By LORETTA FULTON

Nine years ago, Ricky Harrison was a student at McMurry University pursing a bachelor’s degree in religion.

Today, he has that degree, plus a master’s from Duke Divinity School. With those diplomas in hand, plus the experiences he has gained, Harrision has returned to McMurry as University Chaplain and Director of Religious & Spiritual Life. He just started his new job as McMurry started a new year.

“I’m incredibly excited to be back in Abilene with the McMurry community,” he said.”McMurry was one of the places that enabled me to most clearly hear God’s call on my life, and I hope to offer that same gift of grace to new generations of young people.”

Ricky Harrison

Ricky Harrison Bio
Current position: 
McMurry University Chaplain and Director of Religious & Spiritual Life
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Religion from McMurry University (2014) & Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School (2017)
Family: Married to Abigail Harrison, currently a graduate student at Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University

Q Just a few years ago, you were a student at McMurry and now you are returning as chaplain. You are not much older than the students. Is that a positive or a negative, or both?
A Having graduated from McMurry nine years ago, I think my age brings the best of both worlds. I’m close enough in age to most students to remember what life was like in college, relate to their experiences and concerns, and connect with them in a meaningful way. Yet I’ve learned a lot over the last nine years, through graduate school and in full-time congregational ministry, that I certainly did not know as a student. I hope to bring a healthy balance between youthful energy and the wisdom of age.

Q Who were the chaplains when you were a student? What did you learn from them that you want to incorporate into your ministry?
A Rev. Tim Kennedy, Tim Palmer, and Jessica Watson were the chaplains who invested in me as a student. I learned so much from serving alongside them over my four years. What I most valued and hope to incorporate is their relationally driven style of ministry. The Religious Life Office was always filled with students who found a deep sense of community and belonging. Tim, Tim, and Jessica cultivated a community where everyone was known, loved, and empowered to use their God-given gifts & graces across campus. They embodied the presence of God in our lives and empowered us to do the same for the entire campus community.

Q Is campus ministry something you saw in your future when you enrolled at Duke University for a Master of Divinity degree?
A I’ve always had a deep passion for ministry with young people, but I didn’t necessarily see campus ministry in my future when I went to seminary. One of the reasons I chose Duke Divinity was to push myself out of my comfort zone and into a new place where I could discern God’s call on my life. I first heard my call to ministry as a youth worker, serving alongside junior high and high school students throughout college. At Duke, that call clarified into a passion for pastoral ministry. As a church planter and local church pastor these past six years, my ministry focused on ways to integrate young people more fully into the life of the church. When the opportunity came to return to McMurry, campus ministry felt like a natural fit for this new season of ministry.

Q Has the split in the Methodist Church affected students’ attitudes about going into full-time ministry?
A In the United States, the United Methodist world continues to experience a decline in young people responding to a call to full-time ordained ministry. Following the 2019 General Conference, where the tensions that had long been boiling finally came to a head, many young people have taken a “wait and see” approach to the institutional church. Rather than spending time and money to pursue a three to four-year graduate degree, followed by a two to four-year ordination process, young people are finding other ways to live into God’s call on their life. I have seen a multitude of my peers and youth who are now young adults forgo work in the Church to pursue vocational ministry in healthcare, education, legal advocacy, social services, and other nonprofit work focused on creating a more just and peaceable world. Although these young people were certainly highly capable of going to seminary and serving in ordained ministry, they have chosen alternate and more accessible routes. Even though it often happens outside of the four walls of our churches, I consider their service “full time ministry” in our world. 

Q Has the split in the Methodist Church affected students’ attitudes about religion in general?
A Unfortunately, the splintering within the United Methodist Church has not helped the attitudes and opinions of young people towards religion in general. For the last four to five years, the United Methodist Church has been far too internally focused on these debates, rather than on the mission & ministry God has called us to in the world. Younger generations in general are already more skeptical towards organized forms of religion, and most denominations are seeing significant decline in membership and engagement. However, my experience has been that young people still have a deep faith and robust spiritual life. At McMurry, where students are coming from a wide variety of faith backgrounds and spiritual traditions, students find common ground in loving and serving others. From participating in a mission trip to Puerto Rico to embodying servant leadership on campus, young people model faithful living in the way of Jesus that the church would do well to learn from.

Q Do you have any new programs or projects you want to implement, or is it too early?
A My hope is that Religious & Spiritual Life on campus is a ministry owned by students. I’m excited to get to know the gifts, graces, and passions of McMurry students, and then equip and empower them to lead our ministry together. The programs and projects will grow out of their leadership – my job as a chaplain and campus minister is the same as any pastor, “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12).

Q You took part in several mission trips as a student. Do you plan to continue those now that you are in charge?
A Absolutely! McMurry continues to value Christian faith as the foundation of life, and service as the measure of life; this is lived out in McMurry’s missional engagement locally and abroad. Last year over winter break, McMurry led a team of students and staff to serve at Give Kids the World Village in Florida. This amazing ministry serves children and families from around the world experiencing childhood critical illness. In my short time here, I’ve already spoken with both students and staff who returned from that trip transformed and inspired – and eager to return! McMurry also led a mission trip to Puerto Rico in May, serving with a variety of ministries focused on long-term hurricane recovery. We will certainly continue these partnerships in addition to finding new opportunities for students to serve both locally and around the world. Faith lived out through mission and service is one of the most valuable experiences in shaping a young person’s life.