New Semester, New Season

If a year ago you had told my wife, Kate, and me that we would be trading living by the ocean with living by the mountains, we wouldn’t have believed you. As recent Rhode Islanders, we are excited for this new season in Virginia, and I am particularly looking forward to being the new Associate Chaplain at the University of Lynchburg.

Kate and I have an almost three-year-old son named Foster, and we are expecting another son in October. We spend a lot of time as a family going on walks with our miniature dachshund, playing Sesame Street characters, singing silly songs, and we are always up for trying a new restaurant.

Originally from Chicago, I am a professional actor and singer turned pastor and preacher. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Performance and spent many years traveling the country singing and dancing at numerous regional theatres, theme parks, and touring companies. A torn ligament led me out of acting work and into seminary, where I received a Master of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago.

Since that time, I have worked as a pastor at a church in Rhode Island, as a campus minister at a university, as a hospital chaplain, and I did pastoral care for a non-profit. As an extrovert who loves coffee and good conversation, I am ready to meet many of you and get to know countless students, fellow hornets in the hive. I look forward to serving this community as we all pursue a spiritual path and grow into the people we were created to be.

Obviously, there are a lot of changes and transitions happening in my life as I enter my first semester at the University of Lynchburg. However, I realize that not only the school and me, but also many students are in a season of transition as well. Of course such transition will bring with it growing pains and needed changes, moments of fear and instances of excitement, and dreams and visions for the future.

Yet, what brings me hope through such seasons of transition is remembering that I am not alone. On this campus, we are in it together. We’ve got each other. Our diversity and integrity brings about our unity and wellness. Perhaps, you could say, although it may seem as if we are on different paths or walking at different paces, we are all on the Dell together.

Nathan Albert, Associate Chaplain