RB
Ryan Bishop
  • Sofia, Bulgaria

Ryan Bishop Participates in Ohio Wesleyan's Spring Break Interfaith Service Week

2017 Mar 31

Ryan Bishop of Sofia, Bulgaria, spent spring break serving others as a member of a 2017 Ohio Wesleyan University Interfaith Service team.

Bishop traveled to San Diego, California, as part of the student-created "Gender, Sexuality, and Immigration: Navigating Overlapping Realities" team.

Nearly 60 Ohio Wesleyan students participated on seven Interfaith Service teams, which worked in San Diego, California; Washington, D.C.; New Orleans, Louisiana; Columbus, Ohio; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Lakota Nation, South Dakota; and Bucerias, Mexico.

Chad Johns, associate chaplain and director of the Interfaith Service program, said the teams incorporate "intentional service and reflection with people of diverse faiths, philosophies, and perspectives [to] deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other, even as we work to improve the world around us."

Each team also incorporates the "four essential pillars" of restorative justice, transformative reflection, substantive community, and conscientious leadership into their experiences, said Johns, a 2002 Ohio Wesleyan graduate.

"We seek to gain awareness of, show respect for, and build relationships with people and cultures with whom we interact," he said. "We seek to stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers in a way that honors and restores the human dignity and sacred worth of all involved. We seek to become agents for justice on our campus and in our world."

Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan's Interfaith Service program at www.owu.edu/InterfaithService.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers nearly 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan's signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives," listed on the latest President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "best colleges" lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

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