In July 2026, Bethel College announced that Amy Marshall would be taking the position of campus pastor for the upcoming school year. The position of campus pastor was previously vacant for three semesters, which came with multiple challenges. The responsibilities of the job had to be shared not only by other faculty and staff, but students as well. The Office of Student Life had to take charge of Service Day and students involved with the campus ministries were forced to take up major leadership roles.
“Students on campus definitely had to step up to fill that campus pastor role that was missing for three semesters,” said Kaylee Linnebur, a student chaplain. “Having someone like Amy here now provides a lot more structure and opportunity for ministries on campus.”
Marshall is originally from Columbus, Ohio. She attended and graduated from Bluffton University–a “sister school” to Bethel–in 2022. This past May, she graduated from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind. where she earned her Master of Divinity degree with a major in Christian faith formation. Marshall originally heard about Bethel’s vacant pastor position from friends at the seminary and was encouraged to apply by a friend who lives in Kansas. Now that she has the job, people are curious about what she has planned.
“My plan is to equip and encourage students to take a lead within campus ministries,” Marshall said. “We have a great student chaplain and worship planning team, and we’re excited for the programming coming up this school year! I see my role less as telling students what to do and planning everything out myself, but more as giving them the resources to explore and share their faith and become strong leaders. I hope for campus ministries to be a space where students can grow, find support and experience the love of Jesus that meets them where they are.”
Marshall acknowledges that challenges can arise when working with people of different denominations and religions. Bethel is known as a private Mennonite college, but there are many students from other denominations and religious backgrounds who attend.
“Including all denominational backgrounds is super important to me,” Marshall said. “As I get to know students, I would love for them to share their backgrounds in worship, the Bible and the spiritual practices that matter to them. College is an amazing space for students to explore what their faith means to them, and I want to create opportunities for them to take advantage of it.”
Marshall wants to learn more about the students here, but she also thinks it is important for students to learn and connect with each other. “Chapel is a great place to learn from one another, experience faith traditions that may differ from our own and share our traditions with those who haven’t experienced them before,” she said.
Marshall also wants students to know about the different events that she has planned for the upcoming school year. “We are having an event at the beginning of November specifically to share our faith backgrounds,” she said. “Beyond events that bring everyone together, I also recognize that having spaces where we can fully integrate into our own traditions individually is super important, and we hope this will happen through Bible studies, prayer times, worship nights, hymn sings and other opportunities.”
Marshall is excited about the different aspects of the job as campus pastor. “I am most excited to meet and work with students,” she said. “I have loved seeing students’ passion and excitement on campus so far, and I am looking forward to more opportunities to learn what students want to see from the campus ministries team and me! I want students to know that if they ever want a space to talk about faith, their experiences encountering other traditions and beliefs, or to start something on campus, my door is open!”
