New chapel plans in the works

Posted by admin on Dec 5, 2007 in News | 0 comments

For nearly a decade it sat abandoned, neglected, and vacant.Now it awaits an inevitable fate. If any current student pays it any mind, it’s only to wonder why it wasn’t torn down long ago.

Yet the old chapel building still stands. For many alumni, it stands because it is seen as more than a building with a poorly designed roof; the Calvin B. Hanson Chapel has been a symbol of Trinity Western University’s spiritual focus.

As plans are drawn up to tear down the old building and erect a new chapel, President Jonathan Raymond and TWU alumni are working hard to ensure a significant tradition is not destroyed along with an old building.

“The chapel building is an icon, one of the first buildings on campus, and speaks of our heritage. The facility that replaces it will speak to our future,” said Paul Johnston, TWU’s Director of Campus Services.

Johnston said there is currently no timetable in place for when the old chapel will be torn down or when a new building will replace it. It could happen as soon as next semester, or as late as this summer and beyond.

In a letter to the editor of Mars’ Hill in Spring 2006 (MH Vol. 10, Issue 9), alum Dan Enarson wrote that the Alumni Association was passionate about seeing the restoration of the chapel building; however, as restoration is no longer an option, the discussion has moved on to the vision for a new chapel building.

The importance of a dedicated chapel building at the heart of the Christian university has not been forgotten. As it stands, Raymond has been gathering input from TWU alumni regarding the chapel’s future presence on campus.

Peter Dueck, who graduated from TWU in the late 60s, recalled attending chapel every day before classes, with the entire student body able to fit into the small building. Like many alumni, he sees the chapel as more than a building.

“It is clear to me,” said Dueck, “that urban churches and Christians do not appreciate tradition as a vehicle to sustain our faith. The chapel is a vital tradition within TWU.” A chapel building for Dueck is a sacred place, a symbol of TWU’s commitment to a faith-based education.

Looking forward to the new building, Dueck hopes that TWU will use its construction to develop roots in the community. He envisions a chapel that is leased to or partially owned by an off-campus group, which could create ties with the secular community and open up the TWU campus, even if just a little.