Delight Ministries: From Bell Tower to Beyond
One Friday morning, three Belmont sophomores with a passion for chasing God met in Belmont’s iconic Bell Tower with 20 other women who were interested in starting a campus-wide Bible study. The group named the study “Delight” and made it a regular occurrence throughout the rest of the semester. They established a mission of building community that fosters vulnerability and transforms stories, and they worked hard to create an environment that allowed for honest and transparent discussion. The study expanded beyond the Bible and soon, the women began cooking dinner together, serving hot chocolate to the homeless together and learning to live more like Christ together. By the end of their sophomore year, the group of three women grew to nearly 100 who shared the same passion for Christ.
Fast-forward to 2017, and Delight Ministries is now the only nationwide college ministry for women. There are chapters of the organization on over 80 different college campuses across the U.S., built of more than 400 campus leaders and 4,000 members. Delight Ministries co-founders and 2015 Belmont University graduates Mackenzie Wilson and Mackenzie Baker, who were among the original group of three women, now run an office on Blair Blvd as the organization’s headquarters. They handle their own content creation, marketing and even host interns that plan leadership conferences and events for all chapters.
“There’s something about the atmosphere at Belmont that I think inspires students to think outside of the box, to notice gaps and to think creatively on how to fill them,” Wilson said. “From the beginning of Delight, we had so much support from the University Ministries department. They truly came alongside of us and helped us to grow and walk forward in where God was calling Delight at Belmont as well as where God was calling Kenzie and I individually.”
For more information on Delight Ministries, its purpose and its current chapters, visit its website.
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Delight Ministries: From Bell Tower to Beyond