Methodist?

University of Indianapolis...Methodist or not? This seems to be an excellent question. Many Methodist, especially those in the Indiana area, proudly claim the U of I as our own. However, it seems that with every year, there is more separation from the U of I and its Methodist roots. All you have to do is ask some simple questions when taking a tour of the university. For example, one student I know asked various people on campus about the universities Methodists connections. The response was, "Well, we're not entirely a Methodist school. Sure, we take money from the Methodist church. But, we aren't really a Methodist school." But, if you ask any Methodist pastor in the Indiana area, they will tell you U of I is a strong Methodist school. Ha! It seems like the school is pulling away without the denominations acknowledgement. Sure, the UMC provides a campus chaplain. But, students aren't required to attend chapel services. And, it seems like the UMC campus outreach at U of I is about as effective as the UMC campus outreach at Ball State (which, even though they are trying really hard, is not very effective).

In a recent article in the Hoosier United Methodist News, there was an article about the appointment of a new president to the university. Beverly Pitts, a former Ball State employee, has been named the president of U of I. She is the first female president in school history! Way to go Bev! However, the article failed to mention that Pitts is not a Methodist. In fact, she is the first non-Methodist president of the university. Seems like that might be important information to include to the many UM congregations throughout the state whose apportionment dollars are going to support this university.

Well, that's almost all I have to say about that.