By Justus Sturtevant Editor in chief
Susquehanna Chaplain Scott Kershner is not the person many outside of Susquehanna would picture when they hear the word chaplain. He is young and fit, lacking the wrinkled and bearded face that defines the pastor stereotype for many. Outside of his work, Kershner enjoys running, often participating in long distance races.
While he might not fit the stereotype of a pastor in some ways, Kershner certainly fits the bill in one important area: his love and passion for the students of Susquehanna.
That became evident for many in August, when Kershner hung a “Black Lives Matter” flag in front of his house.
For Kershner, hanging the flag reflected an aspect of his job on campus in which he takes great responsibility.
“I put [the flag] up as a statement of pastoral care,” he said. “For me it’s a pastoral gesture. I thought it might generate a little bit of heat, but I was ready for that and that’s okay with me because it’s important to take a stance about important issues.”
For Kershner, the responsibilities of the chaplain extend far beyond the religious duties he is tasked with.
“Racial justice and reconciliation is a huge concern/ interest/passion of mine,” he said. “I see that as very near the heart of what the work of a chaplain is, because racial division and injustice is such a profound part of American history and experience that if one is not engaged in that work then you’re taking your eye off the ball of a central aspect of what the pastoral need is both on our campus and our culture.”
Kershner’s sense of responsibility toward the students of Susquehanna extends far beyond the scope of race, as he has emerged as an advocate for other groups on campus, including Muslim and Jewish students and members of the LBGTQ community. As Kershner explained, he serves every member of the Susquehanna community, and he tries to be aware of the needs of all the students who attend the school.
Sophomore Rebekkah Rosen, a member of the Jewish community at Susquehanna, said it was encouraging to see Kershner at the Hillel house and at events for students of different faiths.
“The [Susquehanna] community is definitely lucky to have a chaplain who truly cares about all students on this campus, regardless of their religious/nonreligious beliefs,” she said.
Kershner’s interest in both religion and cultural events and movements are not new to him.
He attended St. Olaf in his home state of Minnesota, where he studied religion and American studies.
After graduation, Kershner participated in Lutheran Volunteer Corps for a year, working in Tanzania and East Africa.
The call to pastoral work then led Kershner to Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut.
After graduation, he worked as a pastor for a parish in Brooklyn, before taking a job at Holden Village in the state of Washington.
In January of 2014 Kershner took over as the chaplain for Susquehanna.
“I was really interested in engaging in ministry in higher education,” Kershner said. “I love working with young adults who are asking the big questions about life and meaning and how to live.”
One large element of Kershner’s role as university chaplain is to organize and run religious functions on campus. He likened the responsibility to that of a church pastor in the preparation and delivery of sermons and the running of Bible studies for students.
Junior religious studies major Charlie Frekot works with Kershner on a regular basis and is always impressed by his wisdom and ability to connect with others.
“Chaplain Kershner is all about building bridges and making personal connections,” Frekot said. “He wants everyone to find a place where they can feel safe and welcomed no matter what background they are from.”
Since taking the position at Susquehanna, Kershner has experienced great changes in his personal life as well as his professional life. A few months after arriving at Susquehanna, Kershner’s son Soren was born.
Kershner and his wife Lori, adjunct faculty art, have made an effort to involve their family in the campus community. They can often be seen at campus events or simply walking around the campus in the evening.
“Lori, Soren and Scott often attend Hillel events and make it known that their home is a welcome place for all students regardless of religious background,” Rosen said. “Seeing them walking around campus always puts a smile on my face.”
Many elements of Kershner’s job at Susquehanna are unique from other religious positions. One such element is the overseeing of campus religious groups, which includes Christian groups, such as Lutheran Student Movement and InterVarsity, as well as non-Christian groups, such as Hillel.
Recently Kershner has been very involved in helping a new student group; “Better Together” is an interfaith group, which seeks to bring people of varying backgrounds and ideologies together in open dialogue and understanding.
“[Interfaith work] is a big passion of mine, and I’m really excited to see that getting some traction,” Kershner said.
“Interfaith isn’t about saying that differences don’t matter; interfaith is about saying that we can find ways to sit down at a common table and work for the common good despite our differences,” he continued.
“I think that’s really exciting; it both honors the particularity of people’s beliefs—it honors differences—but it says that our differences don’t have to divide us; our differences can be an occasion for building bridges of understanding and cooperation,” Kershner finished.
Kershner’s passion for interfaith work is clear to the students who work with him.
“Chaplain Kershner is actually the person who led me into my journey of the interfaith community and supported me as I gained more knowledge of it and felt the need to be a part of it,” Rosen said.
“Last January [Kershner] and [Eli Bass] sent me, along with several other students, to a conference called the Interfaith Leadership Institute through IFYC. It was there where I gained many of the leadership tools that were necessary in forming Better Together,” Rosen added.
Kershner is also one of the creators and leaders of a Global Opportunities trip to Jerusalem, which specifically focuses on interfaith dialogue and understanding.
Junior Allison Graybill was on the trip with Kershner in 2015, and she recognized the impact her time in Jerusalem had on her.
“Since being back, I have found myself exploring Judaism, Islam and my own faith, Christianity, more than I did before,” Graybill said.
“I find myself looking for the similarities between the three religions and also looking at the differences that make the three unique,” she added. “I think that it’s especially important in today’s society, where Islamophobia is a very real thing, that we be open-minded and understanding of people who are different than us, so we can be better people and so we can live in peace with each other.”
Kershner said he recognizes that the role of the chaplain on campuses like Susquehanna is now changing.
He pointed out that today many students come to college campuses with very little understanding of what the role of the chaplain is and how he can be a resource for them regardless of faith.
“I would hope that people understand that the chaplain is here for everyone and not just for those who identify as Christian,” he said.
“I am here as a listening ear, as an open door, and I am someone who is eager to have a conversation with students about what their deepest values are and how to live those out,” Kershner added.
