Perhaps it was a sign from God.
For a long time, Rev. William Gipson had planned a certain future for himself. But somewhere in the middle of his plans, a series of twists brought Gipson to the Office of the Chaplain, where he has been the leader of Penn's religious community for the past eight years.
As a young man, Gipson served as assistant pastor at an African Methodist Episcopal Church in Rochester, N.Y. It was there that he began speaking to University of Rochester students about their faith.
"It happened often enough that it whetted my appetite," Gipson says.
Soon, Princeton University came knocking on Gipson's door, looking to fill a vacancy in its Office of Religious Life.
"I wasn't thinking of making a major shift, but Princeton came along. It seemed like the right thing to do at the moment," he explains.
In order to leave New York, Gipson had to ask his bishop for permission. The bishop agreed to the move -- for the duration of one year.
Gipson left Rochester and soon realized that his passion lay in working with on-campus ministry. However, he was slated to return to New York and head a parish there.
In the end, it came down to one phone call.
"I was so fearful to tell my bishop, but I called him up," Gipson recalls. "He said, 'If you think this is your calling, then go with my blessing.'"
And Gipson went.
He worked six and a half years at Princeton as assistant dean of Religious Life and the Chapel before coming to Penn in 1996.
As University chaplain, he oversees and supports all of Penn's widely diversified religious groups and reports directly to the Provost's Office. The Office of the Chaplain helps fledgling religious groups get a foothold on campus, most notably by providing them with meeting space.
In 2001, the Office of the Chaplain secured the basement of the Graduate Student Center called the Religious Activities Commons. The Muslim Students Association holds regular meetings there, Hindu students use the space for text study and yoga sessions, and Christian evangelical groups on campus conduct Bible studies in the RAC.
The number of Penn students who participate in religious activities is encouraging, according to Gipson. "We've had a 15 to 38 percent response rate in recent years," he reports. That number is currently hovering around 33 percent -- roughly the same number of Penn students that are involved in Greek life.
"I think it surprises a lot of people. Their perception of Penn is so different," he says.
To Gipson, the best part of his job is being able to engage with the student leaders of these groups and facilitate inter-religious education.
The feeling, it seems, is mutual.
"Rev. Gipson is a special person on campus. He's amicable, open-minded and passionate, and, best of all, he's genuinely committed to maintaining the strong religious life on campus and furthering interfaith activities," says College junior Amanda Ring, interfaith chairwoman for Penn Hillel.
College senior Anjum Cheema, president of the MSA, agrees.
"Chaplain Gipson has been a huge help to the MSA and to other religious leaders," Cheema says. "He has been a great advocate for religious life on campus."
Gipson especially emphasizes the importance of sharing ideas and ideologies among groups of different faiths.
"When I can see students from different religious traditions come to appreciate each other face to face over a meal -- as individuals -- that makes this a wonderful experience," Gipson says.
At one such recent dinner, Gipson promised his student guests plenty of food, provided that they brought an object symbolic of their personal faith and religious commitment. The students brought articles ranging from Muslim prayer beads to a wall-hanging with the sayings of Lord Krishna. The sayings, as it turns out, were in fact all questions.
"But that is one of the best things about religion," Gipson says. "We ask questions. That's the opportunity for real growth."
According to Rev. Beverly Dale, executive director of the Christian Association at Penn, Gipson is the right man for the job of forging bonds among interfaith communities.
"I think Gipson is a wonderful addition to this campus. He has good political instincts and a way of working well behind the scenes."
Still, Gipson feels that there is much work to be done in terms of uniting not only various religious groups, but also religious and non-religious students on campus. To this end, he works with interfaith groups to hold a series of regular conversations among students and faculty members called "What Matters to Me and Why." Guests have ranged from former University President Judith Rodin to men's basketball coach Fran Dunphy.
"'Why' is a very spiritual question," he says. "It gets at the core of what makes a person tick."
