 20 or 25 percent more. Then if I said liberals or conservatives only I’d lose even more,” he said.

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WEB EXCLUSIVE: Celebrating the young adult spirit at Michigan's Methodist colleges this spring

By RJ Walters, Editor

While there are only two Methodist colleges in Michigan, it is always exciting this time of year to celebrate another class of graduates from Adrian College and Albion College and consider what young minds are up to.

While The Reporter will occasionally provide some stories from the college's respective campus chaplains, there are other media outlets doing a nice job of showcasing the colorful triumphant spirit this time of year at the southern Michigan schools.

Adrian College recently added a new wrinkle to pits playbook by having highly-lauded, much-celebrated Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo as its commencement speaker last weekend.

Instead of bragging about his Final Four runs, which are seemingly the expectation now, he humbly announced how appreciative he was to have the chance to speak at such a wonderful college.

“No matter what you choose to be, shoot for the moon. Don’t be afraid to dream big. Most people are,” Izzo said, according to a well-written article by the Adrian Daily Telegram.

He revealed his 10 building blocks for success: communication, teamwork, leadership, passion, listening, self-motivation, handling adversity, choices, accountability and knowing right from wrong.

Izzo's speech is worth reading about in more detail, and a variety of sources are there to give various perspectives on the event, although my money is on the hometown paper in this case.

• Izzo tells Adrian College grads to 'Dream Big' by the Adrian Daily Telegram 
• Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, to Adrian grads: Reach high by the Detroit Free Press

While he gave students hope to achieve future dreams, Albion College is preparing for its commencement this weekend with a look back at some of its most successful graduates the past 10 years. Success is in the eye of the beholder and certain world views do tend to overemphasize material success, but the Albion College media team has put together a list of hardworking, inspiring grads nonetheless.

The 'Top 10 in 10' have done everything from start businesses to research advancements in medicine, to becoming great teachers and working with nonprofits, or playing music for a living.

For a rundown of the 10 recipients to be honored Saturday click here.

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