On Monday, September 29, renowned writer and preacher Dr. Will Willimon visited Chowan University to deliver this year’s Taylor Religious Heritage Lecture.

Speaking to an audience of students and visitors from the surrounding communities on Monday morning, Willimon emphasized the transformative nature of faith on a college campus. “This is not how we expected God to be,” he stated, “From the moment He encountered us, Jesus made us think, ‘I’ve got to go back and rethink my relationship with God.’”

Participating in a Q&A session with Chowan’s Ministerial Board that afternoon change was, once again, a major theme. Willimon emphasized the need to better connect with the emerging millennial culture if churches are going to continue to grow and thrive. “We need to stop preparing our ministers to lead healthy churches and start teaching them how to heal sick ones,” he noted.

That evening, Willimon addressed the Chowan Christian Service Association over dinner. He commended the group, comprised of students preparing for Christian ministry and the donors who support them, while challenging them to stretch further to keep up with the kingdom. “We serve a living God who is on the move constantly,” he encouraged, “I believe that he is on the loose.”