Spiritual Life
Andover Newton is breaking the bounds of ecumenism and is a “laboratory experiment” in transdenominationalism. Though Andover Newton is an expressly Christian theological school, worship is not limited to a singular pursuit; indeed Protestants worship with Catholics, Baptists with Unitarian Universalists and the Jewish congregations that meet on campus twice a week invite students from the community to join them in their regular services.
Wednesday Community Chapel is the most attended worship service of the week, with faculty, staff, students and members of local communities coming together to spend time in fellowship. Often, a faculty member (many of whom are ordained ministers) or student group will be responsible for planning the Wednesday worship service, but the campus has also invited faith-oriented social justice groups as well as hosted the Great Preaching series.
What has been particularly exciting recently has been worshipping in our newest building on campus, the Wilson Chapel. Opposite the library, on our quadrangle, the Wilson Chapel represents the old New England meeting house in function and layout. It is the newest community gathering hub of the campus, and represents the forward looking aspirations of our campus. With no fixed iconographic representations, any faith group can worship in the space and not feel suffocated. Further, mobile seating allows worship to happen in any congregational formation, facing the beautiful walls of windows, the indoor fountain and inward in the round.
Besides Wednesday Community Chapel, other worship opportunities include Morning Worship Mondays through Fridays, Black Student Fellowship and Unitarian Universalist services on Thursday afternoons, Korean Evangelical services on Sundays (as well as Korean Evangelical Bible studies on Wednesdays), weeknight Episcopalian Compline, and a community choir that meets once weekly.