MC Chapel: A Central, Required Part of Student Life
Weekly services offer worship and teaching while also serving as a graduation requirement for Mississippi College students
Mississippi College has a long history and identity steeped in the message and values of Christ. Part of this commitment is still seen today as a core of the student experience – Chapel. Weekly services provide students the opportunity to take a break from academics and gather together in worship. However, at MC, Chapel is not just an event to be experienced, but a required credit to graduate.
All MC students are required to take four semesters of Chapel. To fulfill this credit, they must attend at least 10 sessions per semester. There are also events, such as worship nights and special lectures, which provide 15 additional opportunities for students to earn a Chapel credit. In recent years, Chapel has been held every Thursday in the Swor auditorium. The two sessions begin and end with musical worship led by MC’s Worship Collective. The musical group is composed of student singers, guitarists, keyboardists, and drummers.
Chapel also includes a weekly message or sermon from a guest speaker. This provides an opportunity for students to hear from various seasoned pastors and speakers from different backgrounds and walks of life. “We want you to be challenged and corrected and taught sound doctrine and good teaching from Scripture,” Ben Goff, instructor of Christian Studies and current Chapel director, said.
Chapel plays an important role in shaping MC’s culture as a Christ-centered institution by supplementing Sunday and Wednesday church services. It provides a midweek pause from the rush of students’ schedules and allows a time of spiritual reflection and renewal. “It’s something that is unique to us as a Christian college and university that gives us an opportunity during the week to throw in an extra worship service and spiritual aspect to life here on campus,” Goff said. This year, MC Chapel hosted Shane Pruitt, the director of the North American Mission Board, and Shane & Shane, a popular Christian musical duo. Matt Papa, writer of popular modern hymns, such as “His Mercy is More” and “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death,” is also scheduled to visit later in the semester.
Some students have fully leaned into the chapel experience. “My perspective has shifted because I realized that it’s not just another thing on my schedule,” Kara Byrd, a second-year MC transfer student, said. “It’s an opportunity to take a break from my schedule and really sit with the Lord.” Although she has completed her required chapel credits, Byrd continues to attend as a chapel team member. Student team members help host Chapel by taking attendance and assisting in production. “I love getting to see the behind-the-scenes with what people put into Chapel and what Chapel means to them – how they’re really intentional about trying to do what the Lord has called them to and trying to build God’s kingdom,” Byrd said.
Beyond simple attendance, Goff hopes that Chapel will leave a lasting impact on the lives of students. “I hope by the time that they finish their requirement, they can look back on Chapel and say, number one, it wasn’t a waste of their time. And number two, they had the experience to hear from people, gifted by God, come and challenge them and teach them things that they can take with them from the Chapel space to wherever the Lord decides to send them,” Goff said.
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