Following an extensive interview process with multiple candidates competing for the position, Linfield University hired Steve Sherwood as the new campus chaplain. He will be filling the role of the university’s previous chaplain, Jeremy Richards, who moved on to a job at University Baptist and Brethren Church in Pennsylvania after the conclusion of the 2024-25 academic year.
Sherwood previously worked as a professor of theology at George Fox University for sixteen years before the department got cut.
Sherwood is also a pastor for an affirming church in Newberg. He even started the nonprofit “Table 14” to support George Fox’s LGBTQ students despite not being a formal part of the university.
“It allows students who are queer, LGBTQ, etc. to have a space to find community on campus,” said co-coordinator of Linfield University Pride Kaitlin Harwood. “Because, unfortunately, there is no community on George Fox campus, and it kind of made it unsafe for queer people on campus.”
As a chaplain, Sherwood will work with people of all faiths to help them feel religiously fulfilled. This work includes observing religious holidays, including Judaism’s Hanukkah, Islam’s Ramadan and Hinduism’s Diwali.
Meanwhile, as the director of service leadership, Sherwood will help students find volunteer opportunities, such as working at the food pantry. These opportunities will usually involve aiding the marginalized or less fortunate.
“I hope that, in the months and years to come, I will be able to facilitate many opportunities for the Linfield community to learn from, talk to, and work with folks from religious and faith traditions that might be new to them or different than their own,” said Sherwood.
Sherwood plans to adopt a supportive role, being there when people need him and planning events to help people explore who they are spiritually. He is there to offer guidance and advice to anybody, student or faculty, who comes to his office in Riley 301.
Above all, Sherwood aims to foster connections among the Linfield community, even when life gets in the way.
“You just keep connecting with people,” said Sherwood. “Recognizing that the events aren’t the end goal, it’s the connections you make with people that are.”
Sherwood wants to make Linfield a welcoming place for all religions and bring the community together. He’s excited to explore Linfield as the new chaplain, but plans to start slowly and learn more about the Linfield community before he does anything too big. No doubt this will involve utilizing his extensive background knowledge and experience, as well as a refusal to be deterred by setbacks.
