Union Brings Chaplain Candidates to Campus : A Brief Recap of the Two Nights of Q&As

With Pastor Rich retiring from Union College after decades of service, the hunt for the next chaplain at Union is well underway. David Kabanje and Melissa Howell are both Union alumni and are being considered to fill Pastor Rich’s shoes.

Pastor Rich Carlson is set to retire from Union by August 1st, 2021, after 40 years of service. In that time he has headed countless outreach ministries, planned hundreds worship services and stood as a pillar of the Union community.

A chaplain search committee composed of students, faculty and pastors has been working tirelessly the past couple of weeks interviewing potential candidates and carefully selecting those who would bring the most to campus.

On April 7, students had the opportunity to meet Pastor David Kabanje. Kabanje graduated from Union in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in theology. He also served as Student Association president during that year. From Union, he went on to gain certifications and degrees in Pastoral Counseling, Organizational Leadership and Educational Innovation and Leadership.

Students who went to the Q&A found a welcoming, warm environment. Kabanje fielded questions ranging from what he plans to do with his position if he is accepted to his stance on the LGBT community, while sharing his beliefs on accepting and loving everyone as children of God. Each question was answered in an open and direct way as Kabanje made himself completely transparent on his beliefs.

The following day, April 8, students and faculty had the opportunity to meet Pastor Melissa Howell in her own Q&A. Howell graduated from Union with a bachelor's degree in theology in 2003, after which she pursued her Master of Divinity with an emphasis in youth ministry and her Doctor of Ministry in Leadership.

Howell’s Q&A session ran similarly to Kabanje’s with some key changes. One of the first questions she answered was on her ordination. She is one of about 400 women serving in SDA ministry and stands in the party of ordained women, a number a little less than 40.

Pastor Howell opened up her time with a short talk about some important ideals within her own ministry, with an overarching theme of needing a God with skin. With context, this gave way to a beautiful story about the need for a relationship with God. 

She was also open about her past as a dean and spoke about how her style of leadership was built on the foundation of relationships. Her quips and humor set the tone for the meeting and gave it an easy, comfortable feel for her hour long session.

Alexander Nesmith is a junior

communication major from

Calhoun, Ga.