Religious LIfe

RELIGIOUS LIFE AND FELLOWSHIP

While the college was founded by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and retains a special relationship with the denomination and to the Hiram Christian Church in the village, Hiram College embraces a pluralistic approach to religious and spiritual life. Our Chapel is designed to be a place for people of all faiths and no particular faith to gather. Our chaplain is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), but serves every student with counseling, conversation, and institutional support. Religious life is student-led, which means that the religious life on campus is a reflection of each particular class. At Hiram College, we provide encouragement for students of every religion to practice their tradition, connect with faith communities, and create opportunities to learn from each other.

The Net

The purpose of The Net is to establish and advance witnessing communities of students and faculty who follow Jesus as Savior and Lord: growing in love for God, God’s Word, God’s people of every ethnicity and culture, and God’s purposes in the world; to provide opportunities and a means by which all students can learn about and grow in the teachings of Christianity.

HILLEL

The purpose of Hillel is to support and promote Jewish culture on Hiram’s campus. They also gather to celebrate Jewish tradition and holidays and share their traditions with interested students. Hiram College is grateful to have connections with Hillel of Kent State and University of Akron.

The Norma and Frank Fisher All Faith Chapel and Meeting House is a non-denominational sanctuary at Hiram College. The facility, which opened in May 2003, is designed to host the religious services and spiritual events of the world’s theological traditions.

The concept for the All Faith Chapel grew from several discussions between the College Chaplain and a small group of students that began in fall 2000. The students, who represented Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu traditions, worked with the chaplain to plan a building with usable space for all. The result is a serene building, clean and simple in design. The chapel is a flexible space that can be arranged to host a 50-seat worship service or cleared to facilitate a meditation practice. The building’s ADA restrooms include foot-washing stations and standard practice requests that everyone remove their shoes upon entering. Hiram Students have co-created a sacred space that honors the many traditions represented on campus and throughout the world.

The All Faith Chapel and Meeting House is located on the site of the historic Tiffany House (circa 1857). The foundation stone and timbers from Tiffany House have been incorporated into the new design, and foundation stones are also prominent in the landscaping. A labyrinth and memorial garden are adjacent to the All Faith Chapel for contemplation.

Hiram Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was formed in the early 1820’s as part of a congregation that eventually planted three churches in northeast Portage County.

The need for qualified pastors in the Western Reserve led to Campbell-Stone churches in northeast Ohio to form a college to train pastors. The Hiram Christian Church convinced the association to set the College across the street from the Church, and Hiram College was founded in 1850 as the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute by the Disciples. The two have worked as partners in education ever since. Today, the Christian Church is deeply rooted in the northeast Ohio area, with over 65 congregations within a 35 mile radius of Hiram College.

The Lectures in Religion program was established to provide opportunity for religious scholars to engage both the perennial questions of humanity and the urgent challenges of our world with the campus and broader community. Throughout its history, Hiram College has welcomed both emerging and established scholars to bring a word from their particular religious tradition that may offer wisdom and grace to the gathered assembly.

Contacts

Rev. Chris McCreight offers spiritual counseling in-person and over zoom. If you would like to schedule an appointment to talk about what is stirring within you, please email Rev. McCreight at McCreightCJ@hiram.edu or use the doodle app here.