Annual MC Faith Community Fair and worship service set for Aug. 20 at Clayton Center for the Arts

July 31, 2023

For more than 200 years, Maryville College has been an institution that values all voices and perspectives, strives to serve the region of which it’s always been a part, and prepares students for anything by encouraging them to study everything — and it remains committed to the spiritual seeds from which it grew.

Opened in 1819 as the Southern and Western Theological Seminary, MC remains affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the College’s annual Faith Community Fair and Worship Service — scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 20, at the Clayton Center for the Arts on the MC campus — will reaffirm those ties. The ecumenical gathering allows entering Maryville College students to meet area church leaders and learn about the wide variety of local faith communities.

“We are grateful to the many church partners who for more than 20 years have made this a fun and festive tradition for the entire community,” said Kathleen Farnham, director of church relations at Maryville College. “Faith, learning and service are often important pieces of the College experience for MC students, and for many, their connection with churches begins with the Faith Community Fair.

“Thanks to the enthusiasm and generosity of local pastors and church leaders, the fair has become a wonderful tradition to foster meaningful, long-lasting connections between MC students and congregations.”

MC was founded in 1819 by the Rev. Isaac Anderson, who envisioned an institution that prepared students to “do good on the largest possible scale.” Over the years, faculty, staff and students have remained committed to the core principles of its association with the Presbyterian Church (USA) by maintaining a welcoming and diverse community of belonging, a community of learning dedicated to exploration in all areas of life, and a community of service, justice and care within and beyond the MC campus.

Set-up for the upcoming Faith Community Fair’s participating religious organizations begins at 2:30 p.m., and congregations are asked to bring one to three members and provide displays, information about their communities, treats, snacks (pre-packaged or homemade) and/or useful back-to-school items for students. Representatives may be lay leaders, clergy, program directors, current college students or members with a particular interest in ministry to college students.

Following the fair, Jamie Webster, interim campus minister, will lead this year’s worship service with assistance from current MC students. The service — the theme of which is “Belonging” — begins at 5 p.m. in the Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre of the Clayton Center and is free and open to the public.

Reservations for the Faith Community Fair are required by Wednesday, Aug. 16. For more information or to register, contact Farnham at 865-981-8217 or kathleen.farnham@maryvillecollege.edu.

Maryville College is a nationally-ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges. For more than 200 years we’ve educated students to be giving citizens and gifted leaders, to study everything, so that they are prepared for anything — to address any problem, engage with any audience and launch successful careers right away. Located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville, Maryville College offers nearly 1,200  students from around the world both the beauty of a rural setting and the advantages of an urban center, as well as more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last. Today, our 10,000 alumni are living life strong of mind and brave of heart and are prepared, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”