Oklahoma Christian University is home to a large diverse range of cultures. Students from many different backgrounds find themselves on Oklahoma Christian’s campus looking for a home away from home. Fortunately, there is a weekly event all of these students can participate in called Intercultural Chapel.
Intercultural Chapel is a chapel that happens every week on Wednesdays for all minority and international students. It serves as a joint chapel between the Black Student Union (BSU), International Student Council (ISC), Latin American Student Organization (LASO), and Third Culture Kids (TCKs). The first three are student organizations on campus, while OC TCKs is a ministry.
“We really try to create a safe space for anyone with a multicultural background,” Kendon Murrell, Director of HIM and TCK programs said, “to make them more comfortable.”
Murrell, who is the staff sponsor for Intercultural Chapel, went on to say the chapel itself is focused on creating an environment that is inviting to all students at Oklahoma Christian, not just to multicultural students.
Intercultural Chapel is structured into two halves across both semesters. The first semester focuses on telling the stories of staff and faculty, while the second semester focuses on students within Intercultural Chapel and telling their own stories.
“Your experiences, your culture, it shapes your story and that matters. All of that makes who you are, and that matters,” Murrell said. “One of our biggest overarching themes for our chapel is how we tell our stories… How we tell our stories really shapes how we live.”
Intercultural Chapel has focused on relating the way students tell their stories to four character roles. Each of the four roles are based around character archetypes from popular stories: the victim, the villain, the hero, and the guide.
The victim is characterized by being powerless in a difficult situation, while the villain is someone who used to be a victim, but now hurts others because of pain in their past. The hero finds themselves growing through challenges. The guide is the final role, which is characterized by attempting to help others through challenges.
“Putting the Bible and its stories into the format of viewing it as characters really helps us think of it in ways we haven’t before,” Manning Reese, a student at Oklahoma Christian said. “It helps simplify it, it also makes it relatable. I think it works really well.”
During the first semester, students who attend Intercultural Chapel will be able to hear the stories of faculty and staff on campus. These guest speakers come from diverse backgrounds and have experienced many things on their way to Oklahoma Christian. Next semester, students from Oklahoma Christian will also be able to tell their own stories.
“You don’t have to hide that part of yourself on campus” Murrell said.
Intercultural Chapel is hosted every Wednesday from 11-11:30 a.m. in Adams Recital Hall. All students who come can get a chapel credit and learn about students from other backgrounds and their stories.
The Black Student Union is also hosting their kickoff for the 2026-2027 year on Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Duncan Room. You can find out more information about the BSU Kickoff on their instagram page: www.instagram.com/okchristianbsu/
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