Every year in my time at Covenant, there is at least one chapel that sparks a fair amount of conversation amongst the student body. Chapel typically takes on a consistent flow of topic and focus, so it’s always exciting when a speaker verges off the beaten track. Chapel on Monday, January 29, featured the CEO of Coca-Cola Consolidated, J. Frank Harrison III. After listening to Mr. Harrison’s message, many students expressed levels of confusion over the chapel. In listening to many conversations and seeking out information from a variety of sources, I have summarized what I think are some of the main talking points of this particular chapel.
Frank Harrison, Former CEO of Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated, speaks in chapel, Monday, January 29, 2024. Photo taken by Nat Brown (‘26) (Bagpipe)
First, the chapel worship team did not lead any singing before the talk or after. Chapel has wide application to host educational lectures as well as worship sessions, and this omission of singing certainly set the tone for a more “business-like” topic. As a Brock Forum and not a Chapel Department event, this made sense (the Brock Forum is more focused on leadership development and making industry connections outside of Covenant). However, not all students had a full understanding of what exactly was happening with this event and the Brock Forum.
A number of students, mainly those with business or leadership interests/majors, were invited to a luncheon post-chapel, and there was also a panel discussion available to all students. The emails associated with these events gave a full background of the events and speakers, with links and opportunities to do more research about the company and its unique projects and heart for Christian values. But for many students who either did not receive the emails or did not read them in depth, the chapel lacked context to understand the significance of the speaker, even with the introduction given by Dr. Halvorson.
Some communication channels on campus (namely student run instagram meme pages) expressed a general frustration with the chapel, specifically relating to it going over time and elements of product placement. While these posts are extreme examples of opinion, they do demonstrate a rather brutal honesty about how a significant amount of students felt. In conversations with students, many expressed that they were compelled by the Open Eyes ministry and the testimony of Mr. Harrison’s son, but they felt the focus was more on Coca-Cola Consolidated and its culture and achievements rather than on faith and Christianity. As Christians, we can certainly bring the Gospel and Christianity into all areas of life, but the fusion of principals like business and faith is tricky. Perhaps with a limited time scope, the chapel lecture alone was not able to fully develop this connection.
Despite the confusion over the chapel, many of the students I spoke to who participated in the luncheon and panel discussions enjoyed the experience immensely. Leilani Brown ‘25, president of Covenant’s Business Club who is studying business, sports management, and psychology, stated, “I really enjoyed the conference! I liked seeing what Coca-Cola Consolidated does with their calling to be a faith driven organization. … The luncheon session about Christian leadership was very insightful, honest and wise.” Brown added that “[L]ater in the day, there was a panel discussion about culture and creating healthy cultures, which had fantastic practical examples and advice while also being filled with encouragement. Being able to talk with some of the speakers after their respective panels was one of my favorite parts.” Brown said they were all wonderful people, and each brought different attributes into the conversations. “I’m certain that I’ve walked away wiser and inspired because of these events, “ Brown said.
Even though many were confused by the chapel talk, learning the intention and broader context of the event was helpful for my understanding of what was going on and how I can be looking forward to more learning opportunities from the Brock Forum.