My mind raced with numerous unanswered questions about the life of a college student as I joined the herd of students and faculty rushing towards a brick building with a large concrete cross firmly planted next to the door. During the mid-morning break, streams of people flowed into the wooden pews and filled the circular chapel. For a half an hour, the people shifted their thoughts from the academic world of subjects such as Physics and British Literature to a spiritual unity, seeking God through prayer, four-part a cappella hymns, and scripture readings from the familiar Biblical text. After turning in my red and white attendance sheet, I exited the peaceful, spiritual setting and plunged into the unfamiliar schedule of textbooks, notes, and lectures. I quietly chose a seat in the Science building, trying to ignore my fluttering stomach. Professor Jenny Jenkins entered the classroom with the normal array of teaching materials such as lecture notes, a few overheads, and some markers for the board, but she also carried an uncommon book for the classroom setting, a Bible. Her calm voice resonated through the air as she welcomed us to Health in a Changing Environment and began class with Bible reading and prayer. Suddenly, my palms ceased to sweat and the worried wrinkles on my forehead faded away as I realized that Goshen College represents more than further education, but also a community of Christian faith.
As portrayed in this personal story, Goshen College claims the identity of a Christian college affiliated with the Mennonite denomination. A Mennonite affiliation means that the Mennonite Church possesses ownership and operation rights and the Mennonite Board of Education directs the college. A portion of Goshen College's mission statement emphasizes the Mennonites' service-oriented structure with the statement that "we view education as a moral activity that produces servant-leaders for the church and the world" (Goshen College Catalog 2).