Recently five student representatives and Grambling State University’s campus minister attended the 2006 Annual Student forum. This year’s Student Forum took place at Adrian College’s campus 50 miles outside of Detroit. The trip was made possible through a Wesley Foundation grant from the Louisiana Annual Conference Board of Campus Ministry in Higher Education.
A Student Forum consist of worship, guest speakers, fellowship, small group workshops, mission, and fun. In addition, students gain powerful knowledge from the 13 different workshops, to apply to each student’s unique home ministry, as well as their daily personal lives. The theme of this year’s forum was “True Disciples: learning to Fish.”
The representatives included Matthew A. Brunson, president of GSU SWAT/Wesley Foundation, Jonathan Favors, Stephanie Cockerm, Nikale Bazil, First International rep for Common Wealth of Dominica, Achilles Chad Harry, 04-06 Steering Committee representative of the South Central Jurisdiction, and Rev. Connie Breaux, GSU Campus Minister.
This year congrats go out to Matthew Brunson for being the newly elected member of the International Steering Committee; representing the South Central Jurisdiction and Grambling State University of Louisiana Annual Conference. Brunson sill be replacing Chad Harry, also a Gramblinite on the committee. Thirteen members make up this committee; two from each of the five jurisdictions and three appointed from the entire pool of 500 plus students in attendance of the conference. It will be Brunson’s responsibility to attend several meetings throughout the year in an effort to excite the best Student Forum yet to come. Brunson will be serving the SCJ until 2008.
Cockrem, Favors, and Brunson all were small group leaders nominated by the campus minister of their campus. As small group leaders, it was their responsibility to facilitate an environment conducive to open expression on the events of the conference. This time was devoted to developing closer bonds with students from around the country/world. Eventually, these groups became families according to Brunson.
As the newly elected SC rep, Brunson stated that he wish to further unify the SC jurisdiction. In an attempt to do so, he persuaded the majority of the SCJ to participate in the beautification mission trip of Park and Recreation in the Adrian, Mich. area. According to Breaux, ” Brunson is exhibiting his ability to bring a much larger group into a corporative utopia he brought diversity into unity. The parks and recreation mission trip consisted of planting new saplings and trees in a previously barren area, approximately 175 trees were planted by the SCJ Leaders (Okla., Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana)
“Last year I saw myself as only being half if that much. This year I was 110 percent into what was going on, I have never been so excited to be apart of something so awesome before,”said Brunson.
“This was my first forum, and I did not know what to expect. I thought I would be isolated but, the students from the forum treated me well. I found them to be very caring, and compassionate to me and stranger among them. I met many new friends,” said Favors.
“I learned sooo much, about God, and his purpose for me,” Cockerm said.
“I was very proud of Louisiana, and especially proud of our GSU SWAT leaders, Breaux said.
The students displayed great leadership in the SCJ meeting, small groups and in their overall performance in participating throughout the Student Forum. This tells me that the work of the ministry is vital in the shaping of great strong leaders, said Breaux.