Asbury University will platform the experiences of its international students during a new International Student Stories chapel service scheduled for Wednesday, March 4. The service marks the first time the University has dedicated an entire chapel to international student experiences.
The chapel was developed in response to student feedback gathered through focus groups, according to Reverend Dr. Esther Jadhav, Associate Dean for Intercultural Life. Jadhav said feedback from intercultural students indicated a desire for greater representation and intentional inclusion within chapel programming.
“We annually look at what’s going well, what are some things that need to be considered if students are saying, hey, we would love to have this initiative as opposed to this initiative,” Jadhav said.
She highlighted that this new program directly reflects Asbury University’s mission statement to prepare students to engage their cultures and advance the cause of Christ. Jadhav emphasized that a space for global voices in chapel aligns with the university’s emphasis on spiritual vitality and cultural engagement.
The March 4 chapel will feature three international upperclassmen, each given approximately six minutes to speak. Jadhav said she selected students who are well acclimated to Asbury’s culture and actively involved in campus life, noting that this familiarity allows speakers to reflect more fully on their experiences.
“There was a thoughtfulness involved in selecting the students to speak,” said Jadhav.
Beyond storytelling, she emphasized that the chapel is intended to function as an act of worship that exposes students to global expressions of faith.
“I would love for our student body to have the chance to experience global worship,” Jadhav said. “We hear about it, we see it, but then to actually experience it is a whole other level of engagement.”
She added that the long-term goal is for students to better understand the global church and recognize the shared faith that connects believers across cultures.
One of the students speaking during the chapel is senior Susanna Edward, a media communication major who grew up in India. Edward said she was initially hesitant to share during chapel.
“I grew up Christian,” Edward said. “But India is predominantly Hindu and a little bit of Muslim, so I was always the minority.”
Edward lived in India until high school before moving to the United States to attend Asbury. She said the cultural transition was significant, particularly the shift from a communal society to a smaller campus environment.
“India is a very communal country,” Edward said. “Coming from the second most populated city in the world, Delhi, I, coming here was like, now I only see like the same 100 faces every day.”
Edward said her understanding of faith evolved during her time at Asbury, particularly through chapel services and conversations that emphasized grace rather than the legalism she experienced in churches in Delhi.
The International Student Stories chapel is being piloted this spring, with hopes of becoming a recurring service once every semester.
For Edward, sharing intercultural stories serves a broader purpose of expanding students’ perspectives beyond their immediate surroundings.
“Sometimes people just don’t understand that there’s a world beyond this,” Edward said. “Hearing their stories really helps you understand them better.”
Jadhav said she hopes the International Student Stories chapel represents a meaningful step in Asbury University’s efforts to elevate intercultural voices and create space for global perspectives on campus.
